Utah Books

Not only does this book give a remarkable description of the 97'/98' season but also a in depth look at the previous seasons and how the Jazz came to be in Utah. It is the best written Jazz book I have ever read and I will read it over and over. Michael Lewis has wrote the book in away that all the memorable moments come rushing back to you as if you were still in front of the T.V. celebrating with your friends. It brings it back to life.

This book is a summary of the 97-98 Utah Jazz season; and even as a diehard Jazz fan, I didn't know of some of the sticky situations that went on in their season and what a miracle it was that they made the finals. The whole state of Utah (they're all Jazz fans, right?) needs to read this book; along with any other Jazz fan.

Not only does this book give a remarkable description of the 97'/98' season but also a in depth look at the previous seasons and how the Jazz came to be in Utah. It is the best written Jazz book I have ever read and I will read it over and over. Michael Lewis as wrote the book in away that all the memorable moments come rushing back to you as if you were still in front of the T.V. celebrating with your friends. It brings it back to life.

I just finished this book and I can't say enough about it. It describes the Jazz's season perfectly! If you get 1 book this year make it this one.

I bought this book recently and I must say that I love it! The author is honest about the team, writing about the good times, bad times and how players react to all kind of distraction. I strongly recommend this book for all the Jazz fans out there. This is a well written book which alows the reader to travel with the team, hear what they have to say and see how they react to reporters for example. Just buy it.

I am told I am a distant relative of Nick Wilson. My Whole famile has all of the copy's of this book and the movie of this story also. It is very well written and very captivating. You cant go wrong buying this book or any of the Nick Wilson stories!!! A must read and must see!! L.J. Gittins, Utah.

Fast service - thanks a lot.

I felt like I was reading a diary of actual events. The historical insight was enlightening. History is hard to write about from the frame of mind of the people that lived it unless it is written by someone that did just that. "The White Indian Boy" transports us to the time of the settling of Wyoming through the eyes of the author.

If you are interested in America's early frontier west - the days of cowboys, pioneers, explorers and Indians - you will be fascinated with two western classics, The White Indian Boy and its sequel The Return of the White Indian.

The White Indian Boy, first published in 1910, is the story of Nick Wilson, a young Mormon pioneer boy who became the adopted son of Washakie, famous chief of the Shoshone Indians who inhabited areas of western Montana, eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and northern Utah. Nick later became a Pony Express Rider, a driver for the famous Overland Stage, a guide for General Albert Sidney Johnston, and co-founder of Wilson, Wyoming in Jackson Hole.

Years later Nick's son Charles A. Wilson wrote a sequel to his father's famous book, telling of his father's later years and of his own adventures in early Jackson Hole. His book, The Return of the White Indian, is equally as interesting as his father's, telling of Jackson Hole's earliest days, of cowboys and Indians, of big game hunting, lake and stream fishing, world famous celebrities, development of Grand Teton National Park.

These two books, published by the University of Utah Press as a single volume, vividly bring to life a unique time and place in American history. There is considerable humor mingled with historical fact, and enriched with early day photos.

A delightful Foreword has been written by John J Stewart, author of several books and chief founder of the National Association and Center for Outlaw & Lawman History.

I read the book and then recommended it to a book club I was organizing. We used it as our first book and everyone enjoyed it. I found the stories spellbinding and the history was very interesting. Nick Wilson led a fasinating life and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history from the old West.

Full of witty information and interesting stories. Anything but a boring archaeology book.

The kalingas are a proud people. One author withstood 4 months of pain and gain of course, to write a book about a tribe, nay a community; not even - a nation!

The Philippines would be better of as a nation to read this art of a book, and learn from the customs and practices of an older civilization - close to 5,000 years old (my fact); their songs and wine and love and adventure deserves a niche in the heart of Filipinos, to help undo centuries of colonial mindedness (the effect of "liberal theology" as conspired to by the catholic leaders in colonizing the country) (you - [spanish] clerics think we don't know what you did to our culture? Ha Ha)

Back to James skibo: James skibo, may your tribe increase- but one thing. Stay there longer (than 4 months)for some real-life imersion please. And do another book on the "budong" which means peace pact but more than that - it is a government!

