North America Books

I had to travel to Oklahoma for a business trip, and as i often do i like to spend a extra day seeing some of the local sites. I took a side trip to Guthrie, and really had a slice of history wich was just what i was looking for. I would have never done this, if i had not read this book. So for me, it was a gem.

The charm of this book is the way the author describes the history and background of the state. It is more than just facts. Her descriptions of the state make one want to go to Oklahoma!

Oklahoma doesn't get much tourist attention, so a guidebook to the pleasures of traveling there is most welcome. This is far from a complete guide, but rather a potpourri of places to visit, eat, and stay.

The book divides Oklahoma into seven regions and covers the attractions of each region, especially in small towns and rural areas. Down-home, long-established restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts are well-described. Sidebars sprinkled liberally through the text provide a historical overview of Oklahoma, especially of its cowboy and Indian heritage.

There is no Grand Canyon or Yosemite in Oklahoma. The natural attractions are modest. For those from more congested states, the charm of Oklahoma is open empty country and friendly people, clear blue skies, and weather that is pretty good on the average -- but the weather in Oklahoma is rarely average. "The immensity of the plains can exhilarate or overwhelm travelers," says the author. That's about right. Oklahoma is a good place to take a random drive down a country road. Amidst the endless prairie, the oil wells, and the wheat fields, there's usually a valley oasis of woodland, a rocky mesa, one of Oklahoma's big man-made lakes, or an old town with a restaurant that features chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes. This book will give you some ideas on places to go and things to do.

Smallchief

This is a well-written book and worthwhile for what it contains, but what it does not include is inexplicable. What about Ada, Queen City of the Chicksaw Nation? It's on the map in the book (as it should be) but no mention of it whatsover in the text. This lovely town is important to Oklahoma's history and worth a visit with its many historic buildings and turn-of-the-century downtown.

This is the wonderful result of one person's five-year dedication to the life of this fascinating bird. Not only is the photography superb, the text is heartfelt and poetic. The organization by region provides a coherent structure for traveling with cranes through their various habitats. A generous gift to all of us who otherwise would not be able to make this journey.

A geo-photographic tribute to America's elusive but elegant cranes, along with their widely diverse habitats. Part journal and part photography book, the author takes the reader on journeys to Alaska (including a breathtaking view of cranes flying past Mt. McKinley) to Florida, from the Central Valley of California to the agricultural plains of Wisconsin. Between, readers are treated to wildlife vistas in the Teton and Yellowstone National Park region, Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in the desert of New Mexico, and the Platte River, which flows through the High Plains of Central Nebraska. Not just a travel documentary, this is the first book of a remarkable young artist, who will dazzle and delight readers with a poetry of cranes as observed through the lens of his camera.

At once a coffee table photo celebration and a natural history, any avid birder should consider photographer Michael Forsberg's On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes Of North America to be essential reading. The photos alone - full-page color spreads which are gorgeous in their all-season crane portraits - are worth repeated looks, covering cranes in environments from Alaska to Cuba. Then, there's the discourse surveying the natural history and lives of cranes, revealing their interactions with people and their attempts to adapt to a changing natural world. A fine tribute marries natural history and visual display, inviting audiences from natural history students to casual readers to partake.

Michael Forsberg has put together an amazing collection of photos and is a good writer as well. On Ancient Wings shows that it doesn't matter if you've been a pro photographer for 35 years or ten, all that matters is the emotional impact of the photography. There's certain well-known wildlife photographers out there who talk talk talk about how good they think they are and then there's photographers who just are. Forsberg falls in the latter category.

This book is definitely worth buying. The stories are easy to read and very entertaining. I can't wait to read them to my nephews. You don't have to have any background knowledge on the folklore because it starts with Glous'gap coming into the world and each story progresses towards his farwell. Its a great read for anyone interested in mi'kmaq folklore.

On The Trail Of Elder Brother presents a collection of 16 stories retold by two Micmac authors. This is a magical universe peopled with witches and magicians, man-eating moose, whales, birds and more. Every tale has moral and aesthetic purpose as well as prophetic or holy meanings. These tales will be enjoyed by children to whom they will always be new. They also remain a treasured resource to adults.

The authors are direct descendants of the Micmac Indian nation and have assembled sixteen oral history tales which reflect the Micmac heritage and belief systems. On the Trail of Elder Brother is a rare glimpse of Micmac tribal values and a recommended pick for any avid student of Native American history and culture.

