Oklahoma Books

Twenty year old Jessica Clinton and her younger brother and sister are orphaned when
their parents die in a car accident and are invited to go and live with their Uncle Fred,
on the outskirts of the small town of Chickasha in Oklahoma.

But before they arrive, Fred is found beaten and left for dead, going into a coma.

It isn't the first time strange things have been happening in and around the ranches
and farms nearby. Brush fires that don't seem to be accidents, animals turning up ill
or injured and sometimes dead. The properties attacked have one thing in common,
the owners were all descendants from Native American tribes.

A shaman insists that the troubles are because of a terrible wrongdoing in the past and
that evil spirits have come to wreak revenge.

Jessica finds herself drawn to Daniel, the Cherokee foreman on one of the ranches, who is
convinced the happenings are man made. But who is doing it and why?

Daniel and Jessica try to find out what is going on before anything worse can happen,
putting both their lives in danger and then someone winds up dead... Is there a connection
between this death and one that happened years ago? And just what doeslocal real estate
agent Lucas Martin have to do with it? What is he hiding? And why is the sheriff so convinced
that the death was suicide and not murder?

A good mystery with a dash of adventure and romance thrown in for good measure, Oklahoma's
Gold is a fast paced book, which leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Interesting characters abound, including Miss Emma the feisty sixty-odd ranch owner who is
as determined to help Jessica and Daniel as she is to run her property almost single-handedly.
She doesn't take no for an answer, even if her nephew is the incompetent sheriff.

I felt that the love story with Jessica and Daniel though was a little clichéd. When they
first meet, they are constantly arguing and you just know that because of that they will end
up together; it just seemed a bit contrived to me. However, the book's main focus is with
the mystery element, so it doesn't detract too much from the overall plot.

A good read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Drowning Rapunzel and Shadows of the Rose

Oklahoma's Gold
Kathryn J.S. Long
Publish America, Frederick, Maryland
ISBN: 143714625 Pages: 198

Oklahoma's Gold is an easy read with a smooth flowing storyline. It captures the reader with Indian myths, romance, mystery, and suspense. Ms. Long introduces characters that are engaging and believable. Her writing style has clarity and depth, while the story is fast paced, and entertaining.
Jess, the eldest of three children, relocates the family to her uncle's ranch in Oklahoma following the death of their parents. When they arrive and find their uncle in a coma after a mysterious beating, Emma, a friend of their uncle's, befriends them. From the time they arrive through to the last page, suspense abounds.
This book will appeal to the romance lover as well as the mystery fan. It is well written and entertaining. We recommend it with no reservations.

Lola Pierce
Chariot Rider Reviews

--reviewed by Tammy Proctor

Jessica Clinton, a young college student, is thrown into a whole new world after the tragic death of her parents. With two younger siblings in tow, Jessica moves the broken family to Oklahoma to live with a long lost uncle. There she finds Oklahoma's Gold. She also finds attempted murder, intimidation, and much mystery.

With this premise, local author Kathryn J. S. Long grabs her readers by the heart strings. She tugs the strings with a tale of romance and mystery. In her first novel, a page-turner, Long doesn't release her readers until the very end.

Long's characters are heartwarming and it's difficult to put "Oklahoma's Gold" aside until you know the orphans are going to finally be safe.

Just as the town of Chickasha is a new adventure to the Clinton kids, Long introduces her audience to a new surrounding that features Native Americans, Hispanics, cowboys, and a conniving real estate broker.

With hopes of a new life, the Clinton kids grudgingly take Uncle Fred's offer to live with him on his ranch. However, upon their arrival, they learn Uncle Fred is in a coma. Someone tried to beat him to death. Jessica is plunged into a mystery as well as endangering her own life.

Long is a Green High School teacher and through "Oklahoma's Gold" she has provided a novel that can be enjoyed by teens, especially girls. However, "Oklahoma's Gold" is a story that all ages will enjoy because another central figure of the novel is Emma, a headstrong woman who befriends Jessica. As the mystery unfolds, so do details of Emma's life.

*Reprinted with the permission of The Suburbanite

Oklahoma's Gold is an enjoyable read for any fan of the mystery genre. Ms. Long does an excellent job of developing her main characters and I felt an invested interest in their lives. Additionally, the Native American culture is woven nicely into the story.

The story revolves around Jess Clinton, a fiercely independent young woman who has recently lost her parents. She moves with her younger siblings to Oklahoma to live with her Uncle Fred. Upon their arrival they discover Uncle Fred was the victim of a recent attack. This is just one of many strange recent occurences in the small town of Chickasha. The most enjoyable moments of the story happen as Jess begins to unravel the mystery of who is disrupting life as normal in Chickasha. Furthermore, it is fun to watch the relationship between Jess and Daniel develop as she begins to realize she does need the support of others.

For those who've lost someone, lost everything ... or just lost their way, "Oklahoma's Gold" is a book that will take you on a mysterious journey into the heart. Whether it's the loss of family or the freedom to live without discrimination, Kathryn J. S. Long gives readers glimpses into the lives and hearts of her characters. Set in the rustic Oklahoma town of Chickasha, mysterious twists and turns in an otherwise serene setting of ranches, heart-warming characters, secrets and Native American cultures culminate in a race to solve a series of suspicious attacks before something worse happens.