In Ants For Breakfast: Archeological Adventures Among The Kalinga, archeologist James Skibo shares the story of his archaeological pursuits in the remote Philippine highlands where he lived with the Kalinga people, former headhunters and one of the few groups in the world still using ceramics for cooking. Ants For Breakfast is an exciting tale of archaeological adventures worthy of any movie or television mini-series. But this true-life account of danger, mystery, sex, violence, and death is more gripping than any Hollywood fiction. In the course of his story Skibo links his experiences to the development of modern archaeology, and such subjects as human evolution, the populating of the world, animal domestication, cultural logic, food taboos, Imelda Marcos, and a great deal more. Ants For Breakfast is highly recommended reading for students of archaeology and anyone who ever wondered what a real life Indian Jones adventure would be like.

Food For Thought

"Ants For Breakfast" is an easy read, yet a curiosity-piquing one for us archaeologist-wannabes. Author Dr. James Skibo skillfully mixes fact, humor, and his own experience with the Kalinga of the Philippines to show the reader that life as Americans know it, is not the only way to live. On one level, our modern conveniences seem unnecessary and wasteful and yet after reading his account of the 4 months he spent living in the mountains with the Kalinga, one has to be grateful for life's simpler and more basic conveniences [running water, electricity, modern restroom facilities].

His description of a Kalinga funeral and his comparision with our funeral traditions, makes one wonder why is it that funerals have become a somber event that is dreaded and struggled through, when it could be a celebration of life as Dr. Skibo observed in the Cordillera mountains of the Philippines.

As a registered nurse, the stories of their healthcare practices I found especially interesting. As a woman, I tried to imagine myself in his wife, Becky's place. An incredibly brave, resourceful woman in her own right, Mrs. Skibo is an example to woman everywhere. A followup book from her perspective would be a edge-of-the-seat page-turner as this one is!

Dr. Skibo's explanations of dietary differences do not diminish his message. Rather, they add to the reader's understanding that dietary habits are cultural, a learned behavior. Foods we see as repulsive to eat may be a delicacy elsewhere, and vice versa.

Openness and acceptance of those different than us is the food for thought that Dr Skibo offers us in this most interesting book. And just for the record, I think I'll have some of those black 'blueberry' bugs with my bowl!

From time to time, a historian will write a book, as opposed to an author writing history. And when TWO historians write a book, you get what Bigler and Bagley have created here. The entire series, "Forgotten Kingdom" is dynamite, we are fortunate to have these books available to us.

David Bigler and Will Bagley are two of the nation's leading experts on the history of the Rocky Mountain Mormons.

They have combined to present an extremely readable history of the Mormon Battalion - an army unit that traversed thousands of difficult miles and never fired a shot in anger.

Extremely well researched, ARMY OF ISRAEL is must reading for those interested in the many facets of 19th Century Mormonism.

David Bigler and Will Bagley successfully collaborated to bring together a series of previously unpublished documents, as well as some published ones, in an outstanding collection of firsthand accounts and other primary sources on and about the Mormon Battalion's epic 1846 U.S. - Mexican War march and their role in securing the Southwest from Mexican control and claiming the territory that would become the states of Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah -- thereby fulfilling the mandate inherent in the concept of "Manifest Destiny". Several eye-witness sourced perspectives are provided including the journal of teenager William Pace, letters from some of the women associated with the battalion; as well as military and government correspondence. Army Of Israel: Mormon Battalion Narratives is a superlatively presented and informative contribution to American history in general, and the role of a unique military command in particular.

