Kansas Books

One reading after another, I found myself saying, "Yes, that's how I feel," or "That has happened to me too." I felt understood and also challenged and encouraged. Taking care of myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually is important even in the middle of the draining and unpredictable situations involved in loving someone who abuses drugs or alcohol. Finding the end of my abilities in the caregiving relationship is a good thing as I begin to learn God's way to love.

This is one of those books you'll not only want to buy for yourself, but also to give out to counselors, pastors, friends, and family.

Cecil Murphey's "When Someone You Love Abuses Drugs or Alcohol" is marvelous. It is intended to be a short daily dose of encouragement, but I couldn't stop reading it. I felt comfort, conviction, relief, encouragment, motivation... well, the list could go on.

The difference between "caretaking" and "caregiving" is addressed as well as where responsibiity lies - for both the addicted and the loved one. A short prayer is offered as a prompt for personally calling upon the One who truly understands...

I highly recommend this book along with the other two in Cecil Murphey's "When Someone You Love..." series.

When you have a loved one who is addicted, all of your attention is focused on them. We easily forget about ourselves. If we do not nurture our own selves, our ability to help our loved ones is deeply affected. This book and all the books in this series are extremely insightful and will help those who care for someone who is addicted. If your loved one also suffers from Alzheimer's or Depression/Mental Illness we highly recommend Cecil Murphey's other books dealing with these topics.

Cecil Murphey did a wonderful job of capturing the emotions of those who have to deal with addiction of any kind. On our ministry retreat we used this book for dialogue starters because we minister to the homeless population in Fort Worth, and many of those we minister to are drug and alcohol addicted. I do believe Al-Anon should consider this as required reading for encouragement.

When Someone You Love Abuses Drugs or Alcohol by Cecil Murphey is meant to be read as a devotional, but I read it from cover to cover in one afternoon. Why? Because it was telling my story. I know about loving someone who abuses drugs and/or alcohol, and I know what it's like to get caught up in that codependent trap that enables the addict to remain in his destructive lifestyle. Murphey captures the frustration and futility of the codependent's heart while offering hope and encouragement through one-page, boundary-setting devotionals. A must-read for those in similar situations!

An extraordinary enlightening honest look at many of today's marriages and the problems most people refuse to address until they become critical issues. Not only a book for women
experiencing the situation but also for men who really want to understand how women think and react to life altering events in their marriages. A down to earth manual for the Christian and non-
Christian. After you finish this book you will use it again and again as a reference manual. Vivid instruction to both men and women on how to begin a respectful dialogue and conflict resolution for many of life's tough issues. You can relate that the author has walked the walk and is just not talking the talk. Two thumbs up

There's not much I can add about the content of this book that hasn't been described already. I do want to say that this book was life changing for me. I'm sure that I would have given up on my marriage by now if it wasn't for the author's wisdom and experience that make up this wonderful book. I don't spend ALL my energy and time thinking that I can change my spouse. By applying the common sense advice that Karla dishes out and other principles in this book; my marriage has done a 180 degree turnaround.

I was lucky enough to meet Karla last week at a convention in Atlanta. It was thrilling to be able to personally let her know how much her book changed my life for the better. If you are at all thinking of buying this book, don't hesitate - it is without a doubt worth the money!

It was nice to read the advice in this book from someone having lived it. Karla Downing is honest without being too specific about her own trials in her marriage, so that the book can be applied to a variety of situations. Short, simple, and broad spectrum. I loved her chapter re: setting boundaries. If nothing else, this book made me feel that there are others like me out there, alone and hurting, suffering and silent, embarrased and ashamed. Gave me some tools I needed to detach from the situation at hand. Would definitely recommend for anyone in a marriage marked by addiction, financial irresponsibility, and hardship. The marriage may not change, but through Christ, YOU can.

