Oklahoma Books

As a resident of Oklahoma, I found this book to be particularly fascinating. While we are often taught about the history of America as a nation, we are many times left with somewhat of a void as far as history of individual states are concerned. This book demonstrates excellent research skills as told by the many many primary sources. Wickett quite obviously has done his RESEARCH. While many historans today choose to rely on other historians research, Wickett has decided to sift through the abundant primary sources in order to break new ground. His information was thorough, well documented and completely enjoyable to read. My only complaint of the book is that it was not longer; I wanted to read more. Wickett's book would be an asset to the education of history students in Oklahoma as well as anyone interested in our unique history.

As a resident of Oklahoma, I found this book to be particularly fascinating. While we are often taught about the history of America as a nation, we are many times left with somewhat of a void as far as history of individual states are concerned. This book demonstrates excellent research skills as told by the many many primary sources. Wickett quite obviously has done his RESEARCH. While many historans today choose to rely on other historians research, Wickett has decided to sift through the abundant primary sources in order to break new ground. His information was thorough, well documented and completely enjoyable to read. My only complaint of the book is that it was not longer; I wanted to read more. Wickett's book would be an asset to the education of history students in Oklahoma as well as anyone interested in our unique history.

Contested Territory purports to be an examination of the interactions between whites, blacks and Native Americans in the Indian and Oklahoma Territories prior to statehood. Instead, it offers an old-fashioned, well-worn tale of white oppression and Native American and black reaction. That story might need to be told, but Wickett's attempt is a frustrating failure on many levels. First is Wickett's race-relations model. Wickett seems content to write a history that ignores much of the last three decades of scholarship on race, gender, identity, cultural formation, community building, acts of resistance, etc. (Since I am most familiar with the historiography of African American scholarship, I will use examples from that literature). Wickett shows no familiarity with the body of work produced by Joe Trotter Jr., Darlene Clark Hine, Robin D.G. Kelley, Quintard Taylor (and others of their generation) who have produced masterful, critical analyses of the lived worlds of African American men and women. Black Oklahomans, in Wickett's world, are one amorphous class, reduced for the most part to reacting to whites and, on occasion, Native Americans. Too often Wickett relies on scholarship that is thirty to forty years old. In fact, when I finished the first two chapters, I was certain that Contested Territory was the work of a venerable professor who finally had gotten around to turning 30-year-old lecture notes into a monograph. Instead, we have a scholar who unstintingly relies on the work and subtle biases of historians writing in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He even quotes some of these works at length. Wickett also relies uncritically on the reminisces of early white settlers. He does not challenge any of these recollections of life in early Oklahoma nor consider that the memories of these settlers, most of which cast Native Americans and African Americans in a negative light and were collected by the WPA more than four decades later, might be based more in the settlers' biases than in fact. Contested Territory does offer some new information and Wickett is to be commended for his work in the archives. But the shortcomings of this work more than outweigh its value. I had considered using this as a text in a course that I teach, but I can't in good conscious require that my students purchase such a flawed work. Nor would I want to spend the time trying to erase the negative images that Contested Territory would leave with them.

I feel this book has great importance and significance in the turbulent field of race relations. While reading this book I was continually struck by the extensive amount of research this historian has completed. I found Wickett's comparison and analysis of African Americans and Native Americans in white society to be fascinating. He clearly points out that while Native Americans were being invited into white society, African Americans were being segregated and pushed to the periphery of American society. The irony of course is that Native Americans did not wish to join white society, while African Americans were more than willing to do so. I feel this book has made an important contribution in the field of race relations.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mr. Utley's memoirs, especally fromthe standpoint of having long been fascinated by the history of the American west and Native Americans. I was introduced to Mr. Utley in 1992 with the broadcast of the series "How the West was Lost," appreciating his thoughful, frank analysis and discourse. His Sitting Bull biography "Lance and Shield" is perhaps my favorite book of history. In highly engaging prose and narative, Mr. Utley brought this history to life - in accessible detail. His memoir is a special treasure (for me) in that Mr. Utley shares in the full experience of being a historian -- connection to place and events, how the culture can plant long standing interest and devotion to areas of study and career, as well as the "politics" of history.

Perhaps no other event in US national history has had more political under and overtones than the Custer incident.
As this is a book review, I need to refrain from arguing my own opinions concering the relation of Custer on our nation's past and present -- but I must say I was very surprised in reading this book to see Mr. Utley not only holding his own "prejudices" (perspective), but also that he is forthright in saying so. Too often history is regarded as either right/orthodox or revisionist. This book is both enlightening and important in that it illustrates how history always contains "perspective," with the Battle of the Little Bighorn as certainly one of the premire case studies for the US.

History so close cannot be separated from human emotion and the national identity -- I guess one of the points brought out in the book that "bothered" me was Utley's close association with the current Custer family.

Anyhow - whatever your belief and postion on Custer and the Little Bighorn Battle, Utley provides on HONEST presentation of how history is made and interpreted. A fascinating book.