The significance of the events from 1846-1848 in the history of our country has long been overlooked. Education in many schools jumps from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War; completely disregarding the major influence the Mexican-American War had on our nation. Not only did the war result in the United States increasing it's territory by over a third, but the wealth of mineral resources in California, Arizona, and New Mexico helped to propel the United States to global prominence in the twentieth century. But if the war as a whole is neglected, the unique contributions of a single group to the formation of the U.S. border and to the development of American western migration is almost completely forgotten. The Mormon Battalion, which marched in 1846 from Iowa to California, blazed a trail that would define our nation's borders and history. Published in 2000, ARMY OF ISRAEL: Mormon Battalion narratives gives a fresh look at this regiment's history from their own viewpoint. The editors are both historians with backgrounds in journalism and a special interest in the American Far West. Mr. Bigler is a past president of the Oregon-California Trails Association, founder and first president of the Utah Westerners, and has served on the Utah Board of State History. He has also edited the diary of his great-uncle Azariah Smith, one of the members of the Battalion. Mr. Bagley has edited several books and narratives on the American West and serves as the chief editor of the series KINGDOM IN THE WEST: The Mormons and the American Frontier. The narrative focuses primarily on the events encountered by the battalion during the actual march from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Los Angeles, California in from June 1846 to January 1847. Thought the infantry regiment made the entire journey without firing a single shot, the march was the longest in the history of any American army. It's legacy, however, is much greater than simple trivia. On its way to California, the battalion occupied Santa Fe, Tucson, Yuma, San Diego, and Los Angeles, instituting the first American military presence in each of these cities. They were also to first to construct an east-west wagon road, which intersected the great mountain ranges of the Southwest. Previously, Mexican and Native American merchant traffic traveled north-south along the valleys. The roads were a major factor in the mass migration to California that would soon follow. The roads continued to be used until 1880, when the railroad was built along the same path. Interstate 10 now follows almost the exact same path that the company forged over 150 years ago. The little "Army of the West", made up of five regiments of one hundred men each, made President James Polk's vision of a continental nation into reality. In the Introduction the editors claim, "Only in recent times have historians begun to realize the achievements and the important role the Mormon soldiers performed in California and Western history. The narratives found in these pages reveal ... the significant part these men and women played in that history" (p. 29). Fortunately for us, a great number of the soldiers kept account of their experiences in pocket diaries, which many then transcribed into more detailed journals after the war. These documents not only provide us with detailed information on their day-to-day activities, but also give us eyewitness accounts of the major events of this period - the occupation of Northern Mexico, the opening of major transportation routes, and the discovery of gold in California. The book proceeds chronographically, beginning with the situation surrounding the Mormons and the U.S. government at the time. The Mormons were in need of money to finance their exodus to Utah; President Polk was in need of an army to occupy California. Polk's concern for the West Coast was not over Mexican possession but of the threat of British invasion. Once the deal was brokered, the Battalion set out almost immediately, under the command of Gen. Stephen W. Kearny and Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke. The editors utilize a great number of original documents from James Polk's presidential papers, War Department records, and Congressional archives. Correspondence between the Mormons and the government is also well recorded. The narrative then turns to the march itself, which is presented mostly by means of diaries and journals from the soldiers and their officers. The editors employ a framework that keeps the narrative interesting and ties the various accounts together, giving historical background for each event. This approach enables them to let the documents stand on their own merit but also provides them with the opportunity to accentuate events that demonstrate the importance of the Mormon Battalion campaign. The editors clearly explain the ramifications of events not only during the war but even down to our time. The result is indeed convincing. They make proper use of their source data describing not only the events but also their historical significance. The narrative is interesting and informative. An effort is made to include the journals of women who traveled with the army, as well as to maintain a balance between purely historical documents with entertaining stories. On the other hand, although the stated scope of the book is to present the experiences of the Battalion from their own perspective, there is very little information on Native Americans and even less about the Mexicans. Additionally, though the editors make an attempt to curb their glowing assessment of the Battalion by introducing a few arguments that call the Mormons' intentions into question, the effort is half-hearted and falls short of credibility. What remains is a biased depiction of the campaign that nonetheless does not detract from the authenticity of the source documents. The end result is an extremely readable book about an extraordinary group of people who played a part in our nation's history that often goes unnoticed.