There is no other book that I know of that deals with these issues. It gives practical, sound, and helpful advice for women, specifically Christian women, in difficult marriages. The author talks about the problems women face and how to deal with their spouses in a loving way, yet not get walked on or become a doormat in the process. This book will help you to learn new ways to communicate better with your spouse, face your fears about your marriage, and how to take care of yourself emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I am only touching on a small portion of what this book has to offer for women in difficult marriages. If you are a woman mourning the loss of what you thought your marriage would or should be, this book is for you. The author also gives many examples throughout the book about what other women in difficult marriages have gone through and how they have overcome their marriage problems. The author talks about accountability for one's own actions and is NOT a book about male bashing. The book will help you to learn how and when to stand up for what's right around people who don't respect you. The author talks about respecting yourself so that your spouse will, too. Again, this book gives practical, common-sense-type advice on how to deal with a difficult marriage. The author writes in a direct way and get's right to the point, not flowery at all. This book will pull you out of the mud and you will no longer be stuck!

I am disappointed to see only one review of this book (repeated two more times). This book was nominated for the Pulitzer, Parker and Bancroft
book prizes as was Mr. Bernstein's more recent book on Thomas Jefferson.
Mr. Bernstein is a professor at New York Law School and gives the reader
a scholarly but highly readable and easily understandable treatise on
our Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights
IS about "individual rights" and the author explains in detail why this
is so. This book should be required reading for any college course on
the U.S. Constitution in my opinion and for any citizen wanting to understand what America is all about.

I drafted the Supreme Court petition questioning the legality of a people's initiative which purportedly sought to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution which was our first democratic constitution after the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos was exiled (Santiago v. COMELEC). One of my main references for the petition was this book of which I am deeply indebted for valuable research in U.S. constitutional law and legal history. It discussed exhaustively and in a very provoking manner, the challenges posed by amendments to the immutable nature of the constitution as fundamental law of the land. Our petition, which sought to deny the proposed amendments by way of a people's initiative, differentiated between piecemeal amendments and a revision of the Constitution. I argued that if the amendments sought would ultimately change the form of government, then it should be considered a revision. Our petition was granted by the Supreme Court and became a landmark case in Philippine history. It also found its way as a bar exam question. This book was my guidepost as I drafted the petition in the wee hours of morning in view of the urgency for a Supreme Court ruling on the matter and to avert an impending national crisis and another coup d'etat. The legal luminaries of this country have hailed Richard Bernstein and Jerome Agel's book as the most persuasive and thought provoking treatise on the subject.

I drafted the Supreme Court petition questioning the legality of a people's initiative which purportedly sought to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution which was our first democratic constitution after the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos was exiled (Santiago v. COMELEC). One of my main references for the petition was this book of which I am deeply indebted for valuable research in U.S. constitutional law and legal history. It discussed exhaustively and in a very provoking manner, the challenges posed by amendments to the immutable nature of the constitution as fundamental law of the land. Our petition, which sought to deny the proposed amendments by way of a people's initiative, differentiated between piecemeal amendments and a revision of the Constitution. I argued that if the amendments sought would ultimately change the form of government, then it should be considered a revision. Our petition was granted by the Supreme Court and became a landmark case in Philippine history. It also found its way as a bar exam question. This book was my guidepost as I drafted the petition in the wee hours of morning in view of the urgency for a Supreme Court ruling on the matter and to avert an impending national crisis and another coup d'etat. The legal luminaries of this country have hailed Richard Bernstein and Jerome Agel's book as the most persuasive and thought provoking treatise on the subject.

I drafted the Supreme Court petition questioning the legality of a people's initiative which purportedly sought to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution which was our first democratic constitution after the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos was exiled (Santiago v. COMELEC). One of my main references for the petition was this book of which I am deeply indebted for valuable research in U.S. constitutional law and legal history. It discussed exhaustively and in a very provoking manner, the challenges posed by amendments to the immutable nature of the constitution as fundamental law of the land. Our petition, which sought to deny the proposed amendments by way of a people's initiative, differentiated between piecemeal amendments and a revision of the Constitution. I argued that if the amendments sought would ultimately change the form of government, then it should be considered a revision. Our petition was granted by the Supreme Court and became a landmark case in Philippine history. It also found its way as a bar exam question. This book was my guidepost as I drafted the petition in the wee hours of morning in view of the urgency for a Supreme Court ruling on the matter and to avert an impending national crisis and another coup d'etat. The legal luminaries of this country have hailed Richard Bernstein and Jerome Agel's book as the most persuasive and thought provoking treatise on the subject.