After her parents are suddenly killed in an automobile accident, Jess Clinton faces an uncertain future in the small town of Chickasha, Oklahoma. With little concern for her own grief, she's determined to take care of her twin brother and sister but must do so without the help of any family. Her only next-of-kin, Uncle Fred, is in a coma as a result of a mysterious beating that throws Jess into the thick of things - along side Daniel Ross, Cherokee foreman of the Dusty Rose Ranch. She turns away from her attraction to him in order to preserve her heart from further pain. Befriended by her uncle's neighbor and close friend, Miss Emma, Jess, Daniel and the old woman find themselves caught up in danger and ghosts of the past. Greed, revenge, and prejudice threaten this unlikely trio and help them to realize that love is worth the risk.



While the book moves at a solid pace, the author seems torn between building Jess and Daniel's romance and the mysterious events taking place leading up to the final scene. The intermingling of the past with the present is intriguing but the connection and the actual Native American "spirit" is somewhat unclear. Ms. Long also misses an opportunity to show the story in more vivid colors with detail of the Cherokee and Choctaw, their customs, beliefs, and their presence in Oklahoma.



While the characters are enjoyable and, for the most part believable, the most memorable ones were more minor characters, with the exception of Miss Emma. Finally, the twins, Deek and Missy, are absent much of the time and I kept wondering where they were and why they seemed to disappear for long periods of time.



Despite these minor distractions, "Oklahoma's Gold" offers up a good mystery with a surprise ending that satisfies.

When I first started studying the civil war nearly 30 years ago, one of my first thoughts was: "Why haven't I heard of George Thomas?'' There are those who argue, including Cleaves in several sections, that he was the most important Union general _ one list, in fact, makes him one of the five men (and the only military figure) most important in the North's victory. In the prewar Army, he served with Lee, another Virginian who wavered, and was close to being considered Lee's equal.

The reasons for Thomas' relative obscurity have been well stated in other reviews _ his southern heritage; his self-effacing disposition except (as Cleaves points out) when he felt he had been done an injustice. It didn't help that Sherman, one of his sponsors and Grant, his classmate at West Point, shut him out of the post-war glory and that he died in 1870, too early to establish a reputation.

Is the subtitle ("The Man who Save the Union?'') justified? Look at it this way: There's no question that Thomas' stand at Chickamauga made Sherman's campaign through Georgia possible. And if that hadn't happened, Lincoln might not have been re-elected in 1864, perhaps leading to a truce that would have left the nation split. That in itself is reason enough to celebrate Thomas.

But as Cleaves emphasizes, Thomas was more than that. Military historieans consider him one of the best defensive generals ever, a man who would have stood out in any war. And unlike many of our heroes, he was a decent man.

We could use more like him.

This 55-year-old book could use more readers.

Written over 52 years ago, this book is a ground breaking contribution to the Civil War's saga. It really is a must read for understanding the intricacies of the Union high command.

Union loyalists of Southern birth like Thomas, Buford, etc. were just as alone and alienated in their army as Southern loyalists of Northern birth like Pemberton. They suffered an ostracism, a fundamental distrust that really reached its peak in this country when we sent thousands and thousands of Japanese Americans to concentration camps in California in World War II while concurrently having their sons fight and die in Europe. Thomas' story is really no different and every bit as unfair.

This type of unfortunate, `protective tuck' is a natural reaction during a national emergency. Fortunately, leading edge historians like Freeman Cleaves have left us a record of one man's sacrifice for the country of his birth.

George Thomas was not treated properly by anyone, North or South. Lincoln treats him as a political liability and pawn, Stanton fundamentally distrusts everyone of Southern heritage, and the Union troika of Grant, Sherman and Sheridan have much to be ashamed of: Grant for his smallness, Sheridan for the desertion of someone who must have been his mentor and Sherman for betraying a long standing friendship. The South simply refused to acknowledge his existence. When Thomas was down, everyone kicked. Being Southern born, he was an easy competitive target for both sides both during and after the war. He simply had no mentor anywhere.

Yet this courageous fighter survives much political intrigue to not only save a complete Union army from annihilation, an army by the way that he did not personally command but could have, but also completely destroys the South's Army of Tennessee and possibly, just possibly, pulled Sherman and Grant's chestnuts out of the fire with his victories at Nashville and Franklin. Playing a key and fundamentally pivotal role in Grant and Sherman's grand strategy, after his success he is simply thrown aside like an old shoe and not just forgotten but treated miserably, like his very existence, success and support was an embarrassment to the Union military and political High Command.

Read this book! It is about an American patriot who sacrifices everything, his reputation, home, family and pre and post war friendships for the ability of the United States to develop into the world example it is today. It is the kind of story all Americans appreciate: doing the right thing while succeeding against all odds, foreign and domestic.

When I first started studying the civil war nearly 30 years ago, one of my first thoughts was: "Why haven't I heard of George Thomas?'' There are those who argue, including Cleaves in several sections, that he was the most important Union general _ one list, in fact, makes him one of the five men (and the only military figure) most important in the North's victory. In the prewar Army, he served with Lee, another Virginian who wavered, and was close to being considered Lee's equal.

The reasons for Thomas' relative obscurity have been well stated in other reviews _ his southern heritage; his self-effacing disposition except (as Cleaves points out) when he felt he had been done an injustice. It didn't help that Sherman, one of his sponsors and Grant, his classmate at West Point, shut him out of the post-war glory and that he died in 1870, too early to establish a reputation.

Is the subtitle ("The Man who Save the Union?'') justified? Look at it this way: There's no question that Thomas' stand at Chickamauga made Sherman's campaign through Georgia possible. And if that hadn't happened, Lincoln might not have been re-elected in 1864, perhaps leading to a truce that would have left the nation split. That in itself is reason enough to celebrate Thomas.

But as Cleaves emphasizes, Thomas was more than that. Military historieans consider him one of the best defensive generals ever, a man who would have stood out in any war. And unlike many of our heroes, he was a decent man.

We could use more like him.

This 55-year-old book could use more readers.

Cleaves' book is an excellent read for the person who wishes to learn more about one of the best (North or South) and overlooked generals of the Civil War. While many books focus on Lee, Jackson, Grant, and Sherman, Cleaves succeeds in bringing to light the very important accomplishments by General Thomas.

Included in the book are Thomas' many military victories: the complete defeat of a Confederate army at the battles of Mill Springs and Nashville, repulse of Hood's attacks at Atlanta, and of course, perhaps his most stunning achievement - holding the Confederate Army at bay on Snodgrass Hill while the rest of the Union Army retreated from Chickamauga.

Throughout the book Cleaves describes Thomas as a man who willingly subordinated his desires for the best of the nation, something lacking in most "leaders" today. Several times Cleaves describes Thomas as a calm, confident, and not easily shaken man in whom soldiers took great comfort in knowing he was in charge.

I only wish there would have been more maps used when describing the many battles Thomas participated in. Doing so would have made it easier for me to follow the troop movements, whether in an individual battle or a campaign.

All in all, an excellent read of an excellent general and gentleman. Thomas was a refreshing change from the self-promoting methods other "leaders" in the 1860's practiced - he would still be a rare gem if he were alive in today's world!!!

A brilliant leader of men, a brilliant tactician. Grant & Sherman had this mutual admiration relationship which did not allow them to give Thomas the credit he most justly deserves. This book sets the record straight, that's what history is all about..

A reader will get a very good background of events leading up to the Sand Creek Massacre, the people involved, the mind-set of the era, and the fallout from the massacre. It was an interesting read.

I rated this book 4 stars for the incredible amount of information regarding the time period revolving around the massacre. Any fan of western history or native american history should read this book. The only thing about the book that I did not like was that it appeared that the author continuoulsy gave reasons of provocation on Colonel Chivington's actions against Black Kettle and his people who were trying to live in harmony with the settlers and the army. Im not saying the author is a Chivington apologist by any means and did a great job with the facts, but maybe my own contempt and feelings toward Chivington and Anthony got in the way. There are many contributing factors to what happened but the bottom line is Chivington hated the Indians and wanted them dead. I recommend the book....especially if you live or plan to travel the eastern Colorado area.

I have been a student of Native American history for more years than I care to remember, and each time I finish reading a book on the subject I ask myself the same question.Why ? This book unfortunately reflects all others on the subject, for the white mans GREED. Of course with hindsight, we all agree it should not have happend, certainly Sand Creek should not have happened, hindsight or no, Hoig has written a really moving epitaph to the Cheyenne Nation, and whilst history may be written by the victors,there will always be people searching, and often finding the truth, sure the Indian may not have been perfect, but nor were the white europeans who were prepared to annihilate whole cultures in their greed for land, gold etc. A well written book which any student of Native American culture should not be without.

The Sand Creek Massacre was one of the most heinous acts to ever be committed against the American Indian culture. This is an atrocity that has been quietly tucked away in the back of the American consciousness and I feel that Stan Hoig has done it justice by bringing it to light in this wonderfully revealing book. Mr. Hoig pulls no punches in his expose (as the government and military pulled no punches in their attempts to annihilate an entire race of people) and I must applaud him for his efforts. Parts of this book will bring your eyes to tear, others will redden your face with anger, and others will numb your mind with horror at the brutal acts of murder and mutilation that were committed in the name of greed and hatred. This is a book that should be required reading for all Americans so that they may understand just whose blood this country was built upon. Never have I read a historical account so compelling. White Antelope, my brother, I hope that the truth of this book helps you to rest in peace!!

Very little is known about this massacre, except that over one hundred Indians of Black Kettle's Cheyenne tribe were killed as they were co-existing in eastern Colorado. Some Indians were indeed renegades but not from this tribe. Early in the morning, a troop of mostly volunteer soldiers from the Colorado militia raided Black Kettle's village and killed braves, women, and children. They then mutiliated the corpses. Hoig describes the situation that led to the massacre very effectively.

Hoig has written many other good histories of the southern Plains Indians. These Indians were victims of the territorial expansion of the United States. Many settlers wished them dead rather than supporting their upkeep on reservations. This shows the sade tale of broken promises.

This could easily have been one of those dull-but-important books but it's not. Elizabeth Seay is a skilled writer and a knowing and compassionate observer who takes readers on an interesting and informative journey through a world little explored and all too neglected. Though ostensibly about the struggle of Native American languages to survive, the book at heart is about the universal and essential role that languages play in defining not just cultures but unique ways of seeing and expressing the world. Thus their loss is a loss for us all. Seay captures this through keen storytelling and a sympathetic but never patronizing rendering of her characters and their struggles, against poor odds, to keep these languages alive.

A good read. If you've an interest in Native American culture, Oklahoma, linguistics or language, this is the book for you.

As much as I admired the author?s conviction and skill, ?Searching for Lost City? seemed to me a missed opportunity. By taking such an elegiac and despairing tone, Elizabeth Seay manages to depress the reader without conveying much of the beauty and complexity of Native American language and culture. Her quest, as exemplified by the title, is to find something lost?large communities of people speaking Native American languages in Oklahoma. Very early in the book the reader is told this is a near-hopeless task, and the tone of the book takes a fatal downward plunge. Her extensive reporting and research are apparent, but I struggled to motivate myself to keep reading. Why not celebrate the language communities that do exist, even if you have to leave Oklahoma? That said, this book did beautifully describe a part of the country that few go out of their way to visit, and Seay made a convincing case for Oklahoma as an underappreciated landscape with a fascinating history and mix of people. Overall, well done but a major downer.

This book was a joy to read. It felt like I was reading Seay's journal of her adventures in seeking Native American speakers in Oklahoma. I never would have thought I'd be interested in the subject matter, but the book, given as a gift, was truly fascinating. It was written beautifully, with detailed descriptions of the people,the landscapes and the her feelings of seeing it all. I learned a great deal from a serious book that read like a novel. She made it all come alive. I highly recommend this book!

Seay is a wonderfully descriptive writer, and this book is refreshingly nonacademic -- especially considering the subject matter. She read the right works and talked to the right people. However, her unrelenting negativism is hard to swallow. This is definitely a "glass half-empty" book. I've had the pleasure of meeting many of the people mentioned in the book and was astonished by the unflattering portraits she painted of them and their work - sometimes just insulting. Several things people told to her in confidence do not really seem appropriate to be published. The vast majority of this book revolves around Cherokee, when there are over 30 Native languages spoken in Oklahoma. Despite the dour tone, I'm glad the book was written but would only recommend it to people with little or no familiarity with the Native American world.

So, you've made it through a year of college-level classical Greek -- Attic, or perhaps one of those texts that starts out with Homeric Greek. Now you're ready to read the Iliad, the single greatest work of western literature. What you now need is a good solid school text, with vocabulary, grammatical appendices, and copious notes. This is the book for you. I used this as an undergraduate years ago and still cherish my hardcover copy. This is a new, paperback edition, presumably the same old standard-issue Benner. I know of none better. I've seen lots of school editions of the Iliad, many pre-dating and some post-dating Benner, but none compare with this edition for overall utility. Is there anything as exciting as reading the Iliad in Greek? It seems curious, perhaps even paradoxical, that a 2700 year old poem is as pure and as fresh as the morning dew, more alive and vibrant than anything that has been written since. For those who are coming to the poem for the first time, you can't do better than to have an old schoolmaster like Benner take you through the best parts of the poem with lots of helpful guidance.

This is a good resource for all the books of the Iliad; however, someone just beginning to read Homer or any original text may need more help than Benner provides. Consider either Iliad I by Pamela Ann Draper or Iliad I by Simon Pulleyn. Draper is better on nuts and bolts grammar and has the vocabulary on the facing page. Pulleyn has the vocabulary in the back of the book, but is better on literary and historical issues. His introduction is excellent: wide-ranging but concise; written in clear, stylish, non-academic prose. These texts cover only Book I. This is a good thing since it allows both authors to limit the vocabularies and Pulleyn to provide a complete commentary on that one book.

This text is probably the best choice for those who have spent a year learning the basics of Homeric (or Attic) Greek and want to experience some payoff for all the hours spent conjugating second aorists and declining endless varieties of third-declension nouns. The selections consist of long excerpts (five books of the Iliad are included in their totality) of the best parts of the Iliad. As a whole, the selections comprise a sort of "Essential Iliad" inasmuch as they convey the scope of the entire poem from the wrath of Achilles to the burial of Hector.
My only gripe with the editors' choice of what to include is with the omission of Hera's deception of Zeus.

Along with the selections is a commentary which helps elucidate those words and phrases here and there that are likely to cause the relative beginner trouble in construing the sense. In general, the commentary is quite good, though it does let the reader down from time to time. It won't, for example, explain to you what the connective particle in line 8 of Book One means even though no beginner will know what to make of it. Thus, a bit more help could have been given, particularly in the area of particles.

In addition to the commentary, there is a vocabulary comprising all the words used in the excerpts. This is a real bonus, since rifling through big lexicons can be tedious, particularly for a relative beginner. Also, all hapax legomena (words used only once) are listed at the bottom of every page of text.

All in all, then, Benner's Selections From The Iliad is a must-have for those who want to expand upon an elementary understanding of Homeric Greek.

I have a great sentimental attachment to Benner's Selections, as it was with this textbook that I first read Homer in Greek. I loved the selections, etc.!

However, as students have later come to me with their Homer reading projects, I've placed this side-by-side with the notes in M.M. Willcock's "Iliad of Homer: Books I-XII" and "Iliad of Homer: Books XIII-XXIV," and it just doesn't measure up. Willcock's work is fresher (1978/1984 vs. 1903), and he gives better and fuller help with Homer's language. (Also, he happens to be the more sensitive reader of Homer's poetry.)

If there's a reason to stick with Benner, it's that it's cheaper and gives excellently chosen selections (grammar overview + text + notes) in one volume, as opposed to Willcock's two-volume format covering the entire Iliad. Also, you've just got to love a book (=Benner) that begins, "This edition of the Iliad includes the books commonly required for admission to American colleges..." Also, Benner has a wonderfully written and complete glossary in the back, whereas with Willcock you need also to buy a good Homer lexicon (that is, Cunliffe's "Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect," which is much better than Autenrieth's brief work IMHO).

Allan Rogers Benner provides us with a wonderfully complete book that would allow anyone with at least a moderate knowledge of Attic Greek to explore the world of Homer in the original (as of 300-or-so BC) text.
The text is set up in such a way so as for a beginner in the Homeric language to work their way through without much trouble: the book starts with an enlightening commentary on the state of the language itself as we have it in addition to contextual and historical analysis. The text itself uses a font which is more than large enough to recognize all of the accents and breathing marks as well as the iota-subscript. He has selected passages from some of the more important parts of the epic, Books I, III, IX, XVIII, and XXII are all even contained in their entirety for example, and there are also passages from numerous other books. Additionally, Homeric hapaxes (words that only appear once) are glossed on the bottom of the page. After the text, there are almost 150 pages of notes to aid in the understanding of trickier passages, and there are also Attic equavilances of archaic Homeric forms. Benner also provides a very brief overview of Homeric language both morphologically and syntactically that is ideal for reference should one encounter an unfamiliar use of an optative, for example. And lastly, and most importantly, there is a complete glossary in the back to avoid the unfortunate shuffling between books often required of beginning classicists.
Overall this book is absolutely ideal for an introductory college-level course in the Homeric dialect, and very well deserves to become the standard such text used. This book is also perfect for someone who would like to work on their own on reading the Iliad in Greek, provided of course they have at least some background in Attic forms and syntax. Benner deserves high praise for his work and efforts, as he has truly produced one of the greatest texts for Greek students at the intermediate level.

The book was great! It was well researched and factual; yet the events were far more disturbing than I realized. This being man's inhumanity to his fellow man.I highly recommend the book and the seller.

This book cronicles the northern cheyenne tribe on their travels back to their ancestrial home land during the last remaining years of westward domination by whites. The book is well written and from an objective historical point of view, only focusing on facts and records. I am currently enroled in the authors (Dr. Monnett) class, Native Americans in American History, at Metropolitian State College of Denver. He provides the information from his years of research on the whole of the native american community as well as american history. I recommend this book to those interested in the Native American contributions to the american culture and those who feel the history of native americans has been written from a biased perspectivefor to long.

Monnet's book is fine, as is Stan Hoig's, which is also mentioned below. But it's especially good to see Mari Sandoz treated with respect by the other reviewers. Although not an academic researcher, her work will be read for the next century and beyond for its beauty and honesty. She was among the first to consider Native Americans as fully formed human beings, and she was doing so in the 1930s-1950s; we're all in her debt.

Another fine book on the Cheyenne walk home is Alan Boye's fine memoir, "Holding Stone Hands." Boye walked the length of the Cheyenne trail, or as close to it as anyone could in 1998. He was accompanied much of the way by an alternating group of descendants of the survivors. His book is so good that when he arrives in Fort Robinson, you will be with him when he is greeted by Cheyenne men, women and children who have been waiting for him. Later, you'll go with him to the massacre site where the current owners, local ranchers, leave him to walk alone.

Don't miss "Holding Stone Hands."

To my knowledge this is the first comprehensive work on the Cheyennes trek north since Mari Sandoz's often controversial "Cheyenne Autumn." In acknowledging this in his introduction, John H. Monnett, in line with some other historians, terms Sandoz's work a novel. While I would characterize her work more as, what is now known as, creative non-fiction, I agree with Monnett when he states that "[s]uch passion often evokes intense dedication to a specific viewpoint at the dismissal of others..." (xvi)

In this book, Monnett has provided a more 'well-rounded" but only slightly less moving depiction of the Cheyennes struggle to return to their homeland. And to his credit, unlike many modern historians, he does not dismiss Sandoz's work out of hand. Indeed, anyone handling this subject would be foolish to overlook her extensive and meticulous research, much of which is based on records and oral histories no longer available. However, also included in his many sources are researchers like George Bird Grinnell (who is famous for his interviews of the Cheyennes and preserving their oral history), and more recent work by John D. McDermott who apparently turned over all of the research he was originally planning to use for a work of his own on the subject. Also, enjoyable for those of us who like following up on sources, Monnett is one of the few who are now beginning to list Internet sites in their bibliographies.

While presenting all facts in a straight forward manor, it would be difficult to call this work even handed. Indeed, I defy anyone to research this subject in depth and not come away with a strong sympathy for the Cheyennes and their cause. However, Monnett also is careful to include extensive information on the attacks by the young Cheyennes men on Kansas settlers.

If I have one criticism of this work however, it would be Monetts 'in-depth" analasys of these "depredations", and the need to somehow justify them to modern readers. This was the way American Indians fought. It was part of their culture, and, as such, it requires no justification. They did not keep standing armies who were considered the only fair game in battle, and, to the young men, at least, who faced diminishing opportunities to prove themselves as warriors, anyone encroaching on their old hunting grounds was an enemy, who had no right to be there. It is actually more amazing, as Monnett clearly points out, that the leaders, Little Wolf and Dull Knife, had the political savvy to try to discourage such raids, knowing that it would turn popular opinion against them--as it sometimes did.

This,however, is only a minor point in a work that deserves much praise. Anyone interested in Native American history, or indeed, American history in general should read this. However, I would still recommend "Cheyenne Autumn," in that it complements Monnett's work by presenting more in the way of Native culture, and being one of the first books to "humanize" the subject.

"Tell Them We Are Going Home: The Odyssey of the Northern Cheyennes" is a solid account of the 1878 attempted exodus of about 300 Northern Cheyenne men, women and children from a reservation in the Indian Territory (Oklahoma) to their traditional homeland in the Northern Plains. The Government ordered the US Army to stop the refugees. Although author John Monnett's sympathies are openly with the Indians, he presents a balanced picture of events, recognizing that the soldiers sent in pursuit were basically men doing their duty to the best of their ability, not stereotypical villains as too often portrayed in popular media in the past few decades. Monnett also does not ignore the killing of civilian ranchers and farmers nor the rape of white women carried out by some of the young Cheyenne warriors during their trek across Kansas. In attempting to understand the motivation behind such acts, Monnett explores the traditional explanation that it was largely revenge for the killing of a group of Southern Cheyennes in the same area a few years before (this view was stressed by Mari Sandoz in her "Cheyenne Autumn" book) and casts considerable doubt on the notion. At times, Monnett veers into academic jargon (we are told that "Little Wolf died in his beloved Tongue River country, albeit reimagined according to the Euro-American vision of geographical borders") and he perhaps tries too hard to give the events great symbolic significance ("The Indians who fell in the terrible pit on Antelope Creek symbolize displaced peoples everywhere whose sense of home and desire for independence transcends the love of life"), but his book nonetheless is a readable, quite detailed narrative which ultimately remains true to the author's intent of being fair to all involved.

Inevitably, Monnet's "Tell Them We Are Going Home" must be compared to Stan Hoig's recently published "Perilous Pursuit: The U.S. Cavalry and the Northern Cheyennes" about these same events. If asked to recommend one over the other, my inclination would be to say, "Read both." Monnett and Hoig's views of the Cheyennes and their Army pursuers are much the same. Monnett's narrative perhaps contains more small details of individual experiences for a vivid story, but Hoig's book probably provides a somewhat more comprehensive picture of military operations. Neither book, unfortunately, has sufficient maps to fully follow events easily, but both contain numerous photographs of participants and locations of interest. Comparison might also be made to Mari Sandoz's "Cheyenne Autumn." However lyrically written Sandoz's book is, it cannot stand along Monnett's work (nor that of Hoig) as a reliable account of events. "Cheyenne Autumn" so closely identifies with the Indians that the white side of the story is not only inadequately presented but also distorted into almost cartoon villainy at times. "Cheyenne Autumn" is a pleasure to read, but it should not be mistaken for real history. Interestingly, in his text Monnett refers to Sandoz's book as a "novel".

A good composite of what has already been recorded. Well written, easy to read book is all that can be expected due to the dearth of information on the man most of his contemporaries said was their greatest chief.

Too bad he got lost in the history pages....we need to keep his legend alive.

Having followed anthropology and sociology in college, I appreciate the intermingling of fact, ethnology, and oral tradition interwoven throughout this latest biography of Victorio. And would easily recommend this book to other readers.

That said, the book I still prefer is Dan L. Thrapp's 1974 monumental study. Here's a few thoughts why:

In many chapters of this newer book, Victorio's existence is relegated to the background, while in the forefront general, traditional Apache history and culture are recited. In doing this oft times the author seems to use words such as "may be", "may have", or "undoubtedly" in place of concrete historical fact. Since a paucity of fact admittedly exists for much of Victorio's life, any sidestep from fact could reasonably lead directly to errors resulting in misleading conclusions. With Victorio being such an atypical Apache warrior it cannot necessarily be stated, removed from known fact, just what his early life would have been like. And sadly many facts of Victorio's daily, early life just are not available.

If Victorio, for example, similar to Crazy Horse of the Oglala Lakota, was not the 'normal' Apache, then his entire life, as true with Crazy Horse as well, probably defied in many ways rather than conformed to the Apache cultural norm. As in the case of Loco, which the author sites, a warrior could exhibit at times deviate behavior rather than the Apache cultural norm and not only get away with it, but at times be admired or feared because of it.

As such the application of the words "may be", "may have", or "undoubtedly", simply may fall far short when attempting to link Victorio's behavior to other Apache children or warriors. We just do not know the exact details constituting the early life of Victorio, much less many details of his later life. Although the Apache have an oral tradition as examined by Eve Ball and others, that tradition much of the time does not help us on our fact finding quest.

Though I enjoy Dan L. Thrapp's scholarly works, I find no reason not to recommend this book to others. However, my reading taste runs rather to a more military approach to biography as contained in Dan L. Thrapp's works. His book on Victorio is also more voluminous in pages and maps, and offers several more photographs to bolster the text.

And though this author understandably feels her recent book the superior work, I cannot agree. While most excellent, her newer biography does not, in this reader's opinion, surpass Dan L. Thrapp's earlier, elegant time-honored work.

However, reading both of these studies on Victorio can only aid our understanding of this very remarkable person of history.

Semper Fi.

I received this book for Christmas. "Victorio"; Apache Warrior and Chief by Kathleen P. Chamberlain helped to bring out the spirit of an Apache Warrior too long forgotten in the dust of time for the more famous contemporaries such as; Cochise, and Geronimo. Victorio has always been under-played and unappreciated (much like Mangus Colorado),but who... in reality embodies the "classical" aura of the Apache warrior.

Ms. Chamberlain does a good job of interweaving the historical facts and traditional Apache lifestyles as cohesive material in bonding what little written records remain of this truly magnificiant Apache who kept both the U.S. and Mexican armies at bay for such a long time. With a few rifles, bows and arrows, and pure determination, Victorio and his band of renagades proved to be one of histories best guerilla fighitng units.

I did however, at times find the book somewhat slow and tedious in places. There were sections that became somewhat "text-bookish" in nature. However, these parts became quickly overridden each time Victorio decided to saddle up and "jump the reservation!"

So; if you enjoy history, if you like stories, and you appreciate real men (or real women), who died for a real cause....read this book!

Apache chief Victorio was a champion of his people during wars with the whites, but is much lesser known than his contemporaries Cochise and Geronimo. That's why college-level collections strong in Native American studies needs Victorio: Apache Warrior and Chief: it uses ethnographic sources to surmise Victorio's life, integrating insights into traditional Apache lifestyles and culture along the way, and revealing his life beyond the usual military records. It's an important survey of a spiritual and military leader and is a recommended top pick for any collection strong in Native history and culture.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

More vivid, more real than Grapes of Wrath. Three things struck me. Dust storm: I was especially startled by the description of the dust storm, and how wretched it must have been. Daily life:She captures the strugggle of trying to make it all work--kids, hubby, less than adequate living conditions. Fear/Desperation: really great description of workers wanting to participate in an organizing campaign, yet paralyzed with fear. That is a reality that all too many workers face today in trying to bring democracy to the workplace. Sad isn't it? Sixty years later and the problems are still the same. I was sad to take the book back to its home, in the public library, when I was done reading it.

This book was really autobiographical to an extent and was interesting in that it was deeper in the description of the hardships of the people prior to emigrating.

This book was written and ready for dispersment to book stores when Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" came outin l939. Ms. Babb's publisher decided two books of the same type would not be a good idea. So this book was shelved for over 65 years. This book was inspired by the author's own work in migrant camps (Ms Babb just passed away at age 98) and based partly on her mother's account of Kansas dust storms. This book was judged "exceptionally fine" by Random House co-founder Bennet Cerf. Many reviewers called it a "long-forgotten masterpiece" and "an American classic both literary and classic". Many reviewers said it rivaled Stinbeck's novel. Ms Babb, herself, said this of Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath"--"His book is not as realistic as mine." So, give this one a try.

As we learn in the Lawrence Rodgers' concise and articulate foreword to "Whose Names Are Unknown," author Sanora Babb had the uniquely unfortunate circumstance of completing her masterwork at the time of the publication of John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." Her once enthusiastic editor, Bennett Cerf, noting the similarities between the two books, shelved the printing of Babb's novel, hypothesizing that the American public could not tolerate two novels treating similar, if not identical, characters, conflicts and themes. For nearly seventy years, "Whose Names Are Unknown" lay dormant, invisible, unacknowledged and inaccessible. Thankfully, the University of Oklahoma Press has addressed this absence, and both the novel and its author may now take their respective places as giants in American literature.

"Whose Names Are Unknown" is a masterpiece. It is a soaring indictment of economic injustice just as it eloquent extols of the decency and dignity of the thousands of displaced farmers, whose lives blew away in the ferocious dust storms of the Great Depression. The novel has trenchant social commentaries, a gripping plot and characters who are painfully believable. Babb evokes the despair of economic misery and the pain of Americans becoming pariahs in their own land. "Whose Names Are Unknown" was written from the crucible of Babb's own experiences; it has a spare authenticity that "The Grapes of Wrath" does not capture. Where Steinbeck writes with great compassion, Babb writes with empathy. Both side with the dispossessed, and each deserves the widest reading audience.

The Dunne family shoulders the economic and psychological burdens of the Great Depression. Often inarticulate and suspicious of language, Milt struggles for understanding; his is an odyssey of disappointment, rage and endurance. He suffers the loss of home, the agony of displacement and the indignity of prejudice. His wife, Julia, not only serves as the family's emotional anchor; she also exerts a quiet moral influence as its conscience. When she and her husband leave the family's patriarch behind to tend a wind-devastated farm, they embark on a path worn smooth by other migrants, whose pattern of life and hopes had been blighted by drought and depression. The Dunnes believes in "endurance and acceptance, the sad hard experience" which "belonged to the good." Yet simmering beneath their resignation are questions. "Why was one man with leisure to waste and another with no hour to spare?" Why does Milt "feel such hunger? Why does he hanker after the unknown?"

Gradually, the Dunne family emerges as symbolic of every American displaced by the scourge of bad times and reviled for their unwanted poverty. Slowly, the Dunnes abandon hope; at first, they relinquish the dream of returning to their prairie home; eventually, they commit themselves to survival, working for a pittance, going to bed with angry, empty bellies, suffering the torment of prejudice. The Dunne children learn they are "Okies," a word California children have learned from their hateful parents. It devastates the migrant children, and Babb is at her best when she describes the pain of marginalization. "An okie. Something bad? An okie is me....Why does it make me feel all by myself?...Someone different. Someone not as good."

One of the greatest attributes of our national literature is its embodiment of who we are as a people and how we choose to define ourselves. Authors like Sanora Babb believe deeply in the democratic experience and endow the characters of their writing with values that we'd like to believe best represent us. Through the Dunnes, Babb describes an American betrayal, an abandonment of the bedrock notions of human equality and dignity that all of us ought share. "Whose Names Are Unknown" will stand as a powerful reminder that the have-nots are our best teachers.

"The dust was blowing thinly off the field and over the yard like a warn and dingy curtain flapping disconsolately at the window of the world. Through it the old man saw the faded landscape, gray and colorless except for the line of half-dead trees along the creek." (Pg. 125) Yes, I love Steinbeck, too. But certainly his Grapes of Wrath cannot be the consumate novel on the tragedy of the dust bowl era. Babb writes with such clarity and precise description that it is plain she has experienced at least some of the horrific conditions that her characters experience. And yet this book is not all gloom. There are bright spots, such as the Widow Starwood's 'gift' to the bankers who demand payment on her farm equipment after her husband dies from dust pneumonia. Somehow, some way, the people who lived through these times found reason to get up every morning and continue with life. The role of hope in the dominance of the human spirit is subtly presented again and again, juxtaposed with the harsh cruelty of Nature--and Mankind.

This book is a beautifully written poignant tale of a time that was not so long ago. It is a shame it has taken this long for the book to be published and brought to the public eye. Ms. Babb, wherever you are, you have much to be proud of here.

I can provide only a brief review as my time is limited. In a nutshell this is a book that any Luthier would benefit from. It is obvious that Mr. Teeter is a very precise craftsman whom does not take shortcuts. The information presented is the correct way to do whatever needs to be done. I would have to consider this the best of the books on lutherie that I own.

This is the definitive book on guitar repair. Everyone, from a novice to a seasoned luthier will learn something from this work.

This book (and its companion volume II) is outstanding. The author has a no-nonsense style of writing that is entertaining, concise, and extremely useful. He explains what works, what doesn't, and why. Very good information on making your own tools and on how to do a better job with less work. His motivation is to share information, not to sell product. I have other books on the subject which are good and very useful, these two volumes are far and away the best.

In my opinion this book and the volume naturally 2 represent a guide to face the reparation of the guitar and at the same time to have the necessary notions to be of assistance to whom will purchase' our new tools.
All it takes is building a tool it says Cumpiano, but it also needs to be able to repair it.
Then a good guide to integrate the know how of whom wants to build a guitar.
Excellent the section of the jigs and tools that allows to save many money.

A good book for the unplugged guitarist. This book will teach you all the basics you need to know to care for your acoustic guitar.

If you are interested in Maya Architecture this is a must!
Great talent! Very accurate.

My husband and I have traveled extensively to the many ruins in Mexico and the illustrations in this book are amazing! We've seen a lot of the Maya ruins and this book had some we hadn't been to yet. If you love pre-Columbian architecture in Mesoamerica or have traveled to this part of the world, you'll love this book.

There are currently two versions of this beautiful book available that does a marvelous job of recreating the Maya world. The one entitled "An Album of Maya Architecture"(the other version has no An in the title) is published by Dover and is unabridged and is therefore a rebulication of the original published by the Carnegie Instition of Washington D.C. in 1946. This book is a labor of love by Tatiana Proskouriakoff whose excellent illustrations will and have stood the test of time. In the acknowledgement the author gives credit to all who made this project possible as there are several unpublished drawings and notes that were put at her disposal. Having visited the great temples of the Maya in Copan(Honduras), Guatemala and the Yucatan(Mexico) I can bear testament to their magnificent presence in the jungles. Buried for years in the jungles they have only "resurfaced" recently for archeologists to study and preserve for future generations. In this book the author takes the liberty of informing us of the uses of the various temples based on her extensive knowledge and field research. Since many of the building have deteriorated with the passing centuries,Tatiana Proskouriakoff mastefully recreates the buildings as they were, based on her studies. Her lively depiction of the famous Ball Court is in stark contrast to the actual court that is desolate with only tourists and the spirits of the skillfull atheletes who once graced the courts. The black and whilte illustrations are simple yet lavish in certain details. Each section or chapter comes complete with text explaining the visual and begins with an elaborate illustration of a particular part of the site in full rich detail.This is a beautiful book that anyone who is interested in the ancient Maya should have in their library. The author also suggests other books and works to compliment the study of the complex world of the mysterious Maya.

A very nice and useful book.Throughout 29 plates Tania covers from Early Classic to Postclassic,from Uaxactun to Chichen-Itzá, showing many buildings and structures.According to her time,this Proskouriakoff's masterpiece displays highly accurated B&W drawings, plenty of details and suggestive forms, bringing to light Maya history not only from the jungle, but also from the obscurity of past. As the back cover says, her work combines "the imagination of an artist and the precision of a scientist". A great book by a great mayanist.

This book although perhaps slightly out of date is an excellent way to get started in this field. Tania Proskouriokoff is one of the most influential archaeologists ever to work in the feild of Maya history. She was a great scientist and researched this book well and with great regard for the imperfections of the study of the Mayan history.