"Bargaining for Eden" is really two books in one. The first book, and the one that has garnered the most attention, is about self-made billionaire Earl Holding and how he finagled, with the help of powerful friends, to add over 1,000 acres of public land to his Snow Basin ski resort in advance of 2002 Winter Olympics. It's an interesting tale, and author Steve Trimble tells it with careful, well-researched precision. Trimble, a self-avowed environmentalist, treats all sides of the controversy fairly, as witnessed by the reading he gave at the Salt Lake City public library where one of Earl Holding's minions, who probably didn't care much for the book, complimented Steve on his good writing and accurate quoting.

The second book within the book is, to me, really the more important one, because it's about all of us who love and live in the West. As Trimble writes, "On some level I am Earl [Holding]--we are all Earl." Here, Steve chronicles his own adventures as a small-time land developer in Utah's redrock country, and what he thought about and considered as he built a second home for his family on a previously-undeveloped piece of land. As I read this I thought about myself, the places I've lived in Utah, Oregon, and Montana, and how I've impacted those places. I doubt few of us have considered our own impacts and worked to mitigate them in the way Trimble did. I know I haven't.

The last chapter of the book, "Credo: The People's West" is something of a non-sequitur. It's Trimble's rules for living in the West, and it clearly draws on more than what's in this book. I agreed with some of parts of the credo; disagreed with others. My credo would be different from Steve's. So would yours, I imagine.

Overall, the book is fair and even-handed, possibly to a fault. It is not a rant and it steers clear of the self-righteousness so common in environmental tomes. Buy it. Read it. Think about it.

Steve Trimble's latest book is a compelling look at the tensions between private mega-enterprise and public interests. If you care about the future of open spaces (and not just in the American West), if you care about the future of community, if you care about how to tend to democracy in an age of fracture and fracas, this is a sobering look at a battle in Utah that can stand in for many such battles across the country. Refusing to give into cynical preaching, Trimble offers a nuanced look at his own complicity in questions of ownership and activism, which makes this book even more important. It ends with a hopeful, necessary "Credo," which also was recently published in High Country News. A fine naturalist, photographer and writer, Steve Trimble is a treasure. This book demands to be read, understood--and its lessons put into action by thoughtful citizens everywhere.

Stephen Trimble tackles the paradox of the modern west: how do people inhabit and develop a rapidly vanishing landscape? Trimble weaves the important tale of public land transformed into a commercial ski resort with his own construction of a second home near a national park. This juxtaposition elevates the book from polemic to a serious discussion of the many facets of land development. Trimble recognizes that there are no easy answers, but argues convincingly that wise land use policy requires the contribution of all of the stakeholders in the landscape: developers, environmentalists, long-time residents and the public in general.

What sets Trimble's book apart is his obvious affection not just for the land, but for the people who have lived on the land for many years. His interviews with men and women whose families have lived on the land for generations provides the reader with an often neglected perspective on the west. Trimble has an ear for the ironic poignancy of how development displaces those families who have lived and loved a particular place for generations, even as that landscape is changed by their own decisions regarding its value and use.

Highly readable, Trimble's natural storytelling ability comes through to illuminate a transformative moment in western history. As a native Montanan and long-time resident of Utah, I recommend it to all those who seek to understand a sense of place.

Trimble tells the story of reclusive oil executive Earl Holding and his struggle to develop a wild mountainside into a an elite ski resort, using the Olympics as a cudgel to overcome passionate local resistance. This is a compelling story that has not been covered outside of Utah. It is a shocking example of how the powers-that-be facilitate destructive and one-sided land use and how common citizens who personally know thew land and love it resist. The book then takes an unexpected twist: Trimble builds a second-home in a wild canyon in southern Utah and realizes he is becoming like his nemesis, Holding, just on a different scale. This confessional realization makes him dig deeper. Ultimately it is our own human nature he uncovers.