Each first battle of each war where the US fought is described in terms of training, equipment, doctrine, and political factors. The analysis of the performance of US troops is critical and focused to describe both the successes and failures, especially the failures.

The common theme is that US troops faired poorly in the majority of their first battles, but the leaders were able to adapt and learn from the failures, except for Vietnam where the first battle had mixed results that were incorrectly perceived that a war of attrition and casualty ratios would bring success.

Another common theme is that by reducing the military to a garrison army relying on conscription to fight wars, resulted in severe losses in those units who fought the first battle, but also it took over one year or more to fully prepare and successfully deploy combat effective units above the regimental level.

Learning how to use new military innovations also had an influence on how US forces fared and the amount of casualties suffered, but not preparing and analyzing the destructive power of new weapons (rifled musket in the Civil War, machine guns in World War I), US forces took thousands of casualties until the training doctrine was revised to account for the increased lethality on the battlefield.

Overall, am personally very glad to have purchased this book and add it into the collection. Once started reading this book, quickly went though each chapter as they flowed very well. The diagrams/ maps of each battle are also informative and helps the reader understand the battles and locations of the units engaged.

This book has provided a wealth of knowledge and insight into the battles fought by the US prior to 1965. The book arrived as promised by the retailer.

Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft assembled a distinguished team of American military history experts to examine the first major battles fought in each of the nations wars through the Vietnam conflict. This is militay history at its best, dramatic, insightful and informative, not only for an audience in uniform but also for any American interested in how the military functions in our society. The descriptions of battles ranges from well known actions such as Bull Run in the Civil War to the savage jungle fighting at Buna, New Guinea in World War II. I frequently refer to America's First Battles as I prepare my lectures on American military history. We can only hope that the editors will consider a new edition in the future to take the story through the triumph of Desert Storm, and the confusion of the Clinton administration. A military history classic.

As the title indicates, West Point cadets are required to read this book (or at least they used to be when I was a cadet) to understand the role that first battles have played in American military history. The reason cadets are required to read this book is because the U.S. record during the first battle of most wars has been less than stellar. Citing examples like Task Force Smith in Korea and our first battle in North Africa during WWII, the authors expose flawed strategies, low training, and poor equipment. Many times the military enters a war completely unprepared because the normal cycle of demobilization after a conflict reduces the funding and attention our leaders pay to military preparedness. This is a fantastic book to read if you wish to understand the issues and constraints which military leaders and our country usually have to overcome following our first engagement. Given that our "first battle" in the war on terrorism has already occurred, this book could help leaders think through the issues that will be necessary to change our military readiness, as well as homeland security posture to suppress terrorism to more acceptable levels.

A must have for any military library. As a student of military history, I am rereading the book more than ten years later. First Battles is still as relevant today as it was in 1990.

This book is personal for me. It mentions by name or by anecdote, my friends, my classmates, my squadron mates. For 35 years, I neglected reading about the war I was in, as a C-130 co-pilot. This book was exactly what I was looking for, to fill in the gaps of what I knew. In any history of Vietnam, it is good to assess its bias. This book is factual and does not try to promote or debate the politics of the war. It does make a few assessments of the capabilities of the South Vietnamese army, air force, and marines, and the role of American air force and advisors on the ground. It factually describes instances when South Vietnamese army units surrendered with little or no fight, would not go out on patrol, and dropped wounded comrades to clamor on board a med-evac helicopter. Some of the strongest criticism is directed at some South Vietnamese officers who were corrupt, cowardly, or incompetent. It also tells of soldiers who bravely and effectively took on North Vietnamese Army (NVA) tanks with Light Antitank Weapons (LAWs), and who bravely fought the NVA soldiers. Some of the South Vietnamese officers are described as courageous and effective. It tells of the NVA atrocities, such as firing artillery and machine guns on civilians attempting to leave An Loc and other battlegrounds.

The stories are told mostly from the point of view of the American army advisors and, to a lesser extent, the South Vietnamese officers who were their counterparts. Andrade describes the NVA maneuvers and attacks and the South Vietnamese response, then zeroes in on the American advisors so that you get acquainted with them and become emotionally attached to their survival and success. By January 1972, almost all American combat units had left Vietnam. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and South Vietnamese Marines were doing the fighting, with American advisers at the upper levels of command. The advisers helped the ARVN officers deploy their men, and their most essential role was to direct the air force and army helicopter support. (Also naval gunfire in I Corps.) Hue, Kontum, and An Loc all survived the NVA attacks, but would have been overrun if it were not for the B-52s and the close air support of fighters, gun ships, and helicopters. Supplies delivered by the C-130s of the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing were essential to Kontum and An Loc. Andrade does not give a lot of details on the fighting done by individual ARVN soldiers. He generally does not personalize the ARVN by introducing you to the soldiers.

Two dominant factors were the NVA artillery and American air power. The ARVN had fire support bases scattered around the enemy objectives in all three areas, and the NVA artillery was able to destroy the ARVN artillery, then pound the ARVN infantry. The ARVN artillery were in fixed defensive positions, and NVA spotters were able to direct accurate artillery onto them. The NVA concealed and frequently moved their artillery, and the ARVN did not have spotters in position to direct counterbattery fire onto the NVA artillery. American air power (plus, in I Corps, naval gunfire) filled the void of ARVN artillery. NVA anti-aircraft artillery was significant only at An Loc. On May 17, 1972, my C-130 crew delivered 15 tons of 105mm howitzer ammunition to Kontum. But on May 24, NVA artillery neutralized all of the ARVN 23rd Division's artillery (page 301), and on May 27th, the ammunition dump near the airfield was struck by mortar fire, destroying ammunition.

I have two minor criticisms, which do not significantly detract from the excellent quality of the book. It attributes the failure of the peace negotiations in December, 1972, to North Vietnam secretly inserting 17 changes into the document on December 13. (Page 479) Other accounts I have seen attribute it to South Vietnam's President Thieu rejecting the treaty, which is not mentioned here. Second, its understanding of air power is somewhat limited. It describes Combat Skyspot (Page 75) as "a high-tech method of delivering bombs using laser beams." Skyspot did not use laser beams, it used ground radar, the AN/MSQ-77. After mentioning laser beams, Andrade vaguely but more accurately mentions that Skyspot involved aircraft dropping bombs on command from a radar center on the ground. We also used Skyspot to accurately direct C-130s to the release point for air delivery of cargo.

Andrade has eloquently captured the details and meaning of the final campaign involving US Forces. In particular, he wonderfully details the herculaean effort of John Paul Vann and his outstanding Deputy, BG George Wear, USA. I served at Pleiku under these men, and sincerely appreciate Andrade's superb tribute to them--well done, Mr Andrade.

Mr. Andrade places you right in the frontline with South Vietnamese and US adivsors trying to stop the North Vietnamese "Blitzkreig" of 1972. If you still believe that the US and her allies in Vietnam fought mostly a communist peasent guerilla force armed with flintlocks and a few bags of rice, you're saddly misinformed unless you read this book!
This is one of a VERY few books which deal mostly with ARVN ground combat and about the bravery of individual South Vietnamese troops fighting NVA armored forces.
After you read this book, you will know what most ex-ARVN and many US Viet-vets have known for a long time-The North Vietnamese employed tactics and weapons which would've been more familiar to Guderian or Zhukov, not Che' or Mao.

A terrific book that covers the heroic efforts of the remaining US advisors and their ARVN compatriots to resist the North Vietnamese invasion of '72. The narrative is thrilling and Andrade's mastery of detail is marvelous.

This book has helped open the way for revisionist understanding of what actually happened to South Vietnam after the US withdrawal, two years earlier. The simple assumption that the ARVN was incompetent, which was in part used to justify the US pullout, needs reexamination.

The heroism of the ARVN and the remaining US advisors is finally brought to light. Perhaps Andrade in the future can bring us an account that focuses on the role of the ARVN during this same period--and how it performed without adequate support from the United States. It would be interesting to find out how much of the "incompetence" myth remains.

Thank you Dale Andrade.

The Lost and Found Colony
Conestoga Courage
Cracks

When sixteen-year-old Fortney Curtis lands a punch, especially on someone younger than himself, it can do major bone-breaking damage. He is one big brute of a kid. Fort has an anger control problem, and his Scout Leader dad expects him to work on it.

Even though Fort is sick to death of being a Boy Scout, he agrees to help his dad on a wilderness camping trip with the younger Scouts. Fort and his bad attitude are thrown into a major misadventure when a deadly tornado hits.

With his father badly hurt, it's up to Fort to go for help. He soon finds his Scout training invaluable as he battles nature's extremes for survival. A rattlesnake bite, a charging, mad Brahma bull, rotting, maggot infested animals; nature cuts Fort no breaks along the way.

In the end, Fort is astounded to find that not only can he tame nature, but he can also tame a much bigger adversary- himself.

Mike Klaassen's The Brute is a chilling, fast-paced read for young adults; one that paints a colorful picture of youth overcoming all obstacles to become a better person for it.


By Faith Reese Martin - Author of Lost and Found Colony and Conestoga Courage for Young Adults

Once in awhile a new author offers an exceptional book that should be touted by others not associated with the author, the publisher, or the store owner. That's why I'm hoping that readers of all ages will find Mike Klaassen's book on the shelves. As a language arts teacher of 35 plus years, I found this book worth every minute of reading!

Were I a sixteen-year-old or younger, Mike Klaassen's The Brute would be a great way to spend a couple of glued-to-the-pages hours! Constant action and compelling interactions with people while confronting both internal and external conflicts will keep the reader wondering how Fort will solve the major problems of the storm, both the one inside and the one without. Fort's coming-of-age story is a must read for those who are trying to control an anger that has grown to dangerous proportions.

The reader, though, gains much more from this scouting novel set in Kansas: how to build a fire, how to perform CPR, how to resourcefully prepare chicken, both baked and roasted with no kitchen full of equipment or fuel, how to survive a rattler's bite, how to "pin" an angry Brahma bull--the list is almost endless! If I were a scout leader, I'd put it on a list for guys and gals to read! The male reader will find Fort's problem solving encouraging and want to replicate it. The teenage girl will find Fort's muscular physique something she wants to tuck into her diary. Both will enjoy Fort's interest in Tana, the teenage girl on the Kansas ranch that is hit by the tornado and both will learn from Fort's determined search for a way to control his inner emotions, especially his anger.

Fort's heroism doesn't go unnoticed, either; but he does have to face up to the trouble his anger has caused. The way in which he does confront all of the obstacles in the novel make Fort a character we would enjoy reading about again--and again. The fact that Fort has a character flaw (his anger), makes his heroism even more appealing: readers with character flaws can say to themselves, "Yes! I can be a hero, too! All I have to do is . . ."

Teachers, you will find this novel an excellent choice for other reasons. A Blue Works novel offers more than just a good read; a reader may download from the Blue Works web site a full-color poster, an extensive study guide written by the author, a "Making Of" interview with the author and others, deleted or extra scenes not found in the novel, fan-fiction links, a limited edition, official trading card for the book, and a full-color bookmark, door-hanger, club card and more.

The site for Blue Works is [...]in case you want to pursue this book!

[...]

"The Brute" is a compelling story of one boy's struggle with his own weaknesses. Placed in a challenging situation where he must be the decision maker we watch him deal with these weaknesses in a fast paced, action filled adventure. A real page turner. The author is right on target with his modern day audience of teen boys but I enjoyed it as well at age 58. It is just the kind of story to get or keep teen boys reading.

Mike Klaassen's first book shines as a well-crafted novel. The book doesn't flinch at gory images, gross humor, and real pre-teen and teen language. From the excellent beginning sentence to the last line The Brute has readers on the edge of their chairs. The gripping, tumultuous adventures of 16 year old Fortney Curtis, as he is literally tossed into the grips of a tornado's aftermath, are equal to that of a modern day hero's journey. Fort, his nickname, has another nickname, "Brute," attributed to his large size and his untamed temper, which can cause quite a lot of damage. In this saga Fort attempts to rescue his father, brothers, other young Boy Scouts, a rancher, and her teenage niece, Tana, from the devastation of the tornado that slammed down onto their wilderness Scout camp and the surrounding countryside. However, he runs into one dangerous obstacle after another including that of his own unharnessed anger. Yet, there are also poignant moments such as the unexpected loyalty of Butch, a Rottweiler, who Fort has just met. Will Fort achieve his two-fold goal of getting help for the others as well as taming his rage? The book is successful because it is encased in gritty truth about modern day life on a Kansas prairie. The story shows teen boys that they can learn to cope with their own inner hurdles while facing life's outer challenges. Kudos to Mike Klaassen for such a page-turning tale; and kudos to all the readers who risk embarking on this literary journey. Highly recommended for young adult readers twelve and older.

"Cows Are Freaky" is an amazing chronicle of people and events that represent a defined era in American culture. The fact that these stories are true gives the book a foundation of history to stand on. To say that this work could seem like fiction is an understatement. When reality is more bazaar than fiction, one has to wonder what kind of drugs were these people traking that made them into storybook characters. Where do you find a Prop. a Chervil, a Buzzy Flashback but in comic books and works of fiction, not totally in the world we inhabit.
"Cows Are Freaky" is a book of an odyssy that comes full circle, like birth and death, and in the middle, leads us on a wondrous tale of the times, maybe even a "flashback."
Besides, you can pick it up and start reading anywhere as there's no set beginning or end, no consistent story, just dope crazed heroes rushing up to the edge of consciousness and peering into a void they did not understand, but that led them to take risks with there lives and act with abandon, like only youth can.
This record of that time stands as a marker, a benchmark of freedom of action and fearlessness that led to a loss of innocence which, to this day, has kept some from becoming part of the community and who still hold themselves apart with this badge that says, "I was there." If reality is for people who can't handle drugs, then "Cows Are Freaky" is "unreal" as we used to say. Far out!

love it! when i read this book i feel transported back to the 60s/70s. this would have been a time when i was a baby and i wonder if my parents have similar stories.
i love reading names of places i have visited or am fondly familiar with. my mind wanders to these places and gives me the sensation of an out of body experience.
are the storytellers someone i may know now, incognito? this will always be a wonder....

this is an excellent compilation of stories about hippies and their adventures. i highly recommend it.

What was it like in the sixties? Have you ever wondered this? Even if you lived through the sixties. A collection of stories, some sad, some weird, some gross, and some crazy. This book will take you back. The stories are anywhere from a few lines long to a few pages. A truly amazing book, that not only will you enjoy, but will force on your friends to enjoy

The format of this book is "just right" for grievers. Short sections allow the reader to read as little or as much as they can handle at one sitting. This is an excellent gift for the seasons of Fall and Winter when society inundates us with holiday celebrations and togetherness. Since September 11, 2001, this book ought to become a best-seller. I've given out at least a dozen copies to family and friends.

When I first picked up this book, I thought, "Is it going to be good?," and I was pleasantly surprised. It helped me reach a horizon of encouragement to continue on after I lost a loved one. It sought to gently answer the questions and anger many people have in a state of mourning. I highly reccommend this book to anyone who is looking for comfort on a page.

This book is one of the best on the market for grieving. It covers how to handle the process, gives tips on how to handle Holiday celebrations, birthdays, when people say stupid things.

It is written in 3-4 page chapters---easy to read and very effective. I have given this for about 5 years to people ---especially in the case of a sudden death, and or the death of a young person.

Think it is one of the best available.

This book can heal the wounded soul. It is an eloquent reminder that when we suffer we do not suffer alone.

If you're interested in this kind of book, I'd highly recommend Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices, by John Allen.

Eloquent descriptions by a lover of nature, birds, butterflies and all living things. Honest relating of his recurring depression.

Author Tom Parker and his wife left a big city and big jobs (that also were moving away) and moved to a town in Kansas with 1100 people.

There Park becomes a local newspaper columnist, albeit a very low paid one--along with a few other part-time jobs to help pay the bills.

Dispatches from Kansas is a collection of these stories--many of them about the difference between large cities and small towns, the people who inhabit them, and the unwritten rules you must learn to survive. This could be a small town in most any state.

As a farm girl who moved to the big city (home of the Mall of America) many years ago, we now have a lakeplace near a small town. So we know from what he speaks about small towns.

I liked this guy right away when early on he said that he read the comics/funnies first in the newspaper. His stories are well written, full of minute details, and are about the bread and butter people and issues of small towns.

He asks: What constitutes important news in rural areas? Their local weekly newspapers publish as he calls it, "who was naughty or nice"--the police reports. The newspaper publishes every little incidence: vehicle stops for illegal left turns; dogs on the loose; accidents; runaways, etc.

If you still live in a small town, you will love knowing your town isn't unique. If you are from one, you will love to reminisce with his help. If you have almost been envious of small-town life, read Dispatches from Kansas to live vicariously.

His descriptions of sights and sounds in the daytime were special, but his nighttime details were powerful. "We were the least of the creatures of the dark," he wrote, "in nature's night, I was inconsequential."

Each chapter is one newspaper column, which makes this a book to have with you when you have to wait for someone.

Armchair Interviews says: Well-written stories bring emotions to the surface because of his high-level observations of every day simple but awesome things. Parker takes you into the day and night of small town living of the people and of nature.

I bought this book for my dad for his birthday. He grew up on a farm in Kansas and I thought he might enjoy these stories on small town life. I think in all my years of buying gifts for my dad this might be his favorite. He keeps reading the stories to anyone that will listen. In fact over the Christmas holiday the family made a rule that he was only allowed to read them three stories, otherwise he was interrupting constanly with a new anecdote. I live overseas and when my family called me on Christmas, my dad spent his time on the phone with me (despite the high rate per minute) reading me a story from the book about squirrels. He loves it! He is planning to buy a copy for his brother as well. If you know someone who grew up in small-town Kansas, this is a great gift!

Tom Parker is not a native but believes Kansas is one of America's best-kept secrets. He and his wife moved to Kansas when they had wearied of sprawling cities and corporate ladders going nowhere. He's been waxing eloquent about tall grass prairies, Kansas towns and people in his newspaper columns
ever since. One excerpt from one column states Parker's sentiments clearly:
"What's wrong with Kansas? I leave work as the sun becomes airborne. Mist chokes the valleys, shadowed yet by dense woods. The road slips into a slight depression and then rises and the Blue River Valley spreads before me as far as the
eye can see, a verdant channel winding southward between grassy bluffs. The road descends and leaps the river and curves into town.
I stand on my front porch, the song of dickcissels calling the sun up. A cuckoo cries behind me. Warily eyeing me, a cottontail sucks down a long dandelion stem."

Life in the prairies has been peaceful and Parker shares through beautiful prose the divine he sees in everything around him. Birdsong is surreal and ghostly in early morning
fogs along the rivers and streams. Thunderstorms are awesome, electric, transforming. Winter winds roar from the north to rattle windows, freshen air, and freeze nose hairs. Amidst nature's bounty, the Parkers discovered mysteries of daily life in rural Kansas: the art of waving at everyone you meet; the odd case of the clairvoyant cashier; the joy and adventure to be found in following grain elevators home; anti-terrorist plans, rural Kansas style.

