This is a well-written, and fairly well-illustrated, account of a very obscure, but fascinating chapter in mining history---specifically the Yoga sapphires of Montana, which are arguably the finest blue sapphires in the world

If you own a sapphire from Yogo Gulch, you own a piece of history, so you might as well know the whole story behind your stone and the mine it came from. Steve Voynick, a bona-fide hard-rock miner and talented writer, tells the whole Yogo story from Pig Eye Basin and J.P. Morgan to the present prospects for this century-old gemstone claim. Detail-rich photographs help you get a better picture of the people and the times. Western mining Americana at its finest

Dr. Blake Remmington discovers he has a son the hard way. While treating a college friend's son for what he suspects is a hereditary allergic reaction to a bee sting, he comes to the conclusion that this boy is his son. Rather than deny it, Serena Dovesong confirms his claim and, surprisingly, encourages his attempts to bond with Nate. She claims their father-son relationship has nothing to do with their friendship or their relationship.

Blake and Serena have no idea where their relationship will go. Blake is afraid Serena and Nate don't need him in their life and Serena fears Blake will only view them as an obligation he must fulfill. Nate surprisingly prefers to keep his own counsel on the matter. What Blake and Serena learn, however, is that love and obligation go hand in hand. Blake's love for Serena and Nate propels him to want to care for and protect them even as the circumstances surrounding Nate's birth, as well as her own childhood, cause Serena to fear being beholden to the man she has loved for years.

Jennifer Greene has written a good story about a man whose feelings of being rootless are quelled when he falls in love with Serena and the incredibly bright child they've created together. Her writing is steady and the characters she's drawn are strong. Much of Blake's individual development stems from the integration of an overarching subplot. But that, in turn, also works in favor of the development of Blake's connection with the Dovesongs.

This is the third in a twelve book series about how Garrett Kincaid finds the seven sons, his son Larry had with six women over the span of 37 years, grandsons he only found out about after the death of his son.

Blake Remmington is the twin brother of Trent, whom we met in the first book of this series. Blake is a Pediatrician, who just after joining a practice in Whitehorn, sees Nate Dovesong who has an allergic reaction to a bee sting and realizes that this is his son, whom he knew nothing about.

This book is Blake trying to gain the love and respect not only from Nate, but from his mother Serena as well. It seems to him that he is doing all the wrong things, because he didn't have a positive dad role model, he just seems at a loss to know what to do right. But with the help of Serena and even Nate himself he seems to come into his own.

This is a very good book, just like the other two, I'm really looking forward to the next nine books. For good reading check out this series.

I read this book after hearing the song "Cold Missouri Waters" which is based on the events of the Mann Gulch Fire. It was interesting to learn the details of the event and gain some insight into fighting forest fires; it even inspired me to read more on forest fires. However, the majority of the narrative ends up being about Maclean and others involved in the investigation of the fire rather than the firefighters. Maclean briefly mentions the outcomes of the tragedy, but focuses a greater deal of attention on his investigation.

I don't do much reading, but this book kept me captivated from the moment I picked it up. Books based on true stories can be dry and uninteresting; however, MacLean combines fact, speculation, and emotion in a way that keeps the reader clamoring for more. I was inspired to read "Young Men and Fire" after hearing Richard Shindell sing James Keelaghan's song, "Cold Missouri Waters" (based on MacLean's book) on the "Cry Cry Cry" CD. After reading this book, I feel compelled to visit the 13 crosses marking the tragic ending for those men on that Mann Gulch hillside.

In "Young Men and Fire" Norman MacLean offers a tragic, yet thoughtful, recreation of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire that left nearly an entire crew of U.S. Forest Service "Smokejumpers" dead. Over the course of the latter years of his life, Mann -- a former Forest Service firefighter himself -- unraveled the mystery of the greatest disaster in the history of the Smokejumpers, while at the same time weaving a tale of innocence lost as touching as any you'll read.

Looking a little deeper into the MacLean's brilliant prose, you will find a pervasive analysis of the decisions made by the firefighters on that fateful day. More so than any other aspect of the book, I found this element to be the most valuable. Every critical decision is broken down and examined, providing the reader with a deep understanding of just how difficult decision making can be when lives are at stake. Bound to be a modern classic!