The first three reviewers of this book wrote profusely on the merits of Robert Utley and his wife's travels through the National Park Service and his books. I could add little to what they had to say. I own and have read all of his books. Some are great(Cavalier in Buckskin), some are very good(his two volumes of the army in the West) and some are good(The Last Days of the Sioux Nation). This book is not for the average reader of Western History or readers who don't really know Mr. Utley. They will be very bored with all the names and travels through the National Park Service by the Utleys. Don't expect to find a whole lot about Custer either. But for those serious students of Western History and fans of Utley, this book is a gold mine of facts about his life. That was just what I was looking for.

Utley's memoirs begin,

"How can a man [Custer] long dead haunt the lives of so many people? How can a man both venerated and abominated in his own time still command so much veneration and abomination in a generation ten times removed from his? How can Japanese who read translations of my writings - or for that matter, French, Italians, Poles, or Czechs - find even a narrow bridge to that distant time, place, and culture that can convert them into Custer addicts?

Of the afflicted, many do not know, or cannot explain, why. Others will offer many and diverse reasons. For myself, I know only how it started and how it is ending. In between, many things happened that may help illumine the question. Whether they do or not, they tell much about Custer and me."

Throughout Utley's long lustrous career, both as a writer of history and a risk taking National Park Service leader, he has tried to answer many of those questions and he has done well in the attempt. Writing with confidence and clarity, Utley does not fail his followers. He takes us on a whirlwind tour of his personal life - a most honest tour. Utley imparts his triumphs and discloses the failures - journeys that sometimes took him far from the Little Bighorn, but always brought him back.

We learn how and when Custer began to influence Utley's life -- it was Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in the film, They Died with Their Boots On. Utley was twelve at the time and four short years later he would take a monumental trip to the Custer Battlefield National Monument. We can all be thankful that the trip was made.

"Custer and Me" shines best when Custer takes center stage. Utley worked each summer, at Little Bighorn, from 1947-52 as a "historical aide." Utley witnessed major events at the battlefield -- the 75th, 100th, and 125th anniversaries. At the 75th anniversary, the speakers were Army Lt. General Albert C. Wedemeyer, Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, and Dewey Beard (Horn Cloud). Utley remembers that day,

"For Captain Luce and me alike, however, the awesome attraction was the assemblage of high-ranking brass. All those glittering stars so excited Luce that he drove the government car without releasing the emergency brake, which caught fire."

The American Indian Movement (A.I.M.), led by Russell Means, disrupted the 100th anniversary events with actions that resulted in some Custer enthusiasts' animosity toward the National Park Service. Utley's take on the uninvited visit by Means enables the reader to better understand why the National Park Service reacted the way it did.

Utley shares the story behind his first book, "Custer's Last Stand: With a Narrative of Events Proceeding and Following." The costs for publication were a whopping $365. If anyone is fortunate to find a copy today, it will probably cost the buyer more than the publication costs. The book was sold at Mary Jane's battlefield souvenir shop. About this first work Utley states, "...Is not a work that I now, more than half a century later, look back on with pride." Utley's feelings aside, the book sold out at Mary Jane's store even with the 75-cent price tag!

Far from Custer Battlefield, Utley served the National Park Service well. We can give Utley credit for helping bring Hubbel Trading Post, Fort Bowie, and Fort Davis into the park system. He held positions as NPS Regional Historian in Santa Fe, Chief Historian in D.C., director of the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, and deputy executive director at the Advisory Council, which reported directly to the president of the United States.

After retiring from the NPS, Utley was still very vocal with issues inside it - most of them involved Little Bighorn. We are privy to inside information about issues such as the archeological digs of the early 80s, North Shield Ventures, and the Indian Memorial.

People and characters of all kinds, some well known and others unknown, grace the pages for us to enjoy; Norman MacLean, Congressman Morris Udall, LeRoy Hafen, Edgar Stewart, Wallace Stegner, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, Paul Hutton, and Charles Windolf (Utley met Windolf, the last white survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, only three years before his passing in South Dakota).

But, there are two people that most influenced Utley -- Edward S. Luce, and Utley's wife, Melody Webb. Utley's affection for Luce and Webb is openly shared with us; it is heartfelt, and at times very moving. These memoirs are a true love story at all levels. 

"Custer and Me" is filled with many moments of personal reflection. The reader feels as if he is reading more than a memoir. The experience is more like a one-on-one, come sit down beside me, and let me tell you what I can't tell anyone else personal account. "Custer and Me" is a total joy to read.

