Oklahoma Books

ONE O'CLOCK JUMP: THE UNFORGETTABLE HISTORY OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY BLUE DEVILS offers up a wealth of detail on a legendary jazz band from Oklahoma City. They went through many changes from 1923 to 1933, but their legacy has been under-stated until this book, so any avid fan of jazz may know of them, but only in passing. ONE O'CLOCK JUMP fills the gaps, using interviews with the six surviving Blue Devils and others and supplementing these with newspaper accounts of performances and government records. The result is rich reporting and jazz music history which cannot be ignored.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

THIS BOOK IS REFERENCED AS A FURTHER READING BOOK IN THE BEST SELLER "GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL" BY JERED DIAMOND.PAGE 448.

This book is essential in the library of all Native Americans and Non-Native Americans alike. Forget the old stereotypes, this work based on the intense research of Francis LaFlesche, an anthropologist and Native himself, blows all pre-conceived notions of Native thought and society. The intense and complex cosmological musings harken back to the Greek philosophers and Eastern Taoism and Confucianism. Finally something that truly shows the complexity and diversity of the original peoples of this continent.

Being raised not 5 miles from the location of the book in Osage County and only 13 years latter I felt I was reading a story of my life. This is a great book for young and old who love to hear stories like those told by your Grandparents on the front porch sipping tea in the cool Oklahoma evening. A must have for anyone who loves books of life and the realities that come with it.

There is a huge amount of information in this book, but it is all presented with wit and style. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially anyone even vaguely interested in Native American studies. I'm not qualified to tell you how good it is.

The Ouachita Mountains stretch across the border of southeastern Oklahoma into southwestern Arkansas, from roughly McAlester, OK, to Little Rock, AR. This excellent, 300-page guide describes just about everything anyone might want to know about the area, from geography and climate, to fishing and hunting opportunities, to historical tours. There are scores of detailed maps and charts, and many, many photographs. What I found most interesting were the chapters on historical tours across the region, with just about every town and hamlet described. (There are also whole chapters on Fort Smith, Hot Springs National Park, and Little Rock.) This is not only a great book to have with you if visiting the area, but it's also a terrific book for armchair travelers as well. A wonderful guidebook, highly recommended.

If you're interested in finding out about the Ozarks for the first time or if (like me) you've been to the Ozarks many times this is an excellent book. It starts with a thumbnail history and description of the Ozarks but the bulk of this book is devoted to supplying information on the entire region. This information includes geographic features - rivers and streams, caves, lakes, and topographic properties. Also included are descriptions ranging from a paragraph to several pages on just about every stream, lake, town, and park in the Ozarks. I learned new and interesting facts about areas I've visited many times before. If you love the Ozarks this is a great find!

This book is concerned with the organized efforts of the Villistas to influence public and governmental opinion in "El norte", the big source of arms and cash needed for mounting an organized military campaigns. During the struggle against the usurper Huerta, and the subsequent fractionating of the revolutionary movement into Carranzistas, Villistas, and Zapatistas, Viila was still popular with the American public.
Of the three major groups of adherents, no one really controlled many of the local chieftans and the allegiances and loyalties of many of the local warlords changed as advantage shifted from the Villistas in early 1915 to the Carranzistas led by Alvaro Obregon.
By the fall of 1915 Villa's troops had been thoroughly defeated at Agua Prieta, Sonora, by Gen. Calles, and subsequently had dispersed into the hills, emerging in March to attack Columbus, NM. By that time the propaganda battle had been lost as well and his press organizations had been dispersed.
In summary, this is a highly detailed study meant for the specialist and not for the general public. For that I still recommend John S.D. Eisenhower's book. See my review on this site.

I've read many books on Will Rogers-I find him fascinating on several levels. My initial interest was in his skill as a roper-I continue to be amazed at his talent in catches and especially trick roping. See his 1922 film "The Roping Fool" for an incredible display of his abilities. But Roger's role as a social commentator overshadowed his vaudeville career. Some have called him the first media pundit. This volume documents in great detail Rogers early years, and in a most satisfying way puts him in context. Letters, newspaper clippings, and other documents trace the experiences that led him into show business, and extensive footnotes lay out the social, economic and political world in which he lived. I can't wait for volume two!

Metz `s thoroughly researched and well written biography details the controversial life of one of the Old West's most interesting characters, Pat Garrett - the lawman who shot and killed Billy the Kid. The story takes Garrett from his Southern childhood, to his days as a buffalo hunter on the Texas frontier, thru his tenure as a federal lawman and Sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico. Metz addresses the mysterious death of Garrett . It was in that position that he became embroiled in the infamous Lincoln County War. The book also provides in-depth coverage of Henry McCarty - alias Billy the Kid. Thoroughly researched and entertainingly written, Metz's story of Pat Garrett will stand as the standard resource work on this noteworthy Old West character. James P. O'Connor - Nov. `9