This is an excellent source of atukwaqn, or stories, from and for the Mi'kmaq. Contrary to a previous review, which stated no sources are given, the introduction states that these were stories Michael B. Runningwolf learned as a child in Maine and New Brunswick. They are wonderful versions of the Mi'kmaw stories that include the Kluskap. My only bone of contention is that the authors did not use the standardized Francis-Smith orthography for the Mi'kmaw words, but any one who has a familiarity with Mi'kmawi'simk (the Mi'kmaw language) should still be able to understand the words.
To the authors I say, "Wela'lioq," (Thank you).

This is a terrific history of the GA Cherokee Indians. I use it in my lower elementary class. It seems to strike just the right chord with the 6,7,8 year olds.

I have read the book Only The Names Remain many many times. I am of Cherokee blood and my roots are from Oklahoma. I was very interested in my history when I was younger and I found this book in my library. It tells so much about what has happened to the Cherokees throughout those tough years. While reading it to my Grandma she pointed out that my Great Great Great Grandfather was a Cherokee Chief and is talked about in the book. In the older versions there is also a black and white drawing of him. Because of this book, I can tell my grandchildren and my children the interesting story of how their grandfather saved President Andrew Jackson's life in a battle before he became president. I'm so glad that a book like this was written to tell both the good and the bad of the Cherokee life. It makes me wish that I could learn more and more about it.

This is a worthy introduction to the Trail of Tears. For students aged 12 and older, a more compelling book is Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears by Cherokee author Jerry Ellis. He was the first person in modern history to walk the 900 mile route and the book, nominated for a Pulitzer and National Book Award, has been in print for 15 years. The author lectures around the globe on the Trail, having presented in Asia, Africa, Europe and throughout the US.

I fully agree with Shannon, this book is a must for anyone wanting to see what was done to Native Americans in the South at the hands of whites and especially Andrew Jackson's policy of destruction of our people. We are trying to trace the family ancestry of a child (my great great grandmother) who was taken from a Trail of Tears family and "adopted" by a white preacher. She may have been saved from the Trail of Tears but not from the dispicable way in which she was treated during her lifetime subsequently. Shannon, I hope you email me!

This book is still the best available for the Western Great Lakes region. Very informative and detailed. The distribution maps are most helpful in attempting to locate the general area to find these beauties. Fred's affection with wild orchids shows in the quality of this publication. I would also suggest his newer book on Trilliums.

A great guide to Midwestern orchids. Fred knows and loves our native orchids and their habitats, and succeeds in communicating that knowledge and love to the reader. Plenty of great photos of orchids and the places in which they grow.

Orchids of the Western Great Lakes Region goes with me on all my Spring and Summer outings. It is written clearly, sensibly, and with a good balance between the sciences and pure enjoyment. The native orchid photos are fantastic.

This book is extremely useful, especially as a companion to Voss's Michigan Flora and wildflower books covering the Eastern U.S. The photos, although dated, are good. What is especially good about this book, though, is the accurate and descriptive list of habitats that occur in the region, complete with the orchids someone searching the area could find in the habitat. Distribution maps are also included.