I've recently read two books on rez life: Ian Frasier's "On the Rez," and this -- better -- book by Larry Colton. "Counting Coup" is ostensibly about senior Sharon LaForge and the Hardin Lady Bulldogs basketball team. But it's real strength is in Colton's depiction of the lives lived off the playing floor on the Crow Reservation. Some parts, I believe, have to be fabricated. His description of Sharon's "Mother from Hell" Karna Fallsdown knocking down shots in a bar while her daughter is playing in the state championships might be accurate, but the author couldn't have been there. But "facts" are somewhat fluid in Indian Country, and Colton's pretty much on target. He sure nailed Hardin, Montana, for what it is. Reading the book, you get to know the characters and you get to care about them. My personal favorite was Stacey "Spacey" Greenwalt, whose quick wit provides much-needed sparks of humor in what is mostly a depressing tale. There's drama, certainly, in the sports reporting of the games. I just wanted the highs of the wins on the basketball court to be accompanied by some highs in the post-game parts of the book. But the rez life highs your read about are drug-induced. That's depressing, but for the most part true. I had hoped Colton would have a SuAnne Big Crow-like story to report, as is told in "On the Rez." (She was also a high school basketball player, a hero and a legend on the Pine Ridge reservation.) But real heroes are hard to find. I'm sure Frasier and Colton take flak from Indians for being middle-aged white guys trying to relate life in Indian country. Some Indians don't even grab the concept of the freedom of the press. They believe "permission" should be granted before a story is told. Clara Nomee, the (former) Crow Tribe chairman, certainly doesn't think the First Amendment applies in her part of America, and Coulton has to go undercover at one point to attend a Crow council meeting. We need more good Indian writers to put these white guys in their place, writers with the guts to tell truthfully and objectively the stories about contemporary reservation life. I'll buy those books. For the record, I spent a year in Hardin in the early 1990s as editor of the weekly newspaper there, and later worked as journalist covering the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota for Indian Country Today newspaper. I'm a middle-aged white guy.

The story takes place on an Indian Reservation in Montana. It's a true story about a talented young woman who plays basketball very well. The odds are against her in every way. Her mother's a drunk, she's an Indian (most Indians don't go to college) and she's not real motivated. The author Larry Colton, describes everything very well, from the troubles of the team, to the struggles of the girls personal lives. He lived there for a year and wrote about the young woman, Sharon. The book made me laugh, it made me cry, but most of all it touched my heart. Counting Coup showed me a new culture and way of living. I never knew so much about Indians until I read this book. It dealt with the struggles of youth, boyfriends, friends, parents, and getting into college. Most people I believe can relate to this story and I highly recommend this book.

This is an exciting, on-the-edge-of-your-seat book that takes you into two worlds that few Americans know much about, American Indian reservation culture and girls' high school basketball. These two worlds become intertwined as author Larry Colton tracks the life of a Crow Indian high school senior, Sharon LaForge, as she and her Hardin, Montana teammates struggle as individuals and as a team to reach the state championship. This true story is excellent because it documents the problems that face reservation Indians in their struggle to survive prejudice, poverty and vice while maintaining dignity in a white-dominated and highly prejudiced world. But it also takes you into the heart of the phenomenon of girls' high school basketball-- the drive for excellence, the ever changing relationships among girls and between girls and coach, the rivalries, the mood swings and the pressures from families and boyfriends. The book is told as a story which takes place over a season. The author explores each character in detail so you feel like you really get to know each one of them. There are also photos of the basketball team and Sharon LaForge. In addition to being an exciting story, the author tells the story with quite a bit of humor. And his perspectives on the meaning of events and people's lives are insightful and sensitive. I am a high school girls' basketball coach. I also coach young girls in basketball. Larry Colton has captured the experience and takes you into a world of sport, Indian and rural America that most of us are unaware of. The book is highly recommended.

