Nebraska Books

An enlightening read about the nomadic Apaches of northern Mexico and the bordering states, primarily Arizona and New Mexico. The author, John C. Cremony, a military officer, stays focused on the Apache tribe admirably recording his observations without divergence. What I found fascinating is his description about their culture and the difference of it from other Indian tribes, his personal bias notwithstanding. Example, the Apache's "whole system of life and training is to plunder, murder and deceive, they cannot comprehend opposite attributes in others. He whom we would denounce as the greatest scoundrel they regard with special esteem and honor. With no people are they on amicable terms, and never hesitate to rob from each other when it can be done with impunity. There is no sympathy among them; the quality is unknown."

This and Cremony's other comments regarding dealing with the Apache, like: "...other devices were resorted to for the purpose of quietly infiltrating the Apache mind with a sense of our superiority, but always most carefully guarding against any appearance of seeking to contrast American attainment with savage ignorance." caused this reviewer to wonder about the current American exposure to cultures worldwide and how we relate with "those" people. Do we understand them or do we presuppose that our values are superior and so operate according to our personal biases? Hmmm, a labeling of "ugly American" comes to mind.

I continued to wonder, when dealing with another culture do we Americans comport ourselves with an impartiality and an open-mindedness; do we allow for a bilateral exchange of ideas and perhaps a better understanding of our differing stations? Would not that be beneficial to both cultures?

Captain Cremony explains how he learned to deal with the Apache and their "savage" ways by learning their language, then listening and observing. This book is such a lesson.

Though this book was written well over a hundred year ago by a dedicated American calvary man, I couldn't help but be struck by the amazing relevance of fighting terror to today's current events!

Many of Mr. Cremony's accounts of Indian terror are very similiar to the war we are fighting today. Including his lamenting of the huge cost the American government was spending to fight the Indian wars! Sound familiar about the war on terror today???

Unbeknownst to Mr. Cremony at that time also, the character of the Apaches as he described them are in many ways very similiar to the tactics and character of terrorist today. (This is not to say the Apache were terrorist, I just find the similiarities remarkable). One would think some of the things learned in his book could certainly be applied today.

There is also much praise of the physical prowess, preserverance, and cunning of the Apache. If what he writes is true, I have come to respect the prowess of the Apache as nearly unmatched! There is even one amazing story of an Apache who took on a rampaging buffalo armed only with his large knife.

My only regret with this book is he did not dwelve into the Apache diet enough. It was the perfect time to take a scientific look at their diet from this fading, but very active tribe. One gets the sense that he really didn't care, or didn't bother to write much more about it. He was after all, a tactical soldier, not a dietician. And what he writes about their diet certainly reflects that. I believe much precious knowledge was lost.

One may not always have to read Spartan-Greek wars book to learn about fighting wars. (As if reading classics alludes one to some kind of sophistication.) A good simple cowboy-indian book may be all you need.

I might add his story is also a good Western read when most of America's West was a no-man's land. Like any good life story it tells much more than the title suggest. It truly was another era that we will never see again.

Here is what I would call the perfect antidote to the rampant and insane Politically Correct Dogma that is now being relentlessly promoted as "FACT" concerning the history of the Western Frontier. Cremony dealt with the Apache during their "guerilla phase" ( a time when their numbers had been reduced too low due to being slaughtered by Comanches for them to offer any head-to-head battle with enemy forces ). The author, a member of the famed California Volunteers, dealt with ( and knew ) chiefs like Delgadito, Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, and other Apache notables personally. He gives great details of his struggles with them and of their habits in war and in confinement BEFORE reservations were actually established.

Furthermore, he gives good details concerning his friendships with some Apaches and of their psychological make-up and motivations, as well as their advancement over other tribes in terms of understanding a decimal system in their concept of mathematics. Cremony offers details on their hunting and food-gathering tactics and habits, and he TRUTHFULLY AND ACCURATELY recommends actions be taken against them in order to spare the settlers of the region harm and distress AT A TIME BEFORE SETTLERS BEGAN MOVING INTO THE SOUTHWEST. If Cremony's recomendations had been taken seriously by Washington, the entire Southwest would have been spared the wide-spread and tragic events that took place long after Cremony had retired to California. Countless lives could have been saved. The economic picture of New Mexico, Arizona, and west Texas would have been much brighter much sooner. The whole sorry, sordid, winding series of events filled with brutality, torture, mutilation, and butchery could have been avoided.
This is an absolutely wonderful book of the "couldn't put it down" variety. It utterly destroys the Politically Correct ideal which holds the American Indian up as some sort of Red Aristocrat or Feathered Philosopher/Sage who was so hard done by. A perfect antidote to the drek spewed out by leftist "educators" and pseudo-historians by an eye-witness who was THERE.
Get this book whatever you do! Also, get THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES and SCALP DANCE. They're also available right here at amazon.com and they're just as good as this one is!