Why do we violate the integrity of ecosystems and habitat and how can we stop ourselves? these central questions are not resolved here. Trimble's book is both a heartfelt and intelligent invitation to public discourse on these critical questions. The reader could not get a more honest or wise guide than Trimble.

The official NPS maps and guide-books are very lame, mostly because of the fear that ancient ruins and art could be vandalized. This book is therefore indispensable to a truly fulfilling visit to Canyonlands. The maps and directions are perfect--just enough detail to be clear and to keep you from getting lost, but they don't deprive you of feeling like you're actually doing some exploring and route-finding.

This is really the only good guide book I have found on Canyonlands National Park. It describes in great detail many trails that arn't even mentioned in the Falcon Guide. It also has a great color section, and its maps are much better than the other books. For some reason the Nat. Park Visitor Centers don't sell this book (maybe it has too much info about things they want to keep secret?), so you better get it before you start your trip!

Canyonlands is a wild and wonderful place to explore. I would have been lost without this book. I was able to decide ahead of time what areas of the park I wanted to spend the most time in by reading the detailed descriptions of jeep roads and trails. The beautiful color photographs helped me make decisions as well. I found the maps to be extremely helpful and the estimated travel times to be very accurate. David Day knows his stuff!

This is a Great book for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. By including a focus on the jeep roads of the Canyonlands area David Day has provided the hiker with information necessary for access to its fantastic hiking trails. The format is similar to his other hiking books. The maps and trail descriptions and commentary are not only helpful but very interesting. The photography is great. I particularly enjoyed the section of color photos I like his trail overview which includes a rating of his enjoyment of the trail.

I've made a couple of the hikes he writes up and with the help of his book I will be doing more.

A superb book. Very informative, well written, and filled with great photos. I recommend this book, for what that's worth.

Grand Gulch country is some of the best in the Southwest. A unique canyon that winds its way down to the San Juan river it also boasts an amazing array of cave sites of ancient Native American dwellings. Some are larger than others, containing houses and artifacts. Many have been harmed by exposure to people. Nevertheless because many are far up into the cliffs they have been well preserved. This book tells the tale of a numerb of items taken from the caves that then became useless to archeology because people did not know from whence they came. THe story examines the history of the attempt to reconnect them to their origins and thus help archeology understand the history of the American SOuthwest. It is both the history of early American archeology and this unique canyon and its off-shoots. A wonderful book.

Seth J. Frantzman

I appreciated this book, not just for the fantastic illustrations and stories, but for improving the reputation of the Wetherills, long considered no-good cowboy pot hunters. A great companion to this books is In Search of the Old Ones by David Roberts, in which Fred Blackburn features largely as a revolutionary who shapes Roberts' thinking about the mess each generation of southwestern archeologists passes on to the next.

Undoubtedly the popular book of the year in Southwest archaeology, "Cowboys and Cave Dwellers" tells how a group of talented and dedicated "amateurs" found the missing links between nearly forgotten collections of artifacts stored in museum basements and their original sites in Utah's spectacular Grand Gulch. In the process they unearthed valuable information about the people called Basketmakers, the first farmers of the Colorado Plateau. The first explorers and untrained archaeologists who dug sites in Grand Gulch removed thousands of artifacts, often taking little care to record their locations. By carefully matching old photographs, diaries, newspaper articles and the signatures those adventurers carved on the canyon walls, the authors of this book, the members of the Wetherill-Grand Gulch Research Project, were able to locate many of the caves and cliff dwelling where the treasures were originally found. They solved one of the most puzzling mysteries of Southeastern Utah archaeology: the location of long lost Cave 7, where Mesa Verde discoverer Richard Whetherill dug up dozens of skeletons that seemed to show evidence of a massacre. A good story with extensive historial and archaeological background and beautifully illustrated, this book is essential for anyone interested in Southwest archaeology. A good companion piece is William Ferguson's "The Anasazi of Mesa Verde and the Four Corners Region," which gives a broader view of the entire Mesa Verde-San Juan region.