From any Western historian's perspection, Utley had the ultimate dream come true when he spent many youthful summers as a Custer Battlefied (now Little Big Horn) guide under the famed Captain Luce. From the age of 16 through his college years, Utley spent each summer under Captain Luce's command working at the battlefield and living in various quarters in Crow Agency. I find this the high point of the book because this is just phenomenal to any Little Big Horn historian to have such a long enduring relationship with the actual battlefield and with Luce who was one of the most reknown battlefield supts. The book is a memior as it moves into Utley's story of a historian's journey from a youth with a wonderous start with Luce to a stint in the Army that eventually ended up in the Penatgon as a military historian to his career with the National Park Service. I initially had hoped that this book was about Utley's evolving perspective of Custer and what happenerd at the Little Big Horn, it does address some of the critical issues but this is more about Utley's growth as a historian and the evoloution of the National Park Service during his career before, during and after retirement. Specific Park developments, such as the Hubbell Trading post on the Navajo reservation, are very interesting as they eventually mesh with his second wife's experiences as a park supt. Although less enthused with the politics of the park service, the political and management aspects do provide an inside view on how our nation's parks are managed. While discussing his personal development along with he evoloution of the NPS, Utley's also discusses the many books he wrote along the way, which is most enjoyable. For a Custerphile, the best parts of the book are when Utley periodically covers the LBH controversies of the park in reference to the Indian movement under AIM and controversial management issues associated with the park in reference to politics and economic considerations. Utley also discusses the LBH archeological digs in the mid 80s under Superintendent Jim Court who he applauds as an excellent supt. (and a great tour guide today) but disagrees about the importance of the results. I had hoped that the author would spend some time at the end of the book contrasting the various interpretations of what happened to Custer at the Little Big Horn after he descended Medicine Trail Coulee. So many authors have offererd variations of the final two hours that I hoped that Utley would have dedicated a chapter on his current point of view. He does write short and nteresting snippents such as what he writes of archeologist Dr. Richard Fox "...I have yet to discover how our understanding of the battle of the Little Big Horn has been significantly changed (after the digs). But Fox has emerged as a major authority on the Battle of the Little Big Horn, one who commands a large and loyal following. He also tends to regard his interpatations as beyond challenge, which in the volatile world of the Little Big Horn aficionados is a sure invitation to challenge". An interesting book overall particularly Utley's on site visits to historical parks, the development of historical parks that he was directly involved in and references to the subjects of his many books.

Great read! I found this to be an utterly fresh horror novel, a new approach for a new century. Wooley sets his tale along America's backroads, where danger spreads like the latest craze, unchecked by city suspicions. It's a brilliantly apt metaphor for the creeping change that takes us all unaware and corrupts our freedom. Wooley's unique voice lends his story a powerful sense of place. His vivid characters are a constant delight, drawn with unfailing wit and humanity. The conflicts they struggle with are as much within themselves as with the sinister Man in the Box, so I was always wondering what they would do next. As it speeds toward its devastating finale, this ultra-modern blend of new world tech and old world wisdom seems to ask a discomfiting question: Can we resist what we can't understand?

I'm always sceptical about new authors and usually stay with my favorites (ie. Robert McGammon, Dean Koonz, Sheri Tepper, Robin Cook, etc). This book was a VERY pleasant surprise. This story grabs you up front and the plot doesn't lag . If you like good characters and are looking for a new author- try this book! I'm already waiting for John Wooley's next book. If you like Dean Koonz, Stephen King, and other fantasy/science fiction/horror stories- you'll probably like this one.

This is a wonderful first solo for John Wooley. The writing is so personable I felt as if I were part of the cast of characters as the story unfolded around me. The perfect balance of compassion and terror take the reader on a roller coaster ride through the sterile advancement of human technology without ever letting go of your hand. I found myself fearful of what would happen next yet engrossed enough to carry on to the end. I won't soon forget the people and events that took place in this book and I feel it's only a matter of time before it comes true... unless it already has...

John Wooley's voice and style are calm and quiet. No screaming. No blood. No bodies being ripped apart. In a rural setting, with average people, a horror comes visiting. A stranger in a coffin-like box that he promises never to leave, if he can only park in their yard, garden, or barn. Although Kard may be strange, he may not be entirely a stranger.

For $100 a week, Jim Douglas and his friends, living in a rural area near Claremore, Okla., agree to let Kard stay in corners of their properties. Inside the box, nothing is visible except Kard, in his jogging outfit, and blackness behind him, punctuated by small pinpoints of white light.

In spite of his promise to never leave the box, his presence begins to intrude into their lives. Suddenly his image appears on the children's computer monitor. Deborah Douglas is sure that she knows him from somewhere, sometime, and the possibility that she remembers him, seems to disturb Kard. Then, people begin disappearing. The reality of what's inside the box must be determined before the Douglases and their friends can rid themselves of Kard's presence. But the stranger is in control and they don't know how to fight him.

Readers who enjoy this and other of Wooley's horror novels might also enjoy Ash Wednesday and Soul Storm by Chet Williamson.

Vizenor cleverly describes the world of animalia while preserving Native American culture, but it's not enough. Several parts were amusing, others deeply philosophical. Towards the end, however, the abstract nature of the text kills the creative voice and makes it more post-modern than literature.