And for the ultimate, unbiased AmerIndian history book, read; Comanches (Pimlico Wild West)

Life Among The Apaches is one of the most interesting and fascinating historical nonfiction works that I have ever come across. It's a first-hand account of John C. Cremony's personal adventures with Apache indians in the latter part of the 19th century, in particular the Chiricahua Apaches. I've never come across a better or more explanatory or descriptive account of Apache peoples, culture, or way of life in the 1800's than in Life Among The Apaches.

This book was given to me as a present some years ago, and it has proven to be one of the most authentic Native American historical pieces of literature that has ever been abridged.

Cremony was known to gloat and fictionalize his stories. And as noted in the book description, Cremony's main intent was to further suppress those who were here in America before himself, in particular the Apaches. If you read this book, also read Cochise by Ed Sweeney and Mangas Coloradas to get a view from both sides of the fence.

I wouldn't call this book your typical sequential biography, it's just Chief Plenty Coup's recollections of some of the personel events that occurred during his life. It's like listening to the stories of your father, or grandfather. Mr. Linderman also adds in bits of information about the Crow way of life.

I have read a few books on the general history of Native Americans, but I am finding myself leaning towards books that deal with specific tribes, or individuals. It is even more interesting when the book, like this one, has the views, or stories from someone who has actually lived the life.

I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read but very insightful. I enjoyed the wisdom of the Native American and find it interesting that for so many of us we view the Native American culture as backward or uncivilized. Americans have a lot to learn about life and our Native Americans may be just the people to teach us. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I found this book through the Museum at Central School in Kalispell MT. Thank you Gil Jordan, Executive Director.

I can't say enough good things about this book. Originally written almost 70 years ago, here we have the life story in detail of a key figure of 19th century Native America. There is no flowery, new-age like embellishment; no underlying PC romanticism or latent anti-Indian bias. The narrative is essentially a transcription of Plenty Coups own words describing his life and the culture of the Crows and other northern plains tribes. The good, bad, beauty and harshness of the times are vividly (and accessibly) captured for the reader. This is NOT DRY READING by any means :-) Plenty Coups tells it like it really was - tough people in a tough environment. A MUST for Native American history buffs. Highly Recommended.

The autobiography of Chief Plenty-Coups is a fascinating account, not just of Plains Indian life, but of the rise of a leader who was brave, honest, and fair in all aspects of his life. Here was a man who learned to compromise and build a consensus when acting for his people. This should be required readng for all children, and for any adult who has aspirations as a leader of children, of a community, or a nation. If physical prowess and aggressive territoriality are really to be the hallmarks of our society's heroes, then let us have a role model that adds to those qualities expert diplomacy and a deep caring for the nation's children. That this book is in his own words makes it more powerful and persuasive. While this edition does not have the illustrations of the 1935 school text edition, it does have photographs, a map, and background information about Plenty-Coups' life and importance in our nation's history.

This biographical information about Plenty-coups, the last principal chief recognized by the Crow, was originally compiled and published in the 1930's by Linderman. This book is the third reprint of the original story and contains a new introduction by Barney Old Coyote jr. and Phenocia Bauerle. An afterward by Timothy P. McCleary describes Plenty-coups' numerous contributions to both Native and national communities after the decline of the bison herds.

Linderman first met Plenty-coups in 1892, after leaving the Flathead Reservation where the author had spent time trapping and cow herding. During this chance meeting, Linderman impressed Plenty-coups with his ability to sign-talk and was given the name Sign-talker. Over forty years later, Linderman was given the opportunity to interview the Crow Chief and write his biography.

In these interviews, Plenty-coups was very open and candid about every aspect of his life and the traditional life of the Crow people. He discussed in detail his vision quest journey and the visions that he received during this event. He also spoke in great detail about raids that he had been on and how his spiritual guides aided and protected him in a number of difficult situations. The only topic Plenty-coups refused to discuss was the events that occurred after the decline of the bison herds. This fact is quite unfortunate as Plenty-coups was highly vocal in both Native and national issues until his death.

As the focus of early Native American research was on creating culture histories, personal stories of traditional lifeways such as the one described in this biography are uncommon. Showing a balanced, realistic view of a Native chief as both a strong warrior and a spiritual man is a situation that rarely occurs, even now. However, the portions of this book that most impressed me were the detailed recollections of Plenty-coups's vision quest and his open conversations about his visions and his spiritual helpers. I have never read a better first hand account of these events. I also was thrilled with Plenty-coups' clear explanations of the somewhat complicated Crow kinship system and marriage rules.

