It's always a pleasure to read a book by an author who knows how to put a paragraph together. Dorothy Johnson comes through. Her sentences flow like water pouring out of a pitcher, and the chapters fly by. You're finished with the book before you know it.

The book is loaded with personal stories of the men and women who emigrated over the Bozeman Trail and those who went to Montana over other routes as well. The book is not strictly about the Bozeman Trail alone. It is also a history of the gold fields of early Montana, the Plummer gang, the vigilantes, etc.

The book covers the important Indian fights at Forts Phil Kearny and C.F. Smith, but is limited in that only one map of any kind is provided, and that is a regional one.

In the annals of American western history the Bozeman Trail through the Wyoming and Montana has a special notoriety for violence and peril. The Bozeman traveler faced hostile Native Americans, outlaws, hard climates, and wilderness solitude. Yet it was the trail favored by prospectors seeking their fortunes in Montana's gold fields, as well as the gamblers, highwaymen, "professional women", and merchants who sought to capitalize on the miner's needs and vices. Dorothy Johnson's classic history begins with the creation of the Bozeman Trail in 1862 and follows the events of 1863 through 1868. The Bloody Bozeman showcases some of the most colorful personalities and memorable events to ever grace the annals of the American West, and Dorothy Johnson is a born storyteller making the days of the Bozeman Trail fairly leap to life off the printed page.

In my humble opinion, Rick Bass is one of the finest writers working today - period. At his best his work shines with insight and speaks so clearly that it's almost painful to hear the truth articulated so accurately. That said, I confess to being a bit disappointed by this book. There are moments of beauty as always. The story of the mountain lion encountered while out hunting with Colter, for example, is classic Bass. Not only does he capture the intensity and danger of the moment, and manage to bring the personality of the lion alive, but he is able to make us laugh at his own thoughts as he struggles to overcome his fear. Really remarkable.

However, Bass is obsessed by the loss of his dog and what that loss has meant to him. He has already written a lovely book on the subject, but apparently it wasn't enough to ease his pain. In trying to tie the animal's death to his work as a writer and activist in this book, you can tell he's stretching it. It's almost as if the offer to write a book about activism was seen as another opportunity to voice his sorrow. Somehow it just doesn't work.

This is not to say that you shouldn't read this book. If nothing else it offers insight into the inner workings of one of our most gifted writers, but expect to struggle with Bass a bit. For once you get the feeling he hasn't gotten it all worked out, that the words he's chosen aren't quite what he meant to say in some places. To me, this is as valuable, and in some ways more meaningful, than reading the fine tuned stuff. It just isn't as satisfying.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about reading this book for me was the reaction I had when I finished. Ordinarily I have a strong feeling of satisfaction when I come to the end of a Bass book. I put it down and mentally tip my hat to a fellow writer. "Well done!" I say. This time however, I had a completely different response. At the end of Brown Dog of the Yak, I felt unsettled and slightly down. Even more unusual was the urge I had to look Bass up, take him by the hand, look him in the eye, and say, "It'll be all right, you'll see."

There is nowadays shortage of true love stories. This is a book about a love. Love of nature and wilderness and a fine dog. As in good love story, there is ecstasy in living with nature and in descriptions of beauty of his country, but there is also suffering and struggle and rage. In the unique blend of keen observations of naturalist and hunter, of ruminations on literary pursuits, and of environmental activism, Bass paints most intricate tapestry on narrative. One of best nature writings. One of the best appeal for preservation of our vanishing wilderness. Let us all hope that somewhere in our government there is a reader who will be touched by grace of this book and be compelled to act.

Leanne Harding runs away from her upcoming wedding only to come face to face with Cade Redstone, the second of Garrett Kincaid's illegitimate grandsons, in a line shack when she seeks shelter from the storm. Cade, who has been jilted at the altar before, initially feels sorry for the would-be groom until he takes Leanne under his wing. He discovers that beneath the spoiled girl image lies a woman determined to work hard in order to pursue her dream, one that is similar to his own.

Leanne has a gift when it comes to working with horses. She also has a protective brother and repressive fiance who question her capability at every turn. So when Cade steps in to give her time to decide for herself what she wants to do, Leanne embraces the opportunity, and Cade, with open and hopeful arms. As she and Cade juggle the deception of their marriage and their pursuit of a dream, they find themselves falling unexpectedly in love.

Laurie Paige's contribution to this series is a step up from its predecessor. Because the background has been laid down and many of the characters introduced, the reader is allowed more time to get to know Cade and Leanne. There is plenty of development both in their relationship and especially in Leanne's character, which resulted in a rather smooth progress for the book. Overall, this installment of the Whitehorn series was an engaging read.