...they do things differently there. The Other Founders by Saul Cornell represents a needed correction to our historical understanding of American history from 1787 to 1830.
The tendency of scholars since the early works of Pocock, Robbins, Bailyn, Woods and McDonald has been to write about that period in terms divorced from a vocabulary of economic interests or class.
The other great simplification has been to see the period in bifurcated categories. Federalist vs. Anti-Federalists is the dichotomy that Cornell takes on. Does anyone think that the current American political scene can be adequately summarized as Democrats vs. Republicans? Is our current political and intellectual scene that much more complicated or nuanced or diverse than that of the founders? Only the Arrogance of the Present could make that claim.
What Cornell does is show that Anti-Federalism (A-F, for short) was a uniting of diverse interests and ideas for the purpose of opposing the Constitution. There were three major variations of A-F that Cornell delineates. There was the elitist version associated with thinkers like Richard Henry Lee and Elbridge Gerry. There was a "middling" A-F associated with New York and Pennsylvania thinkers like Melancton Smith. There was a plebian A-F associated w/ writers like William Manning and William Petrikin. By the way, getting to know these two characters is worth the reading of this book. Cornell is excellent in this early part of the book at explicating how these different types of A-F thought differently about issues like federalism, localism, the powers of juries vs. judges, representation and the role of political clubs and popular political rituals.
After A-F failed to stop ratification, they were united by their demands for a Bill of Rights. After the success of that endeavor, A-F was united by its opposition to the consolidationist tendencies of Hamilton and Adams. After the 1800 election brought to power administrations that shared their general concerns, the fault lines within A-F begin to split the movement. In the end, A-F split up into various strategies of constitutional interpretation that opposed what the Marshall court was doing.
All of this history is contained within 300 well-written pages.
There are a couple of methodological points that I want to make and then a few general comments.
The first methodological comment is that Cornell argues for a reevaluation of which were the most influential A-F writers on the basis of which were the ones whose essays were reprinted the most. This seems fair although it shunts to one side some of the more powerful A-F writers like Brutus.
The second methodological point is that Cornell uses Habermas' notion of the public sphere to great effect in this book. My problem with this is that occasionally he interjects that phrase into a quote by an A-F writer or, in one case, by Madison. I found myself wanting to go to library to read the original quote to see whether this usage might distort the meaning of the Madison quote. To introject a modern theoretical concept into a source quote is always (IMHO) questionable even if its use is arguably justified. There are bound to be distortions. But this is a somewhat minor point.
The first general comment is this. What is unique about ALL of the political theorists who wrote at this time in our history is that they were ALL either working politicians or public intellectuals. They were writing in response to the issues of the day, to the economic needs of their neighbors and to the shifting tides of power. Intellectual consistency is prized by theorists, by those isolated from life or who wish to impose on life a tyranny of ideas (if you cannot think of a current example for what I am saying than, for doG's sake, go read a newspaper). The Madison of Publius was not the same Madison who wrote the Virginia Resolution or the Report of 1800. Neither was the same Madison who served as our fourth President or the Madison in retirement from public life. This was a huge intellect responding to a vastly changing world. He realized that he had miscalculated and had to rethink basic issues. There is no one Madison that we can lay claim to. This is one of the strengths of Cornell's presentation.
Which brings me to my second point. I have a question to all those who advocate an "originalist" interpretation of the constitution. Whose "original" interpretation? Why theirs over the others that were being discussed at the time? Indeed, why theirs over ours considering how much the world has changed in the interlude? And would many of us really want to live under a national government as imagined by any of the founders?
I challenge y'all to read this book and then email me your answer. Let the debates begin!

This book is somewhat upsetting when one realizes that today's problems with our government were predicted by the minority opinion at the dawn of our nation. Unfortunately, we will have to clean this mess up ourselves lest we dump it off on our children or grandchildren.

This is a very well written book that provides an interesting perspective on the roots of anti-federal and dissenting viewpoints from the beginnings of the United States. For better or worse, many of the views of today's militias and anti-government protesters have their roots in some of the anti-federalist currents circulating at the time of, and after, the ratification of the Constitution. Of course, the Anti-Fderalists were in the main on the losing side of the debate, but as this book shows, not entirely so, as important concessions such as the Bill of Rights, were made to them, and important currents of their thinking have continued as strong themes in American politics to this day.

_The Other Founders_ by Saul Cornell provides a good overview of a unique American political tradition which began in opposition to the ratification of the Constitution. Antifederalists opposed the Constitution on different grounds, including especially the need for a Bill of Rights ammendment. Antifederalists also came to emphasize the rights of states and localism within government, opposing the strong centralizing tendencies within the Constitution and which existed after the Constitution was ratified. Individuals such as Jefferson and Madison came to embrace certain aspects of the Antifederalist tradition in their opposition to the centralizing tendencies of Hamilton, who proposed to create among other things a centralized banking system. Many of the original Antifederalists feared the influence of a large centralized government, maintaining that such a thing could lead to the promotion of an aristocracy who would operate against the interests of the common people. The tradition of Antifederalism continues to play an important part in constitutional debate today. Many have looked towards this tradition as a means for protecting the rights of states as well as Second Ammendment rights to private gun ownership from the influence of the federal government.

This is a lovely, paperback book and I recommend for those with young riders in their home or barn. Not too simple, and not too complex, the stories are entertaining and unique! Again, gorgous photos and a beatiful layout. A great gift idea for any young person who loves horses or American Indians.

Leadership through trust and respect is one of the many lessons the young reader will learn from this book. The simple tools and techniques for starting a line of communication with horses are presented in a wise and gentle manner. Indeed, the Native American philosophy of teaching horses coincides with their attitude toward all animals living on, in, or above Mother Earth, and that is responsibility for them and mutual respect among and between them. GaWaNi Pony Boy speaks of creating the right environment for understanding, and his thoughts, words, and deeds are relevant to everyday life. The book is artfully laid out and contains beautiful and decoratively captioned photographs. There are several Native American tales and sayings, such as, "...the reason Creator gave two-leggeds two ears and one mouth was so that we would listen twice as much as we talk." I found this book to be a most enjoyable learning experience and recommend it to adults and youngsters alike.