Having read the other Calder stories, I felt this one lacked the character depth of the previous stories. It's obvious that another book is due out regarding Ty & Jessy Calder as neither character developed well in this part of the saga. I wonder when the next will be and if it will tie all the loose threads left by Calder Pride. ie. The results of those shot: Ty, Cully, and Rollie; The birth of Ty & Jessy's child; Sally & Chase's relationship; Emma's part in the kidnapping, etc.

MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE I READ THE CALDER SERIES.MY SON LEFT CALDER PRIDE AT MY HOUSE A FEW MONTHS AGO AND I STARTED READING IT THE OTHER NIGHT,I FINISHED THE BOOK IN ONE NIGHT AND WAS SADDENED WHEN I GOT TO END. I WANTED THE BOOK TO CONTINUE.AS FAS AS THE CALDERS GO,MS.DAILEY HAS NOT LOST HER TOUCH.MEMORIES OF THE LIVES OF THE CALDERS CAME BACK AND AT SOME POINTS I WOULD SAY OH YEAH "THIS OR THAT HAPPENED".I LIKE THE WAY OLD CHARACTERS AND NEW ONES WERE BROUGHT TOGETHER LIKE SALLY FOR INSTANCE.I HOPE THERE IS A SEQUEL TO THIS BOOK AS WELL.

I read this book in one day! I could not put it down and stayed up until 3:00am reading it. If you like romance and a good story along with it this is the book for you. I have not read the other books in this series but after this book I am hooked. I was worried since I had not read the others this would be hard to follow but it was not. It is a story all its own, One I know I will want to read again.

Don't expect another page-turning suspensful classic like "Into Thin Air." "The White Death" chronicles the deaths of five young climbers due to avalanche in Glacier National Park in 1969. Because no one on the expedition survived, there is not much in the way of a first hand account of the trajedy. The rescue effort that became a body search is interesting and gives the reader a sense of how potential resucures are also potential victims. The highlights of the book are author Jenkins's descriptions of what it is like to be caught by an avalanche. This is chilling stuff, indeed. The book's main drawback is that the central story can't fill its relatively brief 220 pages, which forces Jenkins to relate many other historical avalanche stories, some of which are more interesting than the book's main subject. Overall, it is not a bad read and will be of particular interest to those wholike mountaineering stories.

Throughout history, mountains have held a certain irresistible appeal, an unknown feeling of holy ascendence. That appeal has held through the ages, and envelops people who have already done something important with their lives, those who haven't, and older people as well as young people. Being close to nature, risking everything for the beauty of the view from the top of a mountain, for the physical prize after a hard climb, for the closeness a peak brings heaven or any sentient all-powerful being; these are all rewards from a successful climb, and these are not all. But there is also so much to risk - life itself, which, being already so short, is worth more than anything imaginable. People risk themselves constantly through mountain climbs or extreme sports, believing the rewards far outweigh the losses. The White Death is a well-told story of five boys who risked it all for the climb of a lifetime.

McKay Jenkins transforms the elusive and unknown world of avalanches to an intriguing story of mountain rescues. Don't read this book expecting it to focus on the lost boys; it won't. But you'll learn all about avalanche rescue techniques, types of snow and how to test them for avalanche safety, helicopter rescues, et cetera. You get my point.

I would completely recommend this book to any skiier, boarder, hiker, climber, or person interested in the outdoors and rescues. I picked this book off the shelf because I liked the cover, then read the flap and borrowed it. It is definately worth the time to read "The White Death".

A great book! While telling the story of one ill-fated expedition in the mountains, The White Death explores side trails into a fascinating variety of high-altitude subjects. With amazing skill and a deep affinity for his subject, McKay Jenkins traces the history of mountaineering from its roots in antiquity, to the skiing boom that followed World War II, and into the current era of technologically assisted mountain recreation. Jenkins documents the toll avalanches have taken on alpine villages, mountain explorers, even a troop of elephants following Hannibal across the Alps. At the same time, he seeks to understand the psychological and spiritual rewards that have lured people to risk the dangers of mountain life. Finally Jenkins questions the changing relationship to wilderness that is putting more, often ill-prepared, people in the path of avalanches.