Throw out your old, tired American Indian stereotypes before stepping through Gerald Vizenor's looking glass, Alice; there are bears and tricksters in here! Very funny and true-to-form

The message in Dead Voices is simply that I am energy, all matter in the universe is energy, therefore I am the universe and the universe is me. And that such energy is constantly being transferred from one entity to another, always reshaping itself. What the protagonist in Dead Voices does is ride this energy. Getting rid of such neurotic thinking patterns of distorted human identity and its relation to everything else in nature brings true divinity and enlightenment. Almost all tribal cultures provide their young with the opportunity to seek their selves and enter adulthood with a spiritual connection to the Universe. The visions obtained from such experiences provide the young with self-actualization and a strong connection to their surroundings, animate and inanimate. Western Civilization somehow thinks itself separate or divorced from Nature. Vision quests provide the young with the opportunity to find their innerselves . The sociohistorical concept of race and identity that newly borns are thrown into is but the neurotic social residue of previous generations. The vision quest to understand nature serves to dissolve this neurotic state and allow for the evolution of higher, more intelligent and all-encompassing cosmic consciousness of non duality. But instead, our young are faced with this neurotic social residue and brainwashed, forced to conform to compulsory education/ignorance and once their fragmented and confused self is formed , thrown into stale and meaningless lives to suffer in a racist system. Gerald Visenor in puts it so clearly, they are dead men and dead women in a dead world. The visionary experience dissolves one's socially conditioned, 20th century, hive mind allowing the self to come to its senses. "If the door of perception were cleansed open everything would appear to man as it is, infinite" writes William Blake in . As exemplified by "WE" the self-actualized identity sees intelligence in its raw form--Nature, which operates in complete harmony, without effort or waste. The realization that YOU and I are WE and not that you "black" and me "white" or that you are a cat and I am a human, leads to one of the most ancient philosophical principles, cosmic consciousness. The connection between universe (nature) and humans is evident even in the most basic fact of life--nutrition. "The sun belts out photons of intelligence we call sunlight. That sunlight is captured by plants and is trapped in the excited electron orbits of carbon based molecules. We humans eat the plants, exhale carbon dioxide and release the stored sunlight into our consciousness" writes Michael Eisner. The problem is that Western Civilization denies itself "the photons of intelligence" by not realizing this. Gerald Visenor in suggests that perhaps what Western Civilization so desperately needs is to take a deeper look into the psyche of pre-literate tribal peoples, if we are to survive and reach a peaceful future resembling our own ancient tribal past. It is obvious where Western Civilization is heading but what is not obvious to many is that tribal societies, who are thought of as barbaric and uncivilized, have maintained a harmonious balance with nature and themselves for thousands of years. Before there were alphabets, tribal people did not read "dead words," they talked, told and retold, sung, chanted, danced, and more importantly experienced life. As some historian, which I do not remember or really think it important to remember said, "history begins when people start keeping track of events by writing things down." And so, tribal people are thought of as prehistoric and uncivilized. What Visenor suggests is that perhaps tribal peoples have a deeper insight into themselves and nature. A change in our perception is suggested in A re-examination of the distorted and self-destructive Western dualistic paradigm.

Throw out your old, tired American Indian stereotypes before stepping through Gerald Vizenor's looking glass, Alice; you'll find bears and tricksters in here! This is wonderful and true-to-form and very funny

In Betty Louise Bell's Faces in the Moon she takes a Native American story away from the stereotypes, creating a narrative of the struggle of Cherokee women. Her story beautifully weaves the themes of poverty, self-identity, and tradition through a spiral of time and character. The narrator, Lucie, revisits the memories of her life while facing the impending death of her mother. Because Faces in the Moon, is largely autobiographical, it is obvious through the emotion that Bell is able to draw out detail and layers through her storytelling.
Bell uses the development of character to explore the themes in her book. She uses the character Gracie, mother of the narrator, to demonstrate the theme of poverty. Gracie overcompensates where she can as an effect of her life in poverty. When Lucie reflects back on her wedding this is demonstrated, "She came to my wedding. She stepped our to f the cab dressed for the event, a tea-length multilayered turquoise chiffon, her hair freshly peroxided and tightly permed. Her shoes and purse had, obviously, not taken the first dye and were now in the `anyone's guess' color scheme" (Bell 49). She then goes on to explain how Gracie spoke loudly of her Cherokee mother while shoveling shrimp into her purse.
That scene also demonstrates the characterization of Lucie and the identity she is trying to escape. When her mom shows up at the wedding she represents all that Lucy is trying to run away from, poverty and being Cherokee. The only time Lucie seems to be comfortably in touch with her native self is when she is around her Great Aunt Lizzie. Lizzie represents a traditional foundation and encompasses native ways through story telling and her opinions. She doesn't hide her Indian self, and therefore makes her home a safe place for Lucie to come and embrace her own Indian self.
The characterizations of the main characters and secondary characters such as the abusive boyfriend of Gracie, J.D., and the pesky landlady Mabel, are layered into the story through the use of a circular/spiral form of story telling. By using a non-linear method of storytelling Bell effectively captures not only the reality of life, but also celebrates a traditional way of Native American storytelling. Bell takes the main character and shows the different places she has been in life through flashbacks, fantasy, and real time description.
Because of the autobiographical nature of the book her personal connection to the story is quite apparent in the details that reveal the author's passion. It is though the fine details of the book such as capturing language of the time and place, descriptive detail of the characters, and the raw association to plot, that her passion is revealed. She captured the difficulties of growing up poor in a time where there was no advocate for Native Americans much less a female Cherokee child who is abused. The passion is felt regarding these issues in such a way that takes reader often out of their comfort zone. This is discomfort is necessary to fully understand the emotion of the author's story.
Faces in the Moon, is a real Cherokee story. One cannot read it and expect to get a romanticized version of a Native American life complete with feathered dances and the baking of bread. Instead the reader is taken out of their comfort zone to understand the life of one Cherokee woman dealing with poverty, self-identity and traditions. When reading Faces in the Moon prepare to be moved to the point of tears, laughter, and an appreciation of Betty Louise Bell's masterful storytelling.
Works Cited
Bell, Betty Louise, Faces in the Moon. University of Oklahoma: Norman. 1994.