I have owned this book for years. I still read it when it is not possible to feel the wind in my hair for real. The breathtaking pictures, the lovely stories and the obvious connection GaWaNi has with Kola, his horse, all make this an outstanding book and mini escape for me. Thank you Mr. Pony Boy and Ms. Boiselle!

Nice pics but not a HUGE amount of substance. But, girls who love horses aren't looking for a lot of that anyway! They want pictures and romantic thoughts about being with horses. That's what they get!

In studying history I have discovered that the more obscure places and people and stories are quite often the most interesting and memorable. This book offers many good examples. Few people know much about this region today. Fewer still know anything about it's history. But, the stories and history found in this book are a real treasure. For me, growing up in nearby Boise and having visited the Owyhee region on a few occasions made this book more appealing than it would for most others. But I believe anyone who has an interest in Western U.S. history will enjoy this book.

Being a fan of books about the area I live in and especilly the part of the state that I love to roam around in This book was a real read. A lot of familiar names both people and places made it even more intresting.

Look on a map you'll see a large empty area in southeastern Oregon and the adjacent parts of Idaho, south of the capital city of Boise. The Owyhee River slices through here and on the more-detailed maps you'll see a few places identified as towns such as Silver City, Idaho and Jordan Valley, Oregon. Calling them "towns" proves to be an exaggeration if you are one of the infrequent travelers passing this way.

You won't find much reference to the Owyhee region in conventional books of Western history -- but a lot happened there. The two authors have compiled a regional history that is full of tales and forgotten history of a neglected region. For example, I had never realized that the Bannock and Paiute Indians fought a series of wars with the White settlers. These were the despised "Digger" Indians and yet they proved to be pretty formidable in battle.

Moreover, the tales of the early miners, cattlemen, and sheepherders of the region are fascinating. Cattle to stock the region were driven all the way from Texas; Basques came from Spain to herd sheep; and Silver City briefly was one of the richest mines ever discovered. Even the story of how the region acquired its odd name is worthy of attention. Somehow, though, the Owyhee country didn't attract the mythmakers of the Old West.

The authors have remedied the lack of attention to the Owyhee with a well-researched and fair-minded history that is illustrated with many photographs and enhanced by the the personal experiences of Owyhee native, Mike Hanley, the co-author. The prose, I thought, was a little rough at times, but the quality of the material and the research overcomes this defect. This is a good regional history.

Smallchief

This book tells it all in regards to a part of the west that is not generaly known. The early pioneer days of south eastern Oregon and south western Idaho have all the richness and real west excitment of any place you could name. Complete with mining booms & busts, Indian Wars and hardy sagas of pioneer homesteaders and ranchers...Owyhee Tales tells it all! A great companion to any western history buffs collection or to the new crop of whitewater river runners who journey to the areas namesake river, the Owyhee.

The book Pasquala is about a brave girl who suffers because her dad and mom die. Pasquala is a strong character because her uncle who adopts her isn't very kind to her. For example, he doesn't let her go to the mourning ceremony or be in the ceremony changing kids into adults. Pasquala is the book's narrator, and she is a good one because she helps others. She saves the padres when she runs for 3 days and nights to warn them about an attack, and that's why she dies. I think that the book is good and it teaches a valuable lesson: we need to help others and then they are going to help us back when we need it. Pasquala even got her name from a padre who calls her that because she helps others. I like this book a lot, and think most kids my age would enjoy reading it. I learned many things from this book, such as how Yokuts Indians collected salt.

The book Pasquala is about a brave girl who suffers because her dad and mom die. Pasquala is a strong character because her uncle who adopts her isn't very kind to her. For example, he doesn't let her go to the mourning ceremony or be in the ceremony changing kids into adults. Pasquala is the book's narrator, and she is a good one because she helps others. She saves the padres when she runs for 3 days and nights to warn them about an attack, and that's why she dies. I think that the book is good and it teaches a valuable lesson: we need to help others and then they are going to help us back when we need it. Pasquala even got her name from a padre who calls her that because she helps others. I like this book a lot, and think most kids my age would enjoy reading it. I learned many things from this book, such as how Yokuts Indians collected salt.