Along the way the book provides a rich introduction to avalanche research and snow science. Jenkins tells you what to watch out for in the mountains and explains the conditions that can turn an otherwise stable snowfield into a fatal torrent, ripping down a mountain with such force that even the wind pushed ahead of the snow can bend roadsigns and blow houses apart. But it's not all history and science. The White Death is above all an engaging story of the human longing for nature. The book is filled with captivating characters--from the group of young men who attempt the Mount Cleveland climb that gives the book its central story, to the rescuers and crusty avalanche experts who try to understand and explain the tragedy.

Don't miss The White Death; it's a peak experience.

This is the second book in Julie Garwood's series about the Clayborne family, so the stories make more sense if they are read in order...For the Roses, The Clayborne Brides and Come the Spring.
This book tells the stories of the Clayborne brothers Douglas, Travis and Adam and their adventures they had when they met their mates. After reading For the Roses, you are left with the need to read more about this exciting family, but this doesn't seems to have the "magic" that Garwood's books usually have.
I am a big Julie Garwood fan, so I do recommend reading this book, especially if you enjoyed For the Roses, however, it was not my favorite book by this author...and, if this is the only book of Garwood's you read and you didn't like it, give her another chance and read another one of her awesome stories. I recommend Honor's Splendor, The Bride, Ransom or her newest novel, Mercy.

I should have rated all 3 of these books seperately. One Pink Rose I would have only given 4 stars but One White Rose and One Red Rose would both get 5 stars!

I have read all of Julie's books and I don't think these seemed rushed at all, although some people seem to believe they were. I would have enjoyed if they were longer but all the same i enjoyed them. Travis's story 'One Pink Rose' was good but he was never really my favorite brother. Although I did love how Emily brought out the softer side of him. It also expaned on his charcter more than we were able to see in For the Roses. Now Douglas's story "One White Rose' is absolutely one of my favorite Garwood books. The humor in this book is tremendous, i can't even tell you how many times i had to stop reading because i was laughing so hard! The story line was completely different from Travis's story which was a relief. I feared all 3 stories would be too similiar. Ms. Garwood didn't disappoint me. I have read One White Rose several times and the ending is the absolute best! I won't elaborate in fear of giving anything away. :) Adam's story 'One Red Rose' was again refreshingly different from Travis and Douglas' stories. He was always so disciplined, it was nice to see a lady make him lose his control for once. Genevieve was so well written. She was a perfect match for Adam, just ask Mama Rose...she'll tell you just that! :) This story started back at the ranch and the whole family was there, and i truly enjoyed Garwood's thoughtfulness of letting us revisit with all the members of the Clayborne clan. They were lighter reads than her usual, but ravished with Garwood's fascinatingly, unique style all the same. Great reads and I definitely recommend them.

Her books are awsome! She is one of the top romance writter in my book I have read 17 of Julie Garwood's novels and she astounds me every time I read a new one. I suggest if you want to read this book start with the book "For the Roses" then go onto read "One Pink Rose", "One white Rose", and "One Red Rose" and then read "Come the Spring" These books are all about the Claybourne family and how they strived to survive raising an abandoned baby that they found in New York and turning her into a lady. After their little Mary Rose is grown up and Married to a highland Lawyer named Harrison each brother is tempted by women into settling down will the brothers run or face the destiny that MAMA Rose tricks them into.

I found an "advance reading copy" in a used bookstore in San Francisco, and thought, "Lucky Me! I get to read it before everyone else!", so bought it. Well ... you can't win 'em all. I'm not sure what happened. I can only guess that upon the phenomenal success of his first book (which I loved) and the movie (which did a fair job ... I was surprised that Redford felt the need to change the ending so drastically) that Evans was pushed into coming out with another novel - pronto. The result is a work which should have gone back to the drawing board. The characters are good ... the story is good ... (I won't divulge plot here ... that's what reading's all about, right??) but that is never enough for a book to not only hold your interest, but make you forget that you're reading at all, to "fall through the page" as Stephen King puts it. A book must have style. You must be able to trust the author, and reading "Horse Whisperer", I was able to do that. With "The Loop" I was not. At times the writing was downright painful. I will be curious to check this site in the coming weeks and see what others think of the book.