this book is great, if you want a good book that gives a realistic view of native americans in Kentucky, you should read "A Ridgerunners Legacy" by Pauline Collins, it is really good and historically accurate. There are very few novels on the subject that are unbiased and this is one of them, check it out! It is hard to find but you can get it on publishamerica.com.

Betty Louise Bell has exposed personal and cultural demons of her protagonist with this novel which explores the pain of childhood and the value of family and cultural heroes. She defys the stereotypes of twentieth century Native Americans, often represented in the novels of some popular Indian writers. You tell them, Betty!

Faces in the Moon
by Betty Louise Bell
University of Oklahoma Press, 1995
Reviewed by Carol Carlson

Betty Bell was born in 1949 and received her Ph.D from Ohio State University. She is a Native American literary scholar and novelist and is associated with the English Department of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Bell is working on a new novel, White Houses.

Betty Louise Bell describes this book as "autobiographical fiction ... except I have nine siblings and my mother was still alive when the book was written. Otherwise, it's pretty much from my life." (1) Faces in the Moon tells the story of three generations of Cherokee women through the eyes of Lucie Evers. Lucie is the daughter of Gracie Evers. Gracie or Momma is a half-blood Cherokee who along with her sister Rozella or Auney speak of their stories of the past while Lucie listens. Lizzie is Lucie's great aunt who also tells Lucie stories, but she gives Lucie a different history and sense of her heritage that allows Lucie to feel pride in her and her people. Lizzie truly speaks to Lucie where her mother and aunt reminisce and allow her to listen. "I was raised on the voices of women. Indian women...And I know their stories have grounded my sympathies, speaking through my spirit without time or place or will, Momma, Auney, Lizzie: they come alone or together." (Bell 5).

In Cherokee and Native tradition, Bell weaves in and out of the past and present developing the story with the women's tales. This method allows for wonderful character development and shows how each character past and present has been affected by one another and their surroundings. Lucie is the main character of the book and it is through her voice, past and present, the reader gets to know everyone else. I appreciate this method of storytelling; it allows the reader to truly understand the emotions felt by Lucie. As she remembers hearing her mother and aunt she says, "They spent their lives telling stories--the same stories, sitting in the same places, giving the same answers, warning children with a shake of the head and the tease of memory. Always finding, in the beginning or summing up, a detail undiscovered or a cruel motive revealed" (Bell 4). Lucie is able to appreciate and understand her own history through telling these stories herself.

Most of the story takes place in impoverished, Southwest Oklahoma as Lucie gets called back home to deal with the sickness of her mother, Gracie. But going back is a struggle for Lucie because she has left home and the life of her mother in order to leave her past behind and start new. Lucie's past has been filled with despair, neglect, poverty, and abuse, but also with the great stories of her ancestors that Lucie. Life with her mother has been hard because of the mistreatment by her mother and her mother's boyfriends. However, Lucie speaks about the mistreatment as if it is just the way things are. Then. through the stories of the past, the reader glimpses what her mother's life has been like--how poor they have been, living in an abandoned car during the Depression and then losing her own mother at age three. Consequently, the reader sees that Gracie does not know any better. Lucie has been abandoned by her mother, who had been also abandoned at a young age by her mother and left to fend for her sister and herself. Lucie wants to break this cycle. As a result, she initially denies her past to create a better future only to realize her past is what has allowed her to have better achievements. She goes to college and becomes a college professor, but it isn't enough.