The genre is historical fiction. The story began when Pasquala and her mother were hiding in a cave because they saw soldados coming to their village. Pasquala was scared when she sees shadows near the cave opening so she closes her eyes and then feels a hand touch her; when she opens her eyes her father is right in front of her. Her father said the soldados had gone. After a couple days they go to the Pacific Ocean and on their way back Pasquala gets sick, so they have to take her to the mission to save her life. After a while they start living at the mission. One day her father finishes a beautiful saddle, so now the soldados want him to take it to the presidio where the soldiers live. When he gets back he is sick and dies. But before he dies he tells Pasquala and her mother to leave the mission. When Pasquala and her mom go back, the other villagers don't really like them anymore, because they had to do their work while they were gone. From this book I learned a lot about the Yokuts Indians who lived in the Central Valley. The book was short (about 90 pages) and easy to read. I liked the ending because usually most books have a happy ending; this one was sad. Read this book, it's enjoyable and a great way to learn about Califoria history and geography.

The authors have done a fabulous job in bringing to life what it must have been like to be a little Yokut indian girl living in California's Great Central Valley 200 years ago. It teaches a great deal about the Yokut way of life and how things started to change when the Spanish arrived with their missions along California's coast. This is a fast read! You won't be able to put it down! Each turn of the page brings little Pasquala to a place in your heart where she will remain long after you finish the book. It is a fantastic book for 4th grade teachers to read aloud to their classes. It is also an excellent book for anyone who simply enjoys reading a well-written compelling story.

This is a great sinopsis of NW Coast archeology with beautiful maps and pictures. Although the authors' theory of a connection between large pithouse villages on the Columbia Plateau and extensive shell middens on the coast has been brought into quesiton by recent work on the Queen Charlette Islands, the book contains insightful information and analysis pertinent to the area's prehistory.

This book is highly recommended for both serious students and archeology hobbyists.

It is all too often that the general public gets the impression that Native American cultures were monolithic, unchanging societies, with little or variation through the centuries. The greatest contribution of this book is to counter this misconception. Through its pages unfolds the story of a dynamic culture whose history contains as many twists and turns as any more familiar civilization. The text is enlivened by excellent illustrations and chapters focusing on specific aspects such as warfare and art. There is nothing in the book which should not be there, and very little that is missing, and although some less scholarly readers may get bogged down in the details, it is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in the subject.

Peoples Of The Northwest Coast presents a condensed thematic overview. "The evolution of ranking and stratification among Northwest coast societies is at the heart of any understanding of the coast's cultural history (p. 254)." The text goes on to say "..obsidian evidence shows large -scale exchange networks existed on the coast by...10,000 B.C." This is a summary-survey of Northwest Coast archaeology with an emphasis on the role of variability in prehistory and cultural development. Written by two renowned professors of anthropology, the style and language of Peoples Of The Northwest Coast have been made deliberately accessible . The spare text is enriched by copious black and white photos, illustrations, maps, and diagrams. The richness and beauty of the Northwest Coast from Oregon to Alaska is always present in this 13,000 year archaeological history of its peoples. Cautious in tone, wary of leaping to generalizations or stereotypic thinking, the text achieves the authors' goals of educating the interested public with pleasure, presenting Northwest archaeology for popular consumption, and introducing to specialized students the pressing research questions of Northwest Coast excavation, and finally to present some of the value of archaeology to First Nation Peoples, the fourth audience. It is seen as another means to supplement and display the Coast Peoples' traditional oral histories.

Writing such a book is an ambitious undertaking. The result is well worth exploring. The role of art in these prehistories is especially presented in the ninth chapter titled "Northwest Coast Art." Nonlinear prehistory is not the oxymoron it might at first seem to be. Focussing on ecology, environments, oldest cultures, later Pacific and Modern Period Northwest Coast Subsistence Status, Ritual and Warfare, the chapters lead to a condensed complex of conclusions about variability, regional similarities, and cultural richness. The pathway to conclusions about community organization and social stratification is well defined.

Peoples Of The Northwest Coast is a respectable rave of a book.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

Peoples of the Northwest Coast is a rich volume dealing with the archaeology of the Alaska, B.C. and Washington coasts. The thematic nature of the book allows the reader to explore topics such as Ecology: Environments and Demography, Northwest Coast Subsistence, and Households and Beyond. Photographs and illustrations offer an additional insight into prehistoric life on the northwest coast. Ames and Maschner have presented "their view of things", which may frusterate some readers; however, it remains the first synthesis of northwest coast archaeology and prehistory: a valuable book.