Plenty-coups is an amazing biography that will be enjoyed as a recreational read. Nonetheless, this book also contains important rare incites into the lives of traditional Crow men. Thus, it is suitable for those interested in learning a little about traditional Native life as well as those researchers looking for detailed information about the changing lifeways, traditions, and belief systems of the Crow during this transitional period. This book contains unprecedented candid information from a viewpoint rarely recorded presented in an entertaining, easy to read, yet meaningful way. That the author also wrote a book on the female perspective from the same Native group (see review of Pretty-shield) simply adds to the potential importance of this resource.

Enjoyed reading this book almost as much as Harry Potter.
It's funny how nowadays you can't get away with jumping up into the stands and punching fans.
Well written and well told story.

Excellent. Well written, gives a good history yet moves right along.This guy had an amazing career and an amazing record.This is a must read for anyone interested in baseball.

Growing up in NY in the early 1960's I remember Casey vaguely as the manager of the Yankees (really Ralph Houk was manager in my early years) but more as the comic elderly leader of those miserable Mets. While I learned later of his great career as manager of the Yankees, somehow he was always portrayed as the marginal player who excelled as a bench leader. Creamer works hard to dispel this perception (which maybe only I had) and repeatedly stresses Casey's fine playing career. I appreciated gaining this new insight and found it a valuable addition to our understanding of Casey's wonderful career as a manager and ambassador of the game.

This is a solid biography of one of baseball's most colorful characters. Charles "Casey" Stengel (1890-1975) spent parts of six decades in the big leagues in a career that lasted from 1912 until 1965. Stengel was a bit clownish and he spoke in a distinctly non-articulate style ("Stengelese"), but he was also an extremely intelligent man. The author details Stengel's youth in Kansas City and early ambitions to become a dentist. We get a descriptive look at his 14-year playing career with several national league teams. We get an equally effective look at his managerial tenure with the mediocre Brooklyn Dodgers (1934-36 )and Boston Braves (1938-1943), the powerhouse Yankee teams from 1949-1960, and the woeful expansion New York Mets from 1962-1965. There are many smiles (and a couple frowns) for readers as these pages examine a complex and colorful man.

Author Robert Creamer uses straightforward readable prose, and the result is a very good and informative biography. Readers should also like his biography on Babe Ruth, and his look at the 1941 baseball seasons.

Picked up this book because I enjoyed Creamer's book on Babe Ruth and Stengel is just as good, maybe better.
You'd almost expect a book on Stengel to skip the earlier years in favor of his coaching years but this book doesn't. Stengel's early years are entertaining and provide a good look into the teens, 20's and 30's of baseball so if that's what you're after then you'll like this book. You'll probably also be surprised at the life that Stengel lived, there's so much more to this man than I expected - what a full life he lived. He was the Ulysses of baseball....as if the Gods of Baseball decided to pluck this Chaplin-like soul and make him wander through the game for a lifetime. Creamer really delivers.

Reading such a haunting account of this twisted woman and her seemingly endless ways of torturing and abusing all she came in contact with kept me turning pages for hours on end. This evil woman was able to manipulate her entire surroundings through fear and money. Annie Cook is the boogieman that children fear. The fence you stay away from as a child, and the woman you would sooner go blind than make eye contact with even as an adult. One wonders how many skeletons are still burried in this story (and on that farm)! Still today, this book is scarier than anything imagined by hollywood. Your heart will ache for Frank, Lizzie, Sarah and little Joe, all of the deedholders (mostly poor neighbors), and even at times, Clara (Annies only daughter and would-be "part 2" to the nightmare). You'll be planning your vacation to North Platte and Hershey.

This book kept me on my toes! Having grown up in North Platte, Nebraska and having seen pictures of Annie Cooks Farm made this book hit home. An advocate for women of rape and domestic abuse I have a big heart for victims! I found myself crying as I turned the pages, and intrigued at how such torture occured.Its hard to believe that such abuse and horrific acts went unnoticed or unannounced in this area. This book is wonderfully researched and written! The empathy you'll feel for Lizzie and the others is endless!

i read this book years ago, i was still a teenager, I couldn't fully comprehend all that was written, I was just excited to see my great-grandfather's name mentioned in the book, thinking back this reality that was still scares me. Even with everything that has happend since the book was relesed and everything that will happen in the future. I still can't believe that woman was from my hometown.

This book is a real page turner. I live about 80 miles south of where her farm was and I had never heard of her. Its hard to think that someone like this could do the things she did and buy everyones silence. This book makes you glad you were not left homeless in that time. I have talked to some people that lived in and around Hershey and North Platte and they remember the rumors of the goings on on the farm. A great read and hard to put down. Add Annie cook to your list of nightmares.

I have heard many rumors about Annie Cook and her muderouse ways. No one understood the extent of Annie's power that I have heard said about her. I am a victem of domestic violence. I understand how a person can be raped of their will and their soul. This story was so well written it made me embark on a year long investigation of my own. I uesd the directions in the book for the yard sale after Annie died. I found the Cook Farm. Thanks for adding that. The farm has changed. But the barn in the picture of Annie you added in the book is still there. And it looks the same.So is the chicken coops with the bungalo. I found Lizzy, Mary and her husband in the North Platte Cemetery. I was so moved to see that these are real people. I work on genelogy,it is my passion. So I looked the Cook family up in the 1920's census. And Mary is listed as a hired hand! Is this the way Annie got back at her family? Or was Mary a Tax wright off? Lord ,Annie can discust me from her grave. I take my hat off to you Nellie.I could not have listened to the story. I had a hard time reading it. That should let you know It is a very good book1

Mr Skloot has won many awards for his writings about living his life and even these cannot adequately capture the struggle, courage, gifts, and love of this man and the life he lives. Anyone who works as health care providers or has a loved one with dementia will be amazed, enlightened, and encouraged if they slowly read Mr Skloot's masterpieces. Life giving books.

Guess I had different expectations for this book after hearing Mr. Skloot interviewed on NPR. Was expecting more of the day-to-day issues he had with his memory loss.

I deal with a lot of clients suffering from memory loss of one kind or another and had ordered the book for several hands-on caregivers. They may get enough out of the book to understand how memory loss shrinks a persons world and their frustrations with that shrinking world.

I value this book most as a wonderful family memoir -- of the Skloots 1950s working-to-middle class immigrant experience. I wish everyone could write about their dysfunctional families with the kind of compassion and forgiveness found here.

Skloot never flies the victim banner with his physical condition -- on the contrary, it seems to have given him a greater understanding of others. In his forties, he was hit with a virus that left him with some of the same brain malfunctions as his Alzheimers-afflicted mother. The story of his recovered relationship with his brother -- a compulsively over-eating, severe diabetic, and his once terrifying mother, are healing for anyone to read.

This is real soul food.

A fierce virus assaulted Floyd Skloot's brain overnight, leaving him severely impaired, mentally. With his productive life changed forever, he began painstakingly writing heroic essays about his experience. Against all odds (given the dour subject), the result is insightful, moving and often downright hilarious. As a writer of poetry and novels, Skloot is able to plumb the depths of his mind for just the right word or phrase to lift his tragedy to heroic levels. By the end of the book, you realize that he has come to the point of viewing his disaster as an opportunity to live a rich and rewarding new life - just on a different level.
Inspirational without being cloying.

This is the first time I have been inspired to write a review for Amazon. I do so because I believe Floyd Skloot's memoir deserves as wide a readership as possible.

His description of his own condition is extraordinary. I cannot think of another volume in which neurological illness is described so vividly "from the inside." His integration of relevant scientific literature within his account is always accessible and informative. And his setting all of this in the wider context of his life story makes terrific reading. He is candid, insightful, evocative, and poetic. We get to know him, not only as a writer and as a patient, but as a person--and he's a mensch. Although he lives far out in the country, he becomes our neighbor with this volume. This is of the most honest, perceptive, and well crafted books that I have read in a very long time.

This was the book 10 years ago that introduced me to the fact there was more out there beyond the Little House books written by my favorite author and her daughter. After reading her "Missouri Ruralist" writings, it puts the theories of Laura not really writing the Little House books to rest. It also introduced me to the thrilling storytelling of Rose; so much so, I broke my cardinal "no lending of Little House books" rule to disasterous results. I'm glad to finally have a replacement.

Rose's interview with her father drives me nuts! You will find yourself wishing, after reading this and other snippets on "the man of the place" that Laura and Rose would have spent more time writing about him.

I loved the short stories by Rose Wilder Lane, (especially "Innocence") and Laura's pieces are also touching & well-written -- definitely recommended for the die-hard Ingalls-Wilder fan and for anyone interested in good short stories. Rose Wilder Lane will really impress those people who haven't read anything by her before.

This 'Sampler' is an absolute treat! I have completely enjoyed myself reading the stories in this book, the true and the fiction.

This was my first taste of Rose's work and she is an excellent writer and as we already know, Laura is as well! My favorites are ~ 'Let's Visit Mrs. Wilder'; 'How Laura Got Even'; 'Grandpas' Fiddle I & II'; 'It Depends On How You Look At It'; 'The Sunflower' and 'Object, Matrimony.'

An extra treat are the many photos and the commentary by William Anderson. I seem to have a neverending curiosity about Laura and her entire family. This book was very enjoyable because I learned about Laura's life after what she covered in her children's books.

I am acquiring quite a wonderful collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder books and this one shines brightly! Worth every penny.

For those of us that are interested in life beyond the original "Little House" series, this is a great book to own/read. I think that it captures the character of Laura and Rose because the stories and articles are by their own hand.

I really enjoyed the photos throughout this book because while Garth Williams' representation of the Ingalls family is lovely, it is nice to see what they really looked like. Even though they are in black and white you can imagine Pa's eyes twinkling.

Rose and Laura have very different styles, but both styles are very good. I especially liked Laura's articles because they paint a picture of farm life. The sections range in length so if you one have a few moments of reading time here and there it isn't necessary to worry about reading it in one sitting (though you may want to!).

Other things I recommend are the Little House series (of course!), and the series about Rose that was published recently (it has its slow parts but it was written by someone close to the family so there is a lot of accuracy). If you want to read more of Laura and Rose's writing this book is the perfect solution even considering the high price.

A Little House Sampler is the perfect title for this book. It gives you a sample of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane's interesting lives. Rose gives us a look into her and her parents lives after The First Four Years. Grandpa's Fiddle and Grandpa's Fiddle II was very interesting. I really enjoyed that story. Rose's story about the Faces in the Window is a perfect ghost story to tell around a campfire. Laura's stories about remodeling the kitchen and the dining room was great reading. She had a real decorating flair with the colors she chose. Laura wrote for Almanzo too. His stories about moving the spring shows us his story telling ability plus he was a very smart man. The pictures show his fine carpentry work. What a talented family! I mostly enjoy Rose's stories that describe her family life. I found her fiction work good reading but I thought she did her best writing when she wrote about her family. This book is a must for Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane collectors!

In the course of this book, one learns the value placed on shelters as well as on battered women--which unfortunately is about nil. With violence increasing in society generally and domestic violence cases being reported more often, this book is a necessary supplement to those in criminology, domestic violence fields (e.g., counselor, social worker, etc.), and the sociology fields. Ann Jones writes prolifically in this book, and she should be commended for bringing out the sad reality of domestic violence and the supposed assistance they are really supposed to receive.

First, let me say that this book does something very important: it tells the stories of a great many women who were victims of horrible violence and whose repeated attempts to get help from the police and courts were met with ignorance, denial, and even derision. Many of these women died because police, judges, and juries "blamed the victim." Jones is passionate about exposing the institutionalized sexism that destroys women's lives, and she does a good job.

However, this book is written from a perspective which I cannot agree with -- a black and white worldview in which violence is the exclusive domain of men and patriarchy is the sole cause of domestic violence.

I believe that patriarchy is still strong, and does much to contribute to the problem of battering. However, if we stop here (as Jones does) we fail to explain why only a minority of men are violent. Psychological explanations are necessary in order to account for the difference between violent and non-violent men, and Jones ignores or in some cases even derides psychology, sticking to socio-political explanations.

"Blaming the victim" is a real problem, and Jones has plenty of real-life examples where the victim was blamed and lost her life because of it. However, the idea of "blaming the victim" can turn into a blunt weapon in the wrong hands, used to suppress alternative ideas the way McCarthyism suppressed dissent by calling people communists. Jones, unfortunately, does just this. For example, she makes the very good point that many people ask "why didn't she leave" even if the victim did, in fact, leave (or try to). However, many women stay with their abusers for months or years. And, according to Jones, if you ask why they stay, you are "blaming the victim".

In perhaps the most misguided example of this tendency, Jones refers to the literature on co-dependency as "victim-blaming at its most pernicious." It's ironic that one Amazon reviewer attacked Codependent No More for (supposedly) encouraging people to leave their spouses, whereas Jones seems to think that the book encourages battered women to stay and get beaten some more. In fact the idea of co-dependency encourages people to grow into self-responsibility, which might involve staying or leaving depending on circumstances. But to Jones, the very idea of self-responsibility, applied to a battered woman, is tantamount to "blaming the victim".

Jones has a point. There are plenty of examples in her book of women to did everything they could to take responsibility, leave, get help, only to be turned away by police and eventually murdered by their husband or boyfriend. However, Jones throws the baby out with the bathwater, concluding that because some men will go to any lengths to possess and control a woman, the idea of co-dependency is just another excuse to blame women for their own problems.

Finally, Jones insists on casting the problem as one of "male violence", reinforcing the oppositional gender split in this culture which I believe contributes to the very patriarchy which Jones purports to critique. Jones says that "the assailant in almost all heterosexual and homosexual violence is a man". However, some studies (which Jones doesn't mention) suggest that domestic violence is more common among lesbians than heterosexuals or gay men. If Jones believes these studies are inaccurate, she should critique them, not ignore them.

Ultimately, Jones does a great job of presenting the patriarchal aspect of domestic violence. The problem is that she not only stops there, but unjustly condemns other important perspectives on this grave social issue.

This book is an excellent view of the domestic violence disease that plagues this country. As a police officer I respectfully do not share all of her views but she has brought to light many of the problems associated with domestic abuse. Her references are impecable yet not all officers are out to ignore the plight. Some of her views are not only invalid(maybe they should be valid)in some states but she even recommends law enforcement to violate the constitution and rules of civil and criminal procedure. I was given this book by a fellow officer with the for warning " you will love this book but it will get you mad." It definitely did that. I feel that it is great reading and should be read by all in society especially those in law enforcement but I wish to debate a few issues with Ms. Jones. We all seek an end to violence and this book is one view as to how we may start going about it NOW. Buy it, read it, recommend it!

Battering and how to stop it is an excellent source for anyone who desires to better understand the psychological trauma of the victim and the difficult situations that arise in trying to leave. The reader will understand the victim more thoroughly in some critically analyzed situations. Including The Steinberg Murder Case. This book is well-researched and thoroughly explained. Some sources: The American Journal of Psychiatry, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, New York Times, Washington Post, National Center on Women and Family Law, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology.

Ann Jones is passionate about her views on domestic violence. If there is any issue that needs passionate advocates it's this one. I found this book very informative, full of case examples and important information on how our justice system doesn't currently work very well to protect battered women or prosecute violent men. Concerned Americans need the information provided in this book so that we can work together to make the changes necessary in our society to put a stop to this horrendous epidemic. However, a word of caution to potential readers; this book contains so many horror stories, it is difficult to cope with. This can cause perfectly logical people to feel overwhelmed, and even be overtaken by denial, simply because it can be to much for the heart to bear. Well researched and well written, a great resource for anyone working in the law enforcement, medical, or human services fields. -Sharice Lee, Author: The Survivor's Guide-

Another customer review used the word 'laconic,' and it is apt. The author could have said more than he did, but he was writing for readers of an earlier time, who must have known more about the frontier than most of us do today.

Gillett has lived a wonderful life. I have read many Texas Rangers books and this one is very good. You have to understand the absolute bravery of the Texas Ranger and the lack of any fear. Never in the book does any weakness raise it's head and at the same time never does Gillett take on the attitude of, "I shot a bear". I have fowarded the book to my son in Chicago. I don't think he shares my admiration for the Ranger force, but someday he will.

James B. Gillett became a Texas Ranger in the Frontier Battalion in 1875 at the age of 19 after growing up on ranches near Austin and Lampasas. This book, written long after he had left the Rangers for ranch life mainly near Alpine, Texas, is a reminiscent account of his experiences while serving with the Rangers (1875-1881). He says in the Preface that he will write only about what he personally experienced and not try to write a history of the Texas Rangers, a task he feels unqualified to do; he is mostly faithful to that endeavor, though some events (the "Salt Lake War" near El Paso, for example) were not actually witnessed first-hand by Gillett. Some other major episodes related include the killing of Sam Bass (some of the details regarding Bass appear to be embellishments), the escorting of John Wesley Hardin to prison, capturing the murderous Baca brothers, and conducting numerous raids against the Apaches. Gillett writes in a straightforward, matter-of-fact style, and his memory for events and people encountered decades earlier is impressive. He doesn't embellish too much in his recounting, and he has the knack of telling a story interestingly and with authority. One comes away from the book with a very good idea of what made the Rangers tick and some of the difficulties they were up against. It would be hard to ask for anything more.

First-hand accounts are always the best and this, although written by a non-writer, is very entertaining and quite readable. Well worth the price.

This book is a compelling and entertaining first-hand account of one of Texas' most revered lawmen of the old West. James B. Gillett's experiences in the far-western reaches of the Texas frontier make for exciting reading as he takes on the likes of the Apache chieftan Victorio, one of the last and arguably the greatest of the Apache war chiefs. Gillett recounts the day-to-day experiences of those who rode with the Rangers from 1875-1881. From the Mason County War to encounters with the likes of outlaw Sam Bass, this book captures the excitement and the aura of the real Texas near the end of the nineteenth century. For the reader who yearns for the smell of wet saddle leather and gunsmoke, Gillette delivers on a most memorable note.

Charles Hall is the most extravagant figure in arctic exploration. His life is a poem. His biography is excellent. But, I have read a lot about arctic and antarctic exploration. Several books thrilled me. Not this one. It is OK but there are better ones.
No 1. The Arctic Grail by Berton
No 2. Endurance by Lansing
No 3. Last Place on Earth by Huntford

Chauncey Loomis' Weird and Tragic Shores is indeed all that. It tells the story of businessman and amateur explorer Charles Francis Hall. He goes in search of traces (possibly survivors?) of Sir John Franklin's expedition. The third trip goes wrong and Charles Francis Hall dies and is buried in the North. This book is driven by the personality of Hall and it is quite the personality. He is obsessed, unlucky, amateurish at times, belligerent, and stubborn, but the best word that could be one used to describe him is one that is applied to the Arctic itself, weird. The author captures the personality vividly with contemporary accounts, particulary those of Hall himself. It is an interesting book of a footnote character in the great age of Arcitc exploration, and sometimes through these footnotes in history one can see the truth behind what drives the explorers in its rawest form. An entertaining addition to the annals of history of the North.

What causes a merely modestly successful, married middle class businessman during the American civil war era to suddenly decide to head up an artic rescue mission (and then return yet again for another try). And then later still, successfully campaign to be chosen by Congress to lead the then most ambitious ever official U.S. expedition to the North Pole itself? His character.

Hall took his Christianity very seriously. All of the crew of Franklin's famous expedition of a decade past were lost and Hall decided to dedicate himself to help, even though his limited means meant that he must hitchhike a ride out on a whaling ship, then set himself ashore alone, and live cheaply on the polar wasteland among the Eskimos from whom he meant to learn Franklin's fate.

Indeed Hall, way way out there in icy nowhere land, after learning the Intuit language, did find out valuable clues from conversations from native elders while spending a few winters sharing this people's dangerous way of life, their igloos, their hunger in bad times, and their raw meat diet in better times.

Because he kept a daily diary we get whole amazing story.

Hall managed to learn enough of the truth to allow him to lead a dangerous trek for to collect valuable Franklin expedition artifacts. Upon returning the second time to civilization, his book and lectures were enough for him to win commandership of an official American expedition to hopefully attain the Pole itself, President Grant in enthusiastic support!

Farthest North? Well the tale of Hall's third trip is a very good one and a final mystery is produced for our consideration thanks to the author's own modern day travel up the High North where he takes samples whose later medical analysis yields astonishing results.

As a resident of Barrow, Alaska, the farthest north community in the United States, I share some of the goals and fascinations of Charles Hall, which come out in the book. "The Arctic will get into your blood Earl. You'll be back." That is what one Inupiat Eskimo leader told me back in 1969, during one of my first short visits to Barrow. And I did come back and have lived here full time since the mid 1980s. The Arctic, its extreme environment, and its Native people, can get in one's blood. I feel very fortunate to be able to live here.

When I was in Cincinnati, I talked with a local librarian who said that Charles Hall used to camp outdoors in a local park in a tent in the dead of winter, just to toughen himself up for Arctic exploration.

As noted in the book, Hall should also be remembered for working closely with the Native peoples of the Canadian Arctic, as he searched for traces of the Franklin expedition. Many other Arctic explorers had only fleeting contact with the local people, if that. And Hall had to hitch-hike on various ships during his early exploration. When he finally got a ship of his own, then he died under mysterious circumstances. That is tragic and a dreadful way to end one's lifetime dream.
So read this book, and enjoy its excellent perspective on the Arctic and its people, and the dreams and determination of one man, who did all he could to learn more about our northern lands.

This true accounting about the obsession Charles Francis Hall, a somewhat obscure Cincinatti businessman, had for Arctic exploration and its ultimate personal tragedy is fascinating.

The author Loomis trys to convey the environment of thought that created the appeal the Arctic had for Hall. The sentiment was much more pervasively Christian during the 1860-1870s when Hall made his 3 trips to the north and was able to get farther north than any Westerner had until then. In the Afterword, Loomis describes some of the appeal the vast, unexplored Artic must have had for Westerners. The Artic was both magnificent and terrifying, it was as Byron wrote "All that expands the spirit, yet appals." Loomis explains that the public had an asthetic of the sublime and this went a long way to explain to me the attraction Polar exploration must have had for Hall. But as a modern day mountaineer Fred Beckey said, "Man is not always a welcome visitor in a kingdom he cannot control."

The American explorer Kane, who died at age 36 was so revered by the American public for his exploits, that when his body was brought to New Orleans and then went up the Mississippi to it's ultimate burial location, people lined the river the entire way to bid him farewell. This helps explain the regard the public had for explorers (especially the ones who wrote accessible books).

Hall leads the first two expeditions in search of one of the overriding mysteries of the time, what happened to the members of the British expedition led by Sir John Franklin. The last and fatal voyage was in search of the North Pole. However, because of the funding by the US government of the expedition, the loss of Hall and loss of the ship itself, there was a US Naval inquiry. Because of the quasi-Naval nature of the expedition, there was insufficient discipline on the expedition and the loss of the leader under strange circumstances caused most discipline to evaporate thus dooming the expedition.

Loomis undertook his own mini-expedition 97 years after Hall's death in 1871. He visited Hall's gravesite and performed an autopsy with very interesting results.

The book is well written so that during the narrative when the details might seem tedious, they are not. Exhaustively researched and well presented with essential maps, photographs and a list of the crew on the last voyage.

Read and enjoy.

I have not read this book in its entirety as of yet, but have previewed it. A friend suggested I purchase this book, and I'm glad I have done so. However, the cartoon the author chose depicting pitcher Louis Leroy was in poor taste. Perhaps Powers-Beck had his own reasons for choosing this particular graphic. However, it portrays the pitcher in a negative way and it is likely many readers will find it an offensive stereotype. In light of the fact that there were other examples of period graphics the author could have chosen, one must wonder if this decision was made in haste.

This is a book that is long overdue. The author's research provides the most comprehensive account yet written about the integration of American Indians into baseball. I found the similarities with the Black Experience to be especially intriguing. This book will serve as a valuable resource for baseball historians and will stimulate interest in casual readers.

Jeff Powers-Beck goes much further than previous treatments of Native American ballplayers in his seminal work, "The American Indian Integration of Baseball." The book is extremely well-researched and examines the mixed legacy of Native American ballplayers as well as the roots of discrimination against them.

Surveying the careers of more than 120 athletes of Indian ancestry, Powers-Beck argues that professional baseball was "a crucible of both racial and cultural prejudices" against Native Americans. Caroonists made them popular objects of derision on the sports pages. Fans taunted them with war whoops and vitriolic jeers. Even teammates insulted them with nicknames like "Chief," "Nig," and "Squanto." "This was not simply a 'cultural prejudice' towards someone who looked differently," insists Powers-Beck. "It was a starkly racist prejudice towards someone who looked different."

Powers-Beck adds that the roots of discrimination can be traced to government-sponsored boarding schools, like Carlisle and Haskell. These off-reservation boarding schools used baseball as "a tool for assimilation as well as for the prestige and profit of the school." His coverage of Carlisle, in particular, offers insightful information that rivals only David W. Adams' work, "Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience, 1875-1923."

The biographical vignettes of Charles Albert Bender, John Meyers and Jim Thorpe, culled from a wide variety of sources demonstrate the kind of painstaking research Powers-Beck completed. Like the larger biographical treatments of Louis Leroy, George Howard Johnson, and Moses Yellow Horse, Powers-Beck offers a refreshing new perspective of these Native American ballplayers as "integrators" who not only survived the discriminatory treatment of the white baseball establishment, but largely succeeded in shaping the game on their own terms.

As a result, the book is more of a celebratory treatment of the Native American participation and contribution to baseball, rather than a retelling of the "tragedies" of such players as Jim Thorpe and especially Louis Sockalexis, which have become all too popular in recent years.

My only criticism of the book is that it reads more like a collection of esays than a narrative history of this important topic. To be sure, each essay makes a very significant contribution to the larger story of the American Indian Intregration of Baseball, but not a "seamless" one. The danger here -- and my fear -- is that an excellent piece of research will be dismissed as a "reference work" and not be given the kind of credit it is due as a seminal work on the topic.

The subject of Native Americans and the integration of baseball is often overlooked due to the prejudice of Academics to cover the more popular african-american integration of sports. But this wonderful books finally brings to life the characters and times that led to Native american success in Americas past-time, baseball. This is a thorough account of the subject and a great addition to t =he meek amount of academic resources on it. Highly recommended as an enlightening read, especially for anyone concerned with Native American rights in recent times.

Seth J. Frantzman

Powers has written a fine book about the Indian experience, showing many parallels with the later integration of black players. He gives a good deal of detailed biographical information on a half-dozen prominent Indian players, and mini-bios on a couple of dozen others. There is an explanation of how Jim Thorpe might have done better with a friendlier environment, also a list of over 100 full-blooded and part-Indian major leaguers. Finally, he makes an eloquent case for the abolition of current team nicknames that demean the Indian culture.

Pete Palmer, co-editor of The Baseball Encyclopedia by Barnes and Noble