The main idea of this book is about dealing with the past so that as life comes full circle each person carries that past with him/her when creating a future. Many people try to escape, but Lucie realizes that what has happened to her as a child does not compare to what has happened to her people, the Cherokees, and that these are what shape her as a person. "I ain't asking you to tell me who I think I am. I am the great-granddaughter of Robert Henry Evers, I am the granddaughter of Hellen Evers Jeeters, I am the daughter of Gracie Evers, the niece of Rozella Evers, and the grandniece of Lizzie Sixkiller Evers." Lucie makes this statement at the Oklahoma Historical Society. She is there to protest the death certificate of her grandmother where on the line for father it reads "none." Lucie knows who she is, an Indian woman.

Faces in the Moon is a wonderful, emotional story that touches the hearts of all its readers, young and old. Lucie shows that the cycle of life, no matter how much a person may want to forget it, does not have to consume a person: it can shape a person, making him/her who s/he is. I recommend reading this book, and for anyone who lives his/her life according to the affects of the past, this book may offer some healing advice.

An outstanding book; I loaned mine to someone, can't remember to whom. Will buy another one. Two books, including Comanches by TR Fehrenbach, are too similar in their portrayal of the Amerindian to suggest that the authors are prejudiced. I am convinced that Denig called it as he saw it. The writing might seem pompous but that's the way authors wrote in those days. However, the importance of these books (Five Indian Tribes and Comanches) is to help Americans understand what is going on in Iraq today. Talk about relevance. Go back and read the NY Times article about the five Iraqi tribes in the immediate area protecting Saddam before he was captured. It is absolutely uncanny to see the parallels between the Amerindians in the 1800's and the Iraqi tribes today. During the time when I lived in that part of the world (Turkey, Syria, Iraq) my first thought was, my God, these are just like the Indians I grew up with in Williston, North Dakota. Absolutely uncanny. So, I wouldn't waste my time arguing about the picture these authors paint about these people; I would rather use these books to help understand and explain what is going on in Iraq today.

I entirely agree with the other reviewer that Denig was very prejudiced about Native Americans. For me, the value in the book - and it is great - is to have rare information about these tribes before their near-disappearance. Denig seems to save his harshest criticisms for the tribes that were most independent, and his stories about these groups give us a glimpse into their lives. I would very much recommend this book to people who are interested in the early 19th century world of the Upper Missouri.

This is a SUPERB work. The information is accurate beyond all possible doubt. It, like The Kiowas (Civilization of the American Indian Series) , The Indians of Texas: From Prehistoric to Modern Times (Texas History Paperbacks) , Scalp Dance: Indian Warfare on the High Plains, 1865-1879 , Life Among the Apaches (Bison Book) , Nine Years Among the Indians, 1870-1879: The Story of the Captivity and Life of a Texan Among the Indians , and also Three Years Among the Comanches: The Narrative of Nelson Lee, the Texas Ranger form the perfect antidote to the deluge of Politically Correct hogwash "Fiction-as-Fact" non-history books out there ( like Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee ) and absurd, totally unrealistic motion pictures a la "Dances With Wolves".
It is amazing that when it comes to books written by eye witnesses who lived during the time of the "wild" tribes, everyone today seems to think they're highly biased to say the least. I mean, logically, what would an eye witness know?! Take as "fact" what some present-day leftist, bleeding heart hack has written instead! This is the illogic that plagues ALL well-programmed Politically Correct zombies out there.
Now, if you want your eyes opened up WIDE concerning actual, accurate Frontier history - including the activities, life styles, and aggressiveness of the various tribes of Plains Indians, simply pluck up the courage to read the titles I've mentioned above....including this book, of course!
And, for all the PCers out there, I DARE YOU to read this and ALL the other titles I've listed in this review, and THEN see if you can honestly say that this author was biased ( unreasonably ) against the Amer-Indians of the Wild Frontier. Also, after reading all these books, see if you can sit through another viewing of Dances ( or should I say, DUNCES ) with Wolves and not feel like its an ordeal!

i have heard alot about the man and the book from many people. so i decided to buy the book and read it myself. i must say that for a person that lived with the indians for such a long time it seems to me that denig could not overcome his prejudiced ideas of a civilized or "savage" people and although he describes the manners of the indians in much detail he speaks about them with great arrogance, prejudice and contemp much of the time. to call the indians savages, heathens, and some more contemptuous words like these after living with them for years and marrying one of them, does not show much for the man. one should take his information with much prudence and caution.

My hardback copy of this work was printed in 1977 and it shows the wear. It's tried repeatedly to sneak back out of view on my bookshelves, but I always hunt it down and bring it back to the front where it belongs. I've referred to it thousands of times in my researches, in addition to reading through it entirely on several occasions. The data concerning the openings and closings of the individual forts, the reasoning for the need for each and the mentions of events and units involved are all invaluable.

This work has gone out of print several times through the years, but it always comes back and pays its own way for new readers.

If you love the history of the west you need to own this book.