Saba called this book "The ARMAGEDDON Network" because he felt he had identified a group of powerful Americans who were unreservedly pro-Israel and supported a highly militaristic American foreign policy coupled with massive support for the Israeli military and Israeli foreign policy. He believed people like Richard Perle and his friend and colleague Stephen Bryen "consistently promote policies that will resurrect Armageddon as the final battlefield for the Middle East--and the world."

This is an extremely well researched book and its information to noise ratio is very high; it gives much evidence and very little simply emotional rhetoric. For those who wish to understand what I believe to be perhaps the most serious foreign policy problem America has in 2006, its "special relationship" with Israel, this book is invaluable.

Muslims do not "hate us for our freedom"; those that hate us do so largely because of our nearly unconditional support for Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinians.

I read this book almost a year ago, and the reason I decided to write this was because I was surprised and glad to see it available in a mainstream source. The book is about a specific, terrifying incident of American statesmen illegally giving top secret American (military) information to Israel. The author is not a professional writer, so it has its flaws, however, one must admire the courage it took for him to write it. The establishment does not appreciate criticism against Israel, an issue which the book also touches on but not nearly in depth enough. Unfortunately, the book probably isn't believed by enough people

I first read The Armageddon Network twenty years ago when it was first published and find it unforgetful. It is the story of a senior US Government official passing secrets to Israel, but the crime was ignored even after verified in an FBI investigation.

Worse, the perpetrator was promoted to the highest levels of the Department of Defense and given more responsibility and more access to vital secrets.

Now we may watch the same story unfolding again in the case of Larry Franklin passing secrets to AIPAC currently being investigated.

How will this play out?

My bet is that Franklin will drop from the news and the case will never be tried.

Jim Ennes
Survivor, USS Liberty

It is books like the Armageddon Network that make people sick, because it reveals how corrupt their government is. It also unveils the blatant arrogance of the self-serving elites and untouchables. The elites genuinely believe that the majority of the people are stupid, therefore, they can get away with anything. I think the majority of people are too afraid to see the truth, because it is extremely unsettling to go against one's own political socialization and training, and the alternative for that is denial. Denial makes a great coping mechanism.
The Armageddon Network is a well documented and written expose. It is highly recommended for the curious mind!

A master of the western genre, Zane Grey's trademark is his devotion to detail in both description and historical accuracy. When I read this novel, I felt as though I was there, riding alonside Lassiter--the classic gunslinger dressed in black--as he defends the spinster Jane Withersteen against efforts by unscrupulous men to take her ranch. Longer than the traditional western novel, this novel is the apex of Grey's work. A fascinating read (and ride). Thomas E. Hart Author of "Days of Vengeance" A western novel.

I've always been convinced that books come into our lives at various times and for various reasons. I secured an old edition of this story from my grandfather's estate many years ago and picked it up many times with the intention of reading my first true Western.
When I finally devoted the time I found that this story was much more than a "Western".
Beautifully written with descriptions of not only places, but also cultures that made the West what it was, this story ended with what I believe was one of the most romantic endings ever.
Strangely similar to Arthur Conan Doyle's first novel, A Study in Scarlet, the main characters have to deal with what was then a new religious group, the Mormons, and some different ideas their founders used to create a unique and closed society.
You'll learn a lot about the West, the Mormons of that era, and, most of all, you'll enjoy an exciting love story that will make you understand why Zane Grey was so popular. You may even shed a tear.

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey, Harper & Bros., 1912, 280 pages.

After Riders of the Purple Sage was released in 1912, it was labeled "scandalous" by Heber J. Grant, then president of the Mormon church.