Young woman, and an even younger man, strive to save pack of wolves from angry ranchers while trying to overcome their own personal doubts and shortcomings. When they turn to each other for love, it threathens their mission. In "The Horse Whisperer," author Nicholas Evans showed how wounded people and animals can help each other. Now he's done it again in "The Loop." In both works, he proves to be a master in foreshadowing events, thereby creating masterful page-turners. But, while tension builds with each page in "The Loop," at its heart this work is a study of our humanity. Though the wolf can be a dangerous creature, when does man become the greater monster? As for the title, does it refer to the "circle" of life described by Black Elk in the front of the book? Or does it only represent the device of a cruel, haunted character named J.J.Lovelace, who kills entire families of wolves when the price is right? Part of the satisfaction is deciding for yourself. If you want forbidden love, betrayals, human conflicts, tragic loss, and a tale that makes you question your own level of humanity, then this is the book for you.

The Loop is the first book I've read by Nicholas Evans and it won't be the last. His description of Hope (the characters and the setting itself) made the reader feel totally engrossed in the story. Each character was extremely well developed and had a necessary place in the story (which is something I often criticize other authors for not doing). The momentum of the storyline is a little slow through the middle but once the novel picks up memomentum, it doesn't disappoint! Very interesting subject matter (you can understand how both sides of the coin could feel very strongly about the wolves and their place in the community) but also light and entertaining (I loved Helen's relationship with her family and her own descriptions of herself. She very was humble from the first person narrative even though other narratives described her as very attractive and well respected by her colleagues). VERY SATISFYING READ!

I have read all of Ms. Garwood's books. PRINCE CHARMING is a great story and for those who like a little western in their romances, this one is perfect. I loved the hero Lucas and Taylor was delightful as the heroine who follows him to Montana. Garwood has a unique writing style that doesn't disappoint in this one. She easily shows her flare for being able to diversify location settings within the same book, added to that is the building tension between Lucas and Taylor and you have an enjoyable read.

Julie Garwood is the queen of romance. Her stories are filled with adventure and excitement. Prince Charming is definitely no exception. The women in her stories are independent and strong, unlike other romance authors. The character in this story, Taylor, is one of my favorites. The chemistry between Taylor and Lucas is electrifying. This is one of her best novels. From cover to cover you will be enthralled. I found myself spontaneously laughing out load and wanting to crying at the sad parts. You don't find many authors who can evoke that much emotion in their writing. If you are interested in reading a book by Julie Garwood. This book is definitely a must.

i have been a fan of julie garwood since i haphazardly picked up "the bride" and fell in love with her optimistic and romantic writting. This is one of my favorite book by mrs. garwood.

This story of an heriess, taylor, hell bent on saving her two nieces in america and Lucas, a rugged man from the american frontier just as hell bent on saving taylor. Their marriage was one of convience to help taylor gain access to her inheirtance and get her to america but the love that developes between the two characters is heartwarming.

I love garwood's heroes as the reluctantly chivalrous men trying their damnest not to be drawn to garwood's heriones. I love taylor's spunk and determination. Though she is naively innocent she can wield a gun with the best of them. Little oddities like that are what always make garwood's work so much fun to read.

i definitely enjoyed this book. i couldn't stop reading it which is always a good sign in my opinion. try it out and be ready to be a fan:)

The Montana Chamber of Commerce would probably rather that this story had been put in another setting. We don't think of Montana as being a haven for mobsters, pedophiles, neo-Nazis and others given to abherrant behavior, but Bitterroot Valley seems to have them in fair abundance. Also there to stir up the pot are an undercover ATF operative named Sue Lynn Big Medicine, an alcoholic mystery writer, his cokehead actress wife, and in the center, stirring the pot for all that it is worth are Tobin "Doc" Voss a pacifist - turned Navy SEAL - turned poet - turned physician and his friend Billy Bob Holland who has had quite a career as well (Houston cop, Texas Ranger, Phoenix US Attorney and now a private attorney from Deaf Smith, Texas).

Doc's daