Oklahoma Books

My three year old loves this book, and it has taught her a lot about why people moved during the Dust Bowl (although she's more distracted by other details of the story and doesn't even know she's learning). I have given several as gifts and the parents always report that it's popular. Great pictures and a swell map of Route 66 at the end.

Anyone who reads Don't Forget Winona, won't.
Follow this family migration from Oklahoma to California on Route 66, in the late 1930's as they escape from dust storms and drought to follow their dream. In a compelling story of hope and determination, Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson's beautiful writing brings this family and their journey to life. Kimberly Bulcken Root's sensitive illustrations enhances this celebration
of family and history!
A reader from Quakertown, Pa.

This is a beautifully written book, and very readable. Having read a lot about the history of the period I already knew how fiercely the widow Custer guarded her husband's reputation and how much she did to enhance it. Unlike many female authors might do, however, Leckie does not judge Libby by modern standards, but puts her in the context of her time. She also touches on the possibility that remaining Autie's widow may have been far more liberating for her, in her times, than it would have been to become Mrs. Someone else. During her husband's lifetime she lived in his shadow, but after his death she was able to use that connection to become an author and lecturer in her own right. She also left an estate valued at over $300,000, after her husband had managed only to put them into debt. Having read her memoirs like Boots and Saddles and Tenting on the Plains, it was clear that Mrs.Custer never gave much insite into her true feelings. Nothing seemed to upset her except a criticism of her husband. Inspite of this, though, Leckie does manage to make her into a real person. I found her epilogue truly moving, and I came away with an understanding of an historical character, whom up to this point, I hadn't much cared for.

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Sometimes, it's not how good you are, but how good your P.R. is that determines your reputation. And in the case of the (in)famous U.S. cavalry commander George Armstrong Custer, the P.R. was definitely good. Immediately after Custer's death (along with 200+ of his troops in what was, and arguably still is, the worst battle loss ever suffered by U.S. forces), his widow, Libbie Bacon Custer, began a propaganda campaign designed to secure her beloved husband's place in history. Unfortunately for history, she succeeded far too well. This book, a biography of Custer's widow, gives real insight into how she manipulated the media available to her in order to glorify her husband--or to be more accurate, to glorify her idealized portrait of her husband. Had Libbie not done her work so well, Custer would have been only a footnote in American History. In addition to providing a valuable supplement to the historical record concerning Custer, Ms. Leckie's book paints a masterly portrait of an exceptional woman, which is well worth the time of readers with little interest in Custer

I live in south dakota and reading this book makes me understand the area more. I have visited the areas he taks about. The co writers husband made the cofin for Siting Bull. and the co writer was the secertary for Siting bull. I have visited a stone church that is only a short distance from where Sitting bull was slain. a good book for anyone who likes history.

For an adventurous man who heard often "the call of the frontier" and responded accordingly, Ben Arnold's life is not that far out of the ordinary, though still remarkable. Apparently as an old man living in Pierre, SD, his daughter became interested in his stories and exploits as he related them to her, and she decided to write them down in notebooks. After his death in 1922, she worked on her notebooks and then took them to Lewis Crawford, head of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. He got them ready for publication. He decided to relate Arnold's story using the first person narrator - a good decision as it makes Arnold's accounts more immediate and personal.

Arnold relates nothing about his childhood, but begins with his soldiering in the Civil War. Three times he enlisted in Ohio regiments, deserting each time, the third time for good after getting into a feud with a fellow soldier near present-day Casper, WY. He headed west to Fort Hall in Idaho, where he operated a ferry (ferryman was a recurring occupation during Arnold's life). It was around this time that he changed his name to Ben Arnold (he was born Benjamin M. Connor).

The wanderlust bug struck and he drifted to Virginia City, where he did some mining, then bull-whacked around Fort Benton before going to Fort Union in North Dakota. Over the course of the next decade he was at Ft. Laramie, all over Nebraska, and was with Crook in his campaign against the Sioux as a dispatch rider, most notably at the Rosebud fight. Later he was a buffalo hunter in South Dakota and also homesteaded there. He died in Pierre in 1922.