If you only care about the opening and closing dates, who it was named after, and a one sentence reason as to why it was established, then this bare bones book is for you. Do not expect any other information OF IMPORTANCE here. No history of important engagements near or involving each fort is given, which I find incredibly negligent.

Examples: NO mention is made of the Fetterman Massacre in the entry on Fort Phil Kearny, or the Wagon Box Fight for that matter.
NO mention is made of the Hayfield Fight in the entry on Fort C.F. Smith.
NO mention is made of the two huge attacks on Julesberg, CO by a thousand Cheyennes in which the town was burned to the ground just outside Fort Sedgwick. I could go on.

Don't expect ANY information on important engagements the various forts may have been a part of. However if you are really curious as to whether the fort was turned over to the Dept. of the Interior on its abandonment, then this book is for you. That fact is always listed. This book has exactly 4 photographs and 5 drawings.

Though out of print, I recommend Herbert M. Hart's western fort series: "Pioneer Forts of the West", "Forts of the Far West", and "Old Forts of the Northwest". These books have hundreds of B&W photos, detailed histories of engagements the forts partook in, as well as opening and closing dates, and a diagram of almost every fort discussed. You could just pick up the whole series (used) for less than the price of this book.

In the introduction to this book, Frazer refers to his compilation of military forts as "brief biographies." Based on that description, the book is an excellent reference tool in identifying by name, location, length of service, and summary purpose all the known forts located west of the Mississippi River up to 1898.

The book is arranged by state, with forts listed therein alphabetically. Although Frazer warns that locations are only approximate, they are still given with enough detail to place them fairly accurately on a topo map. When forts changed locations even by just a few miles (Ft. Hall, ID, for example), both forts are described. This is basically a listing, and most of the forts are detailed only briefly; when important events occurred, however, they are mentioned (Ft. Cobb, OK, for example, being attacked by Indians on October 23, 1862). Even forts that were unnamed or in existence for only a few months are included.

I have used this book often, either for quick identification or as a stepping stone to more detailed investigations. The bibliography is one of the most thorough I've seen on the subject (36 pages long). The index is also very comprehensive, containing all the names and places mentioned in the text. As a reference tool for identifying forts and gleaming a brief account of their "biographies," Frazer's book is superb.

This book names the forts, presidios, and posts west of the Mississippi River to 1898, and not only does the author give the location but he gives some historical facts. If I had the money, I would take this book, get me a good travel map and visit each of the places mentioned! Last month I went to several Texas forts, an old Presidio and an Arizona fort. The book was invaluable!

Although it has been a few years since I have read this book in its entirety, I have continued to reference it and as I am in a book reviewing mood, thought I would write this one up. First published in 1963, this book has become a bible of sorts for all those interested in the everyday details of frontier army life. Dr. Rickey, who once served as historian at the Little Bighorn battlefield, benefitted from actually talking to many old veterans of the late Indian Wars period (1880s/1890s) who were still alive when this was being compiled in the 1950s. Beyond that, he drew from diaries, contemporary newspapers and regimental records to give the reader a very complete view of typical frontier army life. Chapters detail officers, non-coms, enlisted men, army discipline, the recruit depots, life at army posts, field service, combat, etc. All of this adds up to an intimate portrait of the hum-drum and the exciting, the trivial and important, all the events and places that made up the frontier army experience. Also included is a nice map of the West, showing the location of key forts and battle sites. Photographs of soldiers and army posts are intermingled throughout the book. Many of these I do not recall encountering elsewhere.

A few years back, a now-retired NPS hsitorian who worked at the Little Bighorn as well as Fort Davis told me that he was on his second copy of this book. Over the years, he had literally worn out the first one as he constantly referenced it on an almost daily basis. No higher compliment as to its value can I make.

This book really enlightens the reader with interesting personal narratives. The book also dispells the myth of a "John Wayne, She wore a Yellow Ribbon" frontier Army. It picks up from the end of the Civil War and leads you straight into the Spanish American War. A wonderful book for those interested in in the daily lives of the soldiers form typical daily lives to military justice. This book also helped with my summer Interpretation job at Fort Mackinac. Michigan were we portray 1880's U.S. Army.

As I cast about for research material for an upcoming book, several American Indian War experts recommended Don Rickey's book as the "Bible" on the frontier soldier's life. I am not an Indian War buff, but I can tell you this book is chocked full of details and insights that are not likely to be found collected in any other single volume.

The book is broken down into logical chapters, from a description of the Western troubles to the typical routines of the soldiers' discharges. We are treated to what might be some of the last in-depth interviews with Indian War veterans and, as has been pointed out, we begin to get a feel of the frontier soldier's daily life as 99 percent boredom and physical labor and 1 percent terror.

Many books have been written around the edges of this subject, and several were awful in their historical value. But this is a solid history, well-researched and full of interesting anecdotes to boot!

This book is filled with interesting anecdotes and tidbits of information. However, the lack of footnotes and documentation for much of the content is horrendous.

while i enjoyed this book as a whole, i am unclear about lobo's feelings for lainie. his ex-lover is part of a gang that is holding lainie's sister for ransom. the first reference to angela and lobo's romance is when lobo thinks "we were not in love, we used each other". then after she dies, he thinks "i loved her, did she still love me?" then when lainie asks lobo if he still loved angela, he says they had a thing, but it didni"t amount to much. i also thought his grief over angela's death was excessive. it read more he had lost the love of his life. which is it?

This was the first House of Winslow book I ever read, purchased from a mail-order book club unaware that it was part of a series; up until then I had only read 2 books in the Cheney Duvall, MD series by Mr. Morris and his daughter.

Like with many adventure and mystery stories, some parts of the book get a little tedious and you want the story to move along, but I enjoyed the story otherwise.

Note: This is one of several instances where Mr. Morris reuses the same plot (or subplot) more than once. Betsy is tricked into believing she's married to Vic when the phony preacher promises to fill out the license paperwork and mail it to them later; in #7 The Reluctant Bridegroom, Rebekah finds out her husband already has a wife (and later marries Sky Winslow); and in #19 The Iron Lady, Rebekah and Sky's granddaughter Priscilla makes the exact same mistake! But if you don't mind repetitive plots, you won't mind those similarities.

Lanie sets out to with one mission: To find her sister and rescue her from a man that they had once trusted. But, Lanie never expected to find love in the process. And that's exactly what happens, even though it takes her and Lobo a bit of time to realize it. She still so worried about her sister that she doesn't think she has time to worry about herself and her well being. Go with her through a rough territory and dangerous journey. I found this book adventurous and exciting with a wonderful plot set in the late 19th century!

Gilbert Morris presents a fascinating plot line and well-developed characters in The Gallant Outlaw. When Zachary Winslow's daughter, Betsy, elopes with a charming rouge, Lanie, her older sister, determines to rescue her. Lanie's attempts fail until she meets Lobo Smith, a one-eyed gunman with a shady past. Lanie purchases Lobo's help, but troubles still plauge her. Is Lobo really an honorable man under his outlaw facade? Can she rescue her sister before it's too late?

From this book to Crazy Dave...we learn that a hard life breeds knowledge..and what you do with it depends on the individual. Mr Johnson was our teacher at Earl Haig and we were on the edge of our seats every day. He honored us with his presence at our reunions in 2002 and 2007...a really special man. Thank you Mr Johnson...

During the past few years, many books have been written by former boarders of Canadian Residential Schools for natives. Most, if not all, were a means for their author to live through the anger that churned inside because of ill treatment and sexual abuse by the staff. Much to my delight, though, the author of INDIAN SCHOOL DAYS does not write of such events. He describes his educational experience under the tutorship of Jesuit priests and brothers whose purpose was to teach their native boarders the white man's ways and thus make good Christians of them. Throughout the book, the author describes the daily schedule of the school, the teachers' attitudes, the children's reactions, etc. all eye-opening for readers, who were expecting a "tell all tale," a scandal. All considering, the author did benefit from the discipline of the school to the extent that he freely decided to return the Residential School in Spanish, Ontario as a highs chool student after having etched out a living as a trapper for a short while. By that time, the highs chool had been approved by the Canadian government, and many native boys matriculated on a voluntary basis, contrary to their forced entry into the Residential School as small children, who had been "kidnapped" from their parents by order of Canadian Law.
Times have changed since the 1940's and 50's and "conversion" of the natives is no longer part of 20th and 21st century standards. Natives are now rediscovering their culture and, as the author has done, are healing their wounds and that of their parents' generation.

As a daughter of one who attended this very school prior to the author, it brings to light how schooling still affects how my father deals with situations (he is now in his 80s).

As an educator, this chapter of Indian Schools is not taught as part of history class -- not for the children or at the university for upcoming teachers. It should be mandatory reading for anyone searching for historical educational processes/pedagogy.

J.Montour, educator

When most kids skip school they don't get shipped off to a Residential School where they are treated less than human and have to learn quickly to get a long. From the opening sentence you are hooked as the boys armed with slingshots decide not to waste the day in school but go hunting instead. Trouble brews and soon the Indian agent shows up to take little Basil away to Spanish - a small town on the North Shore north of Manitoulin Island. The only problem is the Indian agent - (heartless white men who loved to play God) wanted a "pay" load and up and took the five year old sister of Basil too. Nobody got to say yes or no it was a done deal.To say this book is all serious - well it isn't. Humour comes through again and again these are surviors here people - not victims. Basil was gratefull for the education he got and where it lead him but the out come always depends on the person. What would challenge one person who drive someone else to the edge and over it. The boys rise to the challenge of chicken farming at the school - collecting eggs they'll never get to eat. A page turner for sure, take a closer look at Canada's dirty little secert that is just now being dealt with in court. A follow up list is in the back of the book to tell you what happened to these boys. Excellent read not to be missed