Grey reportedly lived several years in Utah, in the society of the saints, in a small cabin he built. Surrounded by Mormon guides and farmhands, he came to hear of secret blood-oaths taken in temples to which only the faithful could gain admittance. He heard of binding loyalties to a priesthood patriarchy, and of plans for the Mormon "political Kingdom of God" to eventually consume all others.

From his writing, it appears that Grey joined other 19th and other early 20th century eastern writers and editors in their moral outrage at the "patriarchal order" of the Latter-day Saints. The antebellum eastern press unitedly condemned slavery and polygamy as "the twin relics of barbarism."

Set in 1872 in a fictituous souther Utah town of Cottonwoods, Purple Sage became the best selling of Grey's western novels.

The book is a clasically-romantic double love-story, replete with cattle rustling clergy and other Mormon scoundrels. It is set in some of the most majestic scenery of the United States, "where the clear blue sky arches over the vales of the free," a Mormon hymn asserts.

The plot starts with lovely Jane Withersteen, faiful saint of Cottonwoods, saving sagerider Bern Venters, a gentile friend, from lynching by local church leaders. Jane is then robbed and scourged by her wicked churchmen -- punishment for refusing to become the plural wife of her bishop.

She subsequently falls in love with a Mormon-hating gunfighter known and feared across the territory as Lassiter.

Venters spends much of the story sequestered in isolated Surprise Valley with a reformed "masked rider" called Bess. They also fall deeply in love and plan for marital felicity.

Grey's character development is believable, but much of the dialogue stereotyped. For example, Mormon missionaries were once popularly fancied to have some sort of mysterious, irresistable "power over women" (p. 228). Grey plays to this prejudice.

But Grey's dark picture of life as a non-Mormon in 1871 Utah actually pales in comparison to some historical accounts of the settlement of Saint George, Cedar City, and other southern destert towns.

Political power emanated from on high -- from the prophet of God in Salt Lake City, Brigham Young. And faithful saints "followed counsel" unquestioningly.

Purple Sage's Bishop Dyer seems to resemble somewhat Cedar City, Utah's historical personage of Bishop John D. Lee, who is best remembered for his role in the infamous "Mountain Meadows Massacre" of 1857.

A pioneer caravan of 137, traveling from Missouri to California, was attacked -- some historians say under priesthood orders. Adults and children who could speak were all slaughtered and left in the desert sun. Remaining infants were shisked off to church headquarters, destined for "good" Mormon upbringings.

Grey succeeds in portraying the easterner's view of Mormonism, typical of his era. However, both he and his protagonists were clearly outsiders among the saints. While Grey may have lived in Utah, he could never have been privy to the real inner politics and workings of the priesthood councils of "the brethren" who ran the territory as an oligarchic theocracy.

Unless a man takes the covenants of the priesthood and temple endowments, even today, he is an outsider among the saints. Women have never been allowed a significant role in Mormon church or political government.

On a literary level, purely as entertainment, Purple Sage is first-rate.

With artful twists of suspens and irony, Grey weaves a story which is at once riveting and plausible.

Mixed with his characters' prairie dialect: Proselyter, I reckon you'd better call quick on that God who reveals Hisself to you on earth, because he won't be visitin' the place you're goin' to" (p. 244) is Grey's own quick-paced narration.

Purple Sage is must reading for anyone interested in the life of Zane Grey, or seeing through the eyes of an Upper Delaware resident what life was supposed to have been like on the 19th century western frontier.

Note: This review was published in the October 30, 1986 edition of The River Reporter (riverreporter.com), Narrowsburg, New York, (c) 1986 by Tom Rue (tomrue.net).

This is the only western I've ever read; I'm mostly into classical literature, science writing, and non-fiction, but I asked friends for a book rec in the field, and they said read this one and the two Thomas Berger novels about Little Big Man.

The novel is interesting in that it's not a stereotypical western story. The main character is a woman who owns a large cattle ranch and is basically the mainstay of the little town of Cottonwoods, a Mormon town on the Utah border, sort of like the Cartwright family was in the popular TV western series, only in this case, Lorne Green is replaced by a female lead. The novel also is unusual in that it shows her struggling against the tyranny and even criminality of her fellow Mormon ranchers, who don't like the fact of a beautiful, wealthy, but unattached woman, who wields considerable influence in the local town despite their best attempts to undermine her.

One the things that sparked my interest in the novel was hearing an English prof in a radio interview on National Public Radio talk about some of the scholarship that is being devoted to genres like the western novel. She was working herself on the books of Karl May (The Legend of the Llano Estacado), Owen Wister (The Virgianian), and Zane Grey.

One of the interesting things she had to say had to do with Grey's vivid prose descriptions of the western landscape. She said Grey's prose sensualized the landscape, giving it an almost masculine sensuality and almost sexuality. I'm about halfway into the book, and I can say that the rugged countryside of sheer, rock-walled canyons, arid plateaus and valleys, and wide-open spaces of this part of Utah are vividly described by Grey and serve, not just as a dramatic backdrop against which the novel's events take place, but as a palpable force for good or evil by itself.

Contrary to some other reviews I've read that said the plot wandered a bit, I'm not really noticing that. I think the book has a strong plot with a lot of powerful elements going for it: interesting characters (including a dangerous and mysterious but chivalrous gunslinger), a sympathetic main character who struggles and triumphs against society's evils (not just a few western-style bad guys), beautiful and evocative descriptions of the landscape, and, as the backcover says it, "hairsbreadth escapes."

One last interesting thing is that, if I remember correctly, Zane Grey was actually a Pennsylvania dentist who failed in his attempt to set up a profitable dental practice in New York. He wanted to get into writing westerns, and when his first novel was a big success, his writing career was launched and he never looked back. Riders of the Purple Sage is probably his most famous book, and despite it's not being a typical western novel, it has become a classic in its field.

Lived in Utah 20 years but never knew where a lot of these places were or at least how to access them. Highly recommended for anyone getting started fishing in Utah or who has just moved here.

This is the best informational guide ever! If you are a Fly Angler wanting solid, reliable information this is the book to have in your gear bag. Those of you new to the great sport of Fly Fishing, this is the book to read, study and assist in planning your next trip. Well done James.

This is the great Utah fly fishing reference (currently updated 2007) book. It has a lot of information on the streams and lakes in the state, like GPS locations, Fly Hatch Charts, Maps, Fish ID pictures and locations positions in DeLorme's Utah Gazetteer. It has a lot of other information in specific regions on larger cities, such as Lodging, Campgrounds, Restaurants, Vets, Hospitals, Fly Shops, Auto Rentals and Repairs, and the Chamber of Commerce. There is a huge section on the Green River. A great Resource and a MUST have for the fly fisherman/women who want to fish Utah.

This book has it all. It actually gives useful information in an easy to understand format. I have been a fly fisher for several years and this is by far the best book I have seen on fly fishing in Utah. The book tells me how to get there, when to go and what flies to use when I arrive. Several people have told me this is their fly fishing 'Bible'. Entertaining stories and excerpts about Utah add flavor for when you are not fishing (heaven forbid).

James Demoux's Flyfisher's Guide To Utah is a complete and exhaustive reference on Utah's lakes, rivers, and fish. This 595 page compendium is enhanced with more than 150 detailed lake and reviewer maps showing access, boat launches, public lands, campsites, and areas of special interest, in addition to hatch charts, stream facts, and recommended flies. An ideal planning resource for fishing trips ranging from day-trips to extended vacations, the Flyfisher's Guide To Utah offers a wealth of practical information and recommendations on accommodations, campgrounds, listings for fly shops, restaurants, even car repairs and rentals, hospitals, and airports. If you are looking for the perfect angler's holiday somewhere in the vast and diverse landscape of Utah, then begin by browsing through the pages of James Demoux's Flyfisher's Guide To Utah!