Parker shares his Kansas experiences with subtle exaggeration, gentle irony, and incredible poignance. In his world, Nature is a blessing and a balm. And because he shares his vision generously with an honest spirit, readers will enjoy his
stories whether they live in Kansas or not.

I had the honor of meeting Dr. Broome at the 2007 Little Bighorn Association conference in North Platte Nebraska. I would like to think that his scholarship helps to set a standard for historical research. When I consider what I see being produced today by many of our universitys I don't hold out a lot of hope for this though.

Dog Soldier Justice is an amazing piece of research in that it covers ground often ignored today. It looks at the dangers and horrors that often faced pioneers in the form of indian depradations. Today we frequently forget the innocent victims caught up in the plains indian wars. We also forget that evil acts were committed by the indians as much as the white man. Dr. Broome manages to correct some of this by the tragic story of this one woman and her family. He also reminds the reader that this sort of treatment was not the exception and more common than many historians are willing to admit. There is some justice in relating the truth and Dr. Broome's book is a step towards this.

Dr. Broome paints a very interesting history of the settlement of the American West in the late 19th century. He pulls no punches in his history which is extensively researched and referenced. No "New Western Historian", is he. He tells what happened in detail and in unvarnished truth. Among the history lurks the soul of a mystery novel except this is true. The reader knows in advance what happens, but even today we don't know the details of what really happened to Susanna Alderdice. She is the centerpiece of the book. Her experiences are as bad as any atrocity known to man.

Anybody interested in the Kansas and Colorado early settlers and their experiences with the renegade Dog Soldiers should read this book. Life was not bread and circuses as many would have you believe back then. It was a struggle against the elements, a struggle against disease and the ever present danger of being attacked just for living.

Jeff Bloome has produced an outstanding narrative concerning a little known period of history in 19th Century Kansas. I was attracted to it because my own grandparents were captured by Indians on a Kansas farm near Marysville, one of my family members was burned at the stake by Indians in the 1700's, and many of my ancestors had to protect their homes and lives from warring tribes in New York and Kansas. This book is the epitome of research on the subject of the Indian raids that terrorized and killed so many settlers in Kansas in the 1860's, and none of it is fiction. Dr. Broome tells the facts in a way that is spellbinding, and in a manner that makes the people of the time, both Settler and Indian alike, very real. Dr. Bloome has the ability to capture their time and the way they felt and reacted to these tragedies. The American settler comes alive, particuarly in the person of Susanna Alderdice and her family. Five stars is the most I am permitted to rate Dog Soldier Justice, but it deserves more than that and anyone whose ancestors were a part of the early history of America should be particularly grateful to Dr. Bloome for his detailed research and the sincere empathy he shows in his writing about these real people on the prairie who eventually succeeded,in making the wild terrority home despite its many dangers. This is not a derogatory piece designed deliberately to make Indians look bad, there were many good Indians, it is simply historical fact about the Dog Soldier Indians who did a great amount of harm to their own cause, and the story needs to be told as it happened, not as some would like it told. The extent of his research and his care in the presentation coupled with a captivating style of writing and complete footnotes to back up this writing makes this a must reading for those interested in the history of the Plains in the 19th Century.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Broome at the Little Big Horn Battlefield this year, 2005. I have found this book to be outstanding in the discription of just how ruthless and savage the Bog Soldiers were to the settelers of the Kansas plains. The research is outstanding and well documented. This book will move you in the hardships the settelers of the West went through and their courage and bravery of them all. The brutality that the Dog Soldier Indians put upon the woman of Kansas is heart braking and it's amazing anyone who survived could have endured. I highly recommend this book, regardless of how you might feel concerning the Indians of Kansas as this book presents the moving story of the will to live and survive and settle Kansas.

Paul Posey
Grovetown, GA