I really enjoyed this story. Leanne Harding was the misunderstood, but tough heroine. Her older brother, Rand and her fiance, Bill never quites listens to what she says. They don't hear her hopes and dreams for the future as well as her feelings. Cade Redstone never has that problems. While he might not completely understand why Leanne has run from her wedding he is willing to give her the time to sort out her feelings. When Rand and Bill, start to pressure Leanne Cade comes up with a solution. His temporary solution, to give Leanne time to think about what she wants to do, gives Leanne the breathing room she needs. Both are falling love with each other but can't tell the other of their true feelings. In the end they come together. A meeting of minds, goals, and love.

Although the book has lots of good information, like any first editions, this has some glitches and errors about river information. Some features like dams, diversions and rapids don't exist where they are depicted yet some features are more hazardous that indicated. Use caution and don't accept at face value. It should be verified through some other source before depending on it. (Fish & Game, canoe dealers, local paddlers, other guide books, etc.) Originally published in 1993, some of the information is now dated. The author has provided a great quantity of useful facts for floaters and fishermen and the appendices are also chockful of valuable information. I think the out-of-state visitor will find a lot of this especially helpful.

Hydrographs are always interesting and a worthwhile addition to any river guide. However, Mr. Thompson, for some reason, used just 1991 flows for many of the rivers. This has skewed the information because, in some areas of the state, 1991 was an exceptionally good snowpack year and produces a hydrograph much higher than an average would be.

His overuse of quotation marks to deliniate the river miles is quite disconcerting. The glossary, called "River Talk", has included some definitions a paddler would probably never use but other, important terms have been omitted.

To summarize--this book does have helpful info but do use caution because there are errors.

I have really enjoyed this book. It has plenty of information, much of which is on history, river features and species of fish that will not be outdated for decades. The practical knowledge and safety tips are worth the price of the book. I used this book to prepare for my last three floats and even enjoy reading about the areas of Montana (and facilities/campgrounds) that I travel through by car.

In this third installment in the Indigo After Dark imprint by Genesis Press, Inc., Montana Blue and Coco Moreno entice their readers with sexual fantasies that could fit just about every woman's taste in erotica.

In the first half of the book, aptly named PANT, Coco Moreno titillates her readers with seven short stories that will make your toes curl and will help you get over whatever your mate did to get on your nerves earlier in the day. She explores everything from the sensuous play of one on one to the burning heat of a ménage a tois.

In the second half of the book, Montana Blue's IMPULSE, takes the reader on a sexual odyssey started by two people who barely know each other's name but on an impulse soon discover the more intimate details of their personalities.

In our bookclub discussion we agreed that the stories were hot and best not read alone. Some of the women were turned off by some of the sexual content of the short stories but everyone agreed that Impulse by Montana Blue was off the chain!

One can debate the purpose of erotica and, depending on whatever side you fall, it will aid you in what you believe this rating could be. If you think the purpose of erotica is to simply turn your body on, then you will rate this a high. If you think it's purpose is to turn on your imagination, then again I say that you will rate this high. It does both. Not every fantasy shared in this book of erotica will tickle everyone's fancy, but it is almost a guarantee that something will. Indigo After Dark III is a taste of what true erotic fantasy should be. It is Hot, Hot. Hot!

Amazon.com is the best when it comes to African American erotica. I was searching the site one night and came across this book. Let me tell you, Indigo After Dark: Romantic Erotica for Women was one of the best books that I have ever read. Coco Morena and Montana Blue tore it up. Part I of the book consist of short stories written by Coco Morena. They left me hot and yearning for more. Every story involves a woman looking to satisfy her sexual appetite. The story that I liked the most was Loving For Life, because I could relate with the character Reagan. I too lost my virginity to a good friend of my family. I was so shocked at how much my sexual beginnings mirrored hers. Montana Blue's story is about Cassandra, a wealthy Ceo of a credit card company that meets a construction worker named August one morning after her tire blew next to the site where he worked. With erotic thoughts of August consuming her mind, she finally goes back to the site and from there is on her way to the most mind blowing sex she has ever experienced. Montana Blue's story starts out sexual but eventually turns into love whereas Coco Morena's stories are all about "gettin'yer freak on" whether with a male or female or both. I'm tellin' you get this book, you won't be disappointed.

On the night of their siblings' wedding, Ryder Redstone and Daisy Harding unknowingly created a child together and went their separate ways. Daisy returned to her life as a mousy teacher and Ryder returned to his life on the road with a multitude of women. Or at least they tried to. A few months later, Daisy is fired for her unwed pregnancy and heads to Whitehorn to spend time with her sister. Ryder returns as a favor to his brother to help out around the ranch. Now the two must deal with the repercussions of that evening.