The tone of the book is very matter-of-fact and to the point. Arnold was not a reflective man, apparently, for little of that is part of the book. Thus he is able to say, "A railroad was under construction [and] one of the engineers told me of a place where there would be a town; if I desired I could file on land within the proposed townsite. But I did not file. The town is now Douglas, Wyoming." That's that, no sorrow, no regrets.

The narrative stops about 20 years before his death because after that time he says "my experiences have not been unusual and are too common to be interesting." Perhaps. But what he's told us before, though not of the "I-fought-with-Custer" heroics, is definitely of interest. He was an adventurer in a land that was just beginning to be settled, a land that through his own exploits he would help create and define. The only wish I had while reading the book was for a modern editor, one who could annotate and explain further some things that Arnold tells about (Crawford attempts this in places, but not often, and gets some things wrong: Bovine, SD, a town Arnold founded, did not become present-day Capa but Van Metre.) But that's a minor quibble; I really enjoyed the book a lot. Highly recommended.

Whether you live in Oklahoma or plan to visit, Exploring Oklahoma Together is an essential guidebook for getting the most out of this great state. A companion to Exploring Oklahoma With Children, Exploring Oklahoma Together offers adults an easily accessible reference to getaway opportunities in every part of the state. The book is organized by geographical region; within each region cities are listed alphabetically and entries are given for attractions, golf, dining, shopping, accomodations and events. Each entry gives detailed information, including description and historical background, directions, cost, and other tips. In addition, Exploring Oklahoma Together features helpful travel articles, money-saving coupons, attractive black and white photos, and excellent writing. Sarah Taylor, an Oklahoma native, has created a product which is pleasing to the eye and helpful to travelers of all persuasions. I wouldn't plan an Oklahoma excursion without it!

Whether you live in Oklahoma or plan to visit, Exploring Oklahoma Together is an essential guidebook for getting the most out of this great state. A companion to Exploring Oklahoma With Children, Exploring Oklahoma Together offers adults an easily accessible reference to getaway opportunities in every part of the state. The book is organized by geographical region; within each region cities are listed alphabetically and entries are given for attractions, golf, dining, shopping, accomodations and events. Each entry gives detailed information, including description and historical background, directions, cost, and other tips. In addition, Exploring Oklahoma Together features helpful travel articles, money-saving coupons, attractive black and white photos, and excellent writing. Sarah Taylor, an Oklahoma native, has created a product which is pleasing to the eye and helpful to travelers of all persuasions. I wouldn't plan an Oklahoma excursion without it!

I purchased Exploring Oklahoma with Children last year and was checking for a third edition. I will purchase a new one each time it is released. The price ranges are accurate and the book paints a true picture of the attraction/location. We have visited several places recommended in the book with a four year old and a twelve year old and never been disappointed. Directions, phone numbers, and extra tips are extremely valuable.

As the end of the school year was approaching this mother of five wondered what to do with our summer. Our family was born and breed here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, yet we had never seen many of the natural wonders this great state has to offer. I certainly did not look forward to a summer of "paying" to be entertained at the movies, water parks or (eeek) in front of the TV. Oklahoma is rich in its Native American heritage. With a state that suffered the "Grapes of Wrath" image and then overcame to be a rich oil capitol, surely we could be entertained here. I purchased a copy of "Exploring Oklahoma With Children" in May. After a brief review of the book, I knew I had stumbled upon the key to an eventful summer. I spent every night for a week highlighting sights and events. I committed to the children "field trips" two days a week using our book as our guide. To fully appreciate this you must understand that this summer our children were: 8, 7, 5 (twins) and 1. We had the summer of our lives! We saw an old fort, Pawnee Bill's home, Will Roger's birthplace, a dairy farm, a port, many museums, parks and much more. These were all child friendly and were cheap to FREE! Our summers will never be the same. This year we will go further than one hour from Tulsa (our limit with a 1 year old). As the book is revised and reprinted each year (chalked full of discounts and coupons) I will be first in line at Amazon Books to purchase "Exploring Oklahoma With Children". We all look forward to exploring Oklahoma year round with the help of author, Sarah Lowrey Taylor. We'll see you in Oklahoma!

"To all appearances," wrote Richard Drinnon, "it all began innocently enough with a first victim" (Indian-Hating 35). Indeed, in Drinnon's 'Facing West: The Metaphysics of Indian-Hating and Empire-Building,'those first victims finally have the chance to tell their story through the records of their conquerors. From John Endicott's war on the Niantics and Pequots, to the horrors of the My Lai massacre, Drinnon illustrates, with passion, power and unrelenting wit, how Indian-hating in the Americas became a national pastime, and how that same hate was turned against the native populations of the Phillipines and Southeast Asia. A tremendous feat of scholarship that should not be missed.

Prompted to write about the lynching - after watching "Birth of a Nation" to be perfectly honest, I did not know where to turn - so, logically, I searched the stacks at the library. An interesting troika of books almost seemed to jump into my hands - metaphorically, of course. The link is the Imperial project. The books: (1) Lynching in America: A History in Documents edited by Christopher Waldrep; (2) Positively No Filipinos Allowed: Building Communities and Discourse edited by Antonio T. Tiongson, Jr., Edgardo V. Gutierrez, and Ricardo V. Gutierrez; finally, (3) Richard Drinnon's Facing West: The Metaphysics of Indian-Hating and Empire-Building [this one actually recommended]. Dealing with the confluence of hate on the three groups that have been the target of so much of it: Indians, African-Americans, and Filipinos are the loci of this examination.

Christopher Waldrep's edited work Lynching in America: A History in Documents is compilation of bits and pieces from source documents such as: articles from newspapers and magazines, parts of novels, transcripts of court decisions as well as congressional testimonies are the basis for the "documents" in the latter part of the title. On the trail to "discover" the origins, development, and resilience of the lynching phenomenon, this thought-provoking collection is less "history" but arguably more narrative. In this volume, Waldrep looks at various aspects such as the relationship of lynching to violence perpetuated outside the rule of law and examines in almost footnote form how these texts are mobilized by advocated of conflicting agendas. This collection of source documents is an attempt, I would argue, to bring new life, new meaning to the discourse of lynching. It starts at the very beginning - as in where did the word come from? There is no definitive and easy explanation forthcoming. The "power of the word" is arguably "a rhetorical dagger ... deployed by a host of actors in a variety of circumstances" (Waldrep xvi, xvii). So lynching then starts out the narrative - it began to grow into a different project; lynching is part of the bigger issue of discipline.

The "archive" shows that lynching is not a single dimension phenomenon - but that is certainly not a new argument - but its presentation here of the various perceptions and semantic plays on the word from the 18th to the 20th century certainly proves insightful. Waldrep explores (or uncovers) what seem to be mistaken notions only a select few slaves were lynched - when in fact it was seen as the supreme right of slave owners. In reality, several slaves were lynched - no matter how you semantically play it. Waldrep presents documents that show lynching to be beyond just a southern racial phenomenon. In this volume, Waldrep shows that the downturn of the lynching phenomenon is the confluence of "private enterprise--journalism--exposing lynching to national audiences" (Waldrep xix). What marks this volume as a deviation from conventional thinking about lynching is that instead of looking at the simplistic concept of "spectacle killings" of southern blacks lynching happened, Waldrep presents, in several venues and manifestations, persecuted diverse people, and eventually into "high-tech" with the "lynching" of Clarence Thomas (Waldrep 249). Even if the end result was not achieved - as in to come up with a definitive history and description, its complexity; I am sure Waldrep would argue, called for the very investigation he undertook. How does this tie in with Filipinos to African American and Indians who were conspicuous by their absence?

Positively No Filipinos Allowed: Building Communities and Discourse is a multi-disciplinary collection of unique writings that, of course, examines the ways in which the colonial history of the Philippines has fashioned Filipino-American character, society, and community development - this is the glue - the tie that binds. The essay that interests us for this examination is Nerissa Balce's "Filipino Bodies, Lynching, and the Language of Empire" since in this essay we started out by looking at lynching.

Balce explores the unique criticism leveled at African Americans in the 1900s by both the Filipino as well as the African American press for the commonality of their experience, "Why does the American Negro come from America to fight us when we are much friend to him, and me all the same as you. Why don't you fight those people in America that burn Negroes that made a beast of you that took the child from its mother's side and sold it?" (Quoted from a letter to the Indianapolis Freeman of 11 May 1900 - from soldier William Simms who as asked by a Filipino child)(Balce in Tiongson et al. 56-57).

Harkening to a shared sense of primitivism that, in so many words, "authorized" an "othering" that steeped in "civilizing missions" and "benevolent assimilations" continued a tradition of hate and condescension that began with slavery and the Indian wars at the start of the 17th century, continued concurrently into the Indian issue, and as far as this writing is concerned with ending at the Philippines. Balce recounts yet another story, this time from the Wisconsin Weekly Advocate of 17 May 1900, "cursed them [Filipinos] as damned niggers, steal [from] and ravish them, rob them on the street of their small change, take from the fruit vendors whatever suited their fancy, and kick the poor unfortunate if he complains, desecrate their church property, and after fighting began, looted everything in sight, burning, robbing graves..." (Balce 57-58). Balce writes that this violence perpetuated by African Americans is called to question by Filipinos. This is an epiphany of sorts and at this moment of U.S. Empire is also the origin of an African American anti-imperialist paradigm that recognizes the connection in the violence meted out to Native Americans, African Americans, and colonized peoples such as Filipinos.

Balce also links the narrative of the tactics used on the Filipinos as a progression of the same kinds of violence meted out previously to the Indians, "The allusion to the "Indian wars" recalls Amy Kaplan's idea that wars "continue each other" through cyclic discourse that generate symbolic meanings which transpose and reinterpret earlier wars. Like the U.S. frontier, the Philippines would become a conquered territory for the Union" (Balce 52). Genocide is not just the mask but almost the necessary tool to bring civilization - fighting means resisting, and resisting is futile.

Richard Drinnon's Facing West: The Metaphysics of Indian Hating and Empire Building' (1980), takes us to the next level of understanding. Facing the West is a volume of American history in which he records a string of consecutive genocides dealt by white settlers against peoples of color (the "blackening" if you will) on the premise that they are "savages" in need to civilizing. Drinnon starts with the genocide of the Pequods and continues on through to the Vietnam War. Along the way, the "continuation of violence" and the "recycling of images and discourses" lands squarely in the Philippines - with ironic, disastrous, and hypocritical results. This honest take is an uplifting trajectory off the beaten path from the dominant discourses that marshal the worst and most contradictory of sentiments - `progress'.

The chapter in Drinnon that interests us is "Chapters XXI - The Strenuous Life Abroad: "Marked Severities" in the Philippines." In this chapter Drinnon alters our understanding of the debates taking place at a time of empire joining it with the lynching and violence on the mainland (Drinnon 307, Waldrep 215, and Balce 52-58). So, what "authorized" such violence against the Filipinos? "What then was the debate about? It was about whether the U.S. Empire should be hemispheric or global, and secondarily about the nature of the constitution; did that document follow the flag? On this less important issue, Senator Francis G. Newlands of Nevada put the issue succinctly on February 20, 1900: "The difference between the imperialists and the anti-imperialists... is that the imperialists wish to expand out territory and to contract our Constitution. The anti-imperialists are opposed to any expansion of territory which, as a matter of necessity, arising from the ignorance and inferiority of the people occupying it, makes free constitutional government impracticable or undesirable (Congressional Record, XXXIII, 1996)" (Drinnon 308). With the recycling of the "savage" theme, the Philippines is seen as a burden - a White Man's burden - in fact, "no better than Indians" (Drinnon 310-311). The dead in Santa Ana look jarringly similar to the dead at Wounded Knee (Drinnon 330-331). Marking for future reference that it might be even benign to say that the more things changed the more they stayed the same - when in fact, the past informed, authorized, and justified the present and maybe even the future.

As a shared burden, U.S. imperial expansion meant an increase of racial violence against emancipated blacks and a brutal war of colonization against Filipinos who had barely ended their war with Spain" (Balce 58). On the "Other" is set loose the "benevolence" of tough love and the U.S. "civilizing mission" that leaves only carnage in its wake. The "carnage" of lynching that (according to Waldrep) is constantly changing and the resilience of which is still being debated.

Miguel Llora

This book is simply awesome. Here, Raoul Berger focuses his in-depth analysis and attention toward the history and the original understanding of Article One-Section Eight of the Constitution: the powers of Congress. His conclusion is an inconvenient truth: most of the federal government under which we live is simply unconstitutional.

Berger first explains the true relationship between the federal government and the states: a dual sovereignty. The kind of powers the states were supposed to have retained for themselves are truly amazing. He explains in great detail the original meaning of the "necessary and proper," "supremacy," and "general welfare" clauses along with the 10th Amendment. The most fascinating part of the book for me was the in-depth analysis of the "commerce" clause. The power of Congress to regulate commercial trade between a state and another state is much more limited than one could expect; certainly far removed from what Congress is allowed to get away with today. Berger goes on to shred apart the majority opinion of Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority (1985) which declared that a local mass transit system within a state can be regulated by the federal government via the interstate "commerce" clause.

This short, but information packed read is truly a classic and is highly recommended for anyone curious about the true meaning of the Constitution. The insights about the true meaning of the "commerce clause" were my favorite.

~Federalism: The Founders' Design~ by Raoul Berger is an intellectually rigorous and accurate exposition of original intent, the compact nature of the Union, and dual federalism. Raoul Berger, an honest liberal, made the diligent effort to recover original intent, for as John Taylor held, "there are lights toward true construction." Professor Berger is the leading force behind the jurisprudential philosophy known as original intention. Strict constructionist philosophy commands judges to strictly construe the written law. Original intent binds judges to the supreme law, the Constitution. James Madison accurately surmised, "...the legitimate meaning of the Instrument must be derived from the text itself; or if a key is to be sought elsewhere, it must be not in the opinions or intentions of the Body which planned & proposed the Constitution, but in the sense attached to it by the people in their respective State Conventions where it received all the authority which it possesses." In point of emphasis, "all the authority which it possesses."

This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone involved in frontline firefighting. Before any operation starts you have to gain access. Expands on the Essentials Book to provide better understanding and technique.

I've owned a copy of this book since it first came out in 1987. It is still the most comprehensive book dealing specifically with forcing entry. It is clear and concise in describing a myriad of methods of safely breaking into strucutures. Although it is written for the fire services by the International Fire Service Training Association, I bought it and still use it for law enforcement high risk entries, especially SWAT. It is the only book I'm aware of any where that deals specifically with this complex subject. DEFINITELY worth the money.

"Freedom In My Soul" offers an intimate, poignant look into the world of Samgirl, an intelligent young girl whose dream of physical freedom--for it doesn't take long to know that she truly is free in her soul--drives her family to seek freedom from slavery. Reilly's portrayal of Samgirl as a compassionate, matter-of-fact woman who endures hardships unfit for any living creatures heightened my appreciation of the contribution slaves have made to the relative freedom that African Americans experience today. And yet, life, grim though it is for Samgirl, throws her a crumb of joy now and then through her relationship with her brother Samboy and her burgeoning love for Levi and his daughter Gracy. Reilly expertly weaves the minute details of life in the quarters into the story while offering a little known history of Chickasee slave owners. Yes, the book may evoke tears but laughter will soon follow as Samgirl navigates life on the farm of old John Stands-In-Timber. An excellent read, the book is well-paced and should be read by anyone seeking a personal understanding of life as a American slave.

Ms Reilly does a superb job of bringing the characters and thier emotoins to life in the telling of this story. The bonds that Samgirl, Samboy and Mammy and Pappy share are inspiring. Freedom In My Soul made me laugh, cry and more than once I had to look up from the book stareing in deep wonder at the trials, tribulations and determination of this fictional family and of the non-fictional families that surely existed during this period. I personally look forward to more writings from

Shaunna Reilly!!

Volume 7 of the "Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier", Gold Rush Saints is an extensively researched history drawing heavily upon documents and primary sources to chronicle the role that Mormons played and the effect they had in California during the Gold Rush era. The text is scholarly in tone yet accessible to lay readers as it presents exciting stories of travel, cooperation, success, and destitution. Focusing especially upon influential and charismatic Mormon personalities, the hardships they endured and the legacies they contributed to, Gold Rush Saints is a welcome and seminal contribution to American and California history shelves.

From 1846-1857 Mormons shaped events in California: they were the first American settlers of San Francisco. Narrative history blends with documentary accounts on California Mormon history: first-person accounts of early pioneers provide new insights on gold rush history and experiences. Chapters survey social and political controversies of the time between Mormons and between Mormons and other groups, examine the roles they played in settling California and overcoming the state's isolation, and include insights from the pioneers themselves. An excellent addition to California history.