Wyoming Books

Medallion Books received the following review from the Cadillac of all Cowboy Poetry online sites:

"Wyoming's Cowboy Poets and Their Poetry goes far beyond most anthologies, focusing as much on the poets' lives as it does on their poetry, through thoughtful and insightful interviews.

This absorbing collection includes 28 contemporary Wyoming poets--ranchers, professors, cowboys, doctors, and others--all of whom call some of their work "cowboy poetry." In the capable hands of editor Jean Henry-Mead, well known for her engaging interviews with Western writers, readers get to know the poets, and their stories give meaningful context to the included poetry. Popular poet and writer Gwen Peterson characterizes the book well in her lively introduction, writing, "What emerges, what radiates off the pages, what comes shining through--as the late Tom Eaton, a Montana cowboy poet, said--'is the spirit of the poet.'"

The poets tell of the people and events that inspire their writing, Sue Wallis' recollection of her father learning a poem is poetry itself. She grew up among "readers, writers and thinkers" and recounts her father memorizing Kipling's "Ballad of East and West." She tells he would practice "while driving our team of Belgians and the hay sled from one hay corral to the next... Until the day I die, I will remember him with his wide-legged stance, the lines to Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee loose and swaying--they [the heifers] knew the routine as well as the rest of us. Us kids were sitting along the back of the sled with the snow swishing past under our feet, jingle of harness, warm, sweet aroma of hose sweat and hay in the crisp air, and him bellowing out: 'Oh East is East and West is West ..."

~Cowboy Poetry at the Bar D Ranch (Cowboypoetry.com)

I highly recommend this book for it's beautiful color photography of historical western fort interiors, details, and militaria. As a student of history, I find this book to be essential to my studies.

This book, which lists and describes in detail, county by county, major and minor historical sites throughout the state, is one of the best guides to the state (or any state) I know. Each site is given a rather lengthy description of its importance as a landmark in the state. Maps and instructions on how to get to each place are also included. The book is filled with b&w illustrations depicting some aspect of just about every site. Great for travelers in the state, but also useful and great reading for armchair travelers and history buffs of the Cowboy State. Highly recommended.

I've lived in Wyoming for 13 years and even I was interested in the detailed discription of Wyoming, I learned alot more about Wyoming than I thought I could know. I recammend this book to anyone, who lives in Wyoming or just wants to know more about this untamed wilderness we call wyoming.

When I was eleven, our family drove with a camper on a half-ton truck to Yellowstone from Southern California. It was one of the most magical experiences of my life. I haven't been back in all of these years because so many people say that it's not as great. Having seen the wonderful photographs in the book makes me think that I didn't see the best the first time.

Most of the two million annual visitors to Yellowstone come in July or August, and the roads are pretty crowded. I remember the begging bears best of all, but was also thrilled by the geysers and streams. An unexpected treat was to see the magnificent Grand Tetons on the way into Yellowstone.

Erwin and Peggy Bauer live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, not far from Yellowstone. As a result, they can come in all seasons and know where to leave the road to see things that almost no one ever sees. I suspect that you could visit Yellowstone 50 times and not capture nearly all of the wonderful vistas, wildlife and wildflower images in this gorgeous book.

Many of the color images evoked the feeling of the Hudson Valley school in their spiritual reverence for nature, such as Tower Creek on page four, Castle Geyser erupting at sunset on page 9, Grotto Geyser on pages 12-13, a bison at daybreak on page 14, Firehole River in winter on page 24, Mammoth Hot Springs under a threatening sky on pages 28-29, Castle Geyser erupting to blot out the sun on page 32, early autumn beside a roadside pond on page 35, Mammoth Hot Springs on page 36, a bull elk at daybreak on page 38, the Snake River during a smoky sunset in 1988 on page 56, a fawn in June on page 58, aspens along the Snake River in autumn on page 60, Oxbow Pond in Grand Teton Park on pages 64-65. And those are less than half of the truly inspiring images in the book.

The essays were equally impressive for helping even a first-time visitor plan the right trip, for the right length of time. Here are the essays:

The World's First National Park; The Yellowstone Landscape; The Wildlife of Yellowstone; The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; Experiencing Yellowstone; The Fires of Yellowstone; The Rivers of Yellowstone; Winter in Yellowstone; and The Future of Yellowstone.

The facts were fascinating, from the dangerous pursuit of Burgess to capture Howell before he wiped out all of the remaining bison in the park, to the reintroduction of wolves into the park, to the problems of overgrazing caused by mistaken Federal policies, to the dangers of exotic species to the native species in the park.

Although I'm not much of a photographer, I think I could take the directions in the book and produce the best photographs of my life. The authors make it easy for even a neophyte to capture the best of Yellowstone.

Most of those who enjoy natural photography are drawn to either the startling black-and-white photographs of Ansel Adams or to subdued natural images in color. I found these images captured the spirit of Ansel Adams in color that captured the moment well rather than over-romanticizing what is being displayed.

After you finish this wonderful book, start making your notes and plans to visit and photograph Yellowstone . . . sometime before or after the crowds come next year. If you can, find an eleven-year-old to take along!

What I like about this book is that while it contains the usual helpful information about where to eat, sleep, shop and see the key sights (and sites), it presents a fascinating look into these two great national parks that are so close together yet so different. It's obvious that the authors spend a great deal of time here and understand the nuances of place. Especially intriguing were the insights into wildlife issues, fire and other important ecological matters, as well as what makes the surrounding communities unique.
What also set this book apart was the attention that Jackson Hole received as an important part of this great vacation landscape.
I read to my husband as we drove through the parks, getting the story behind the story!

What a great book about one of our greatest National Parks. The major section consists of a series of 100 photographs presented in a Then & Now format: photos taken in the 1880's are compared with exact shots (same angle, location, etc.) taken roughly 100 years later. All of the photos depict various views of Yellowstone N.P. Comparisons are amazing: sometimes differences are subtle, other times very dramatic. (All are black & white.) It's amazing that the exact locations could be found, and the author declares that sometimes it was very difficult, requiring much detective work. The results are stunning. There are also chapters dealing with Yellowstone's geology, climate, vegetation, and the effect of human presence in the park. The book is truly monumental, worthy of its subject matter. Highly recommended.

I have been fishing the Yellowstone for seven years, inside and outside the Park. This book captures what the fishing on this magnificent river is all about. The pictures are very neat (not top-notch, yet they are taken by a high-level amateur). It has been created by people who are willing to share their knowledge of the river and the awe we all feel when we are lucky enough to be on the water. Pictures are taken during all seasons. The book shows the environment, as well as the angling itself.

In addition to the guide books, I recommend this to anyone traveling to Yellowstone as a book to read before they go.

In a concise format, the National Park Service does an excellent job of explaining the geology and natural history of the park, the wildlife and the history of the development and use of the park as a public resource. The explanation of the caldara and the volcanic activity that formed Yellowstone and continues to animate it to this day is fascinating. Warning: The "big one" when it comes, is likely to come through Yellowstone, probably the place on the earth where the protective crust is thinnest between us and hot magma below.

The books also includes very good maps and wonderful pictures. An excellent primer that will whet your appitite to visit one of our great parks.

I bought this calendar for a Christmas gift and it was delivered very quickly. My birthday was a week after Christmas and my husband surprised me with a trip to Yosemite for my 50th birthday! There was not a calendar to be had in Yosemite Valley...so glad I found it here!