Karen Hughes has written a story with an engaging style and even more engaging characters. Daisy isn't blatantly beautiful and Ryder is not as careless as he seems. There is a lot more to them than meets the eyes and Hughes illustrates this throughout the story. I really found a lot to admire about Daisy though her denial of Ryder as the father is patently false. Her denial gradually grows irrational and even irritating. Quite surprisingly, Ryder was the more admirable of the two because of his patience, his concern for her, and ultimately because of his love. He is willing to set a lot of his pride aside for Daisy, which clearly wasn't an easy thing for him. He was also ready to make sacrifices for himself for the sake of his child and he had a great deal of faith in Daisy while she continuously second-guessed him even in the face of his devotion to her.

Let's all hope that Karen's not so busy in her new job at the White House that she doesn't have time to write more classics like this one!

I'm glad I ignored the Kurkis Review or I would never have experienced the enjoyable true story of the life of an American pioneer; James Wells of Montana. This book is a great read for those who want a snapshot of life in the early west without wading though the details that could bough down the telling of the story. Of course a book with only 256 pages will miss some details or information especially since it spans such a long period. However, recognizing that, the author entertains us with some dialog that brings the story to life and made it quite enjoyable. Wells and his adventures, which were true (including marrying the princess of a Gros Ventre tribe), fascinated me. As his life unfolded, I had the same impressions that I enjoyed in "Dance with the Wolves" and "Jeremiah Johnson". It's unbelievable what our forefathers did to pave the way for us in the 20th Century. You don't need me to quote the story line or talk about the people and places. The best I can do is say that as a reader of almost any type of book including, autobiographies, science fiction, mysteries, adventure, and fiction, this book goes on my recommendation list. Just read and enjoy the short narrative about one person's true story and the world around him in the early west. There's even a gunfight for those that loved "Gunsmoke". After reading this story, I'm looking forward to reading James Frank's next book "Mary Wells".

I really enjoyed reading James Wells of Montana, an excellent, first-hand look at early American history. This true tale also provides many interesting facts of the native-American Gros Ventre culture -- very educational and my favorite aspect of the book. As you read, you become enveloped in the life of James Wells, and feel his and his family's struggles and joys. There are even some humorous anecdotes that round out the story. If you like learning about other cultures, history, or the Old West, or just enjoy accounts on the life of a family, then this book is for you.

This is the start of a three series book that touches the heart strings for three grown up women who have poor expectations for their own happiness with a male counterpart. Excellent story.

When he brought Bobby Maxwell home in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm, Deputy Rafe Rafferty never considered the chain of events he might set into motion in small town Paradise Corners, Montana. Bobby's father Robert Maxwell practically owns the town as well as the state's political appointees and law enforcement personal. Further, Bobby's sister Thea Maxwell quickly captures Rafe's heart.

Thea can out castrate, out rope and out work virtually any cowboy in Montana. But at twenty-nine, after a disillusioning experience with the governor's son, she remains single. She loves the ranch, and if she had been a son, would have inherited it. Instead, her brother Bobby stands to inherit, even though he feels as though the land and his father suffocate him. She gives Rafe her heart, but when he has to arrest her brother, Thea finds herself caught between love and loyalty.

The Big Sky Country miniseries kicks off with MARRIED IN MONTANA by Lynette Kent. This fast paced, spirited novel creates tremendous tension as the heroine struggles between family loyalty and the man she loves. The hero likewise struggles to follow the law, even though he knows his decision pushes the woman he loves away. Further, the secondary characters add tremendous depth and interest, not only introducing further installments, but also strengthening this fascinating tale. MARRIED IN MONTANA comes very highly recommended...

Probably no book can do full justice to Butte, Montana which, for 50 years up to the start of World War II, was the most interesting city in America. While Butte was a wide open, boisterous mining town with illegal gambling and prostitution operating openly and unabashedly, it had vast flocks of fervent church goers and it managed to nourish its small pockets of refined culture and art. Butte had its millionaires, its poor, its highly diversified foreign cultures yet proudly asserting it Grand Americanism.

With all of that, Butte was ugly, seared grey by acid fumes from smelters; it perched on a hillside spiked by mines gallows and blemished by countless yellowish mounds of ore tailings as if the earth had spilled out its guts like vomit.

Mary Murphy's book, Mining Cultures; Men, Women and Leisure in Butte, 1914-41 does an admirable job of touring around the edges of what was Butte during those years. She got at only the edges for those are the limits she set for herself. Well researched and documented, she was careful not to report her numbers in boring, mind-numbing detail and she served them up garnished by an assortment of interesting and revealing anecdotes.

Ms. Murphy's book is a valuable addition to a pitifully small collection of works on a city which deserves greater study.

This is a fascinating look at changing manners and mores in a major industrial community during the two decades between the two World Wars. The city which Murphy dissects, Butte (Mt.), adds its own quirky character to this study. But you don't need to know much about Butte or mining to enjoy Murphy's engaging style, entertaining anecdotes, and keen insights about a turbulent period of social and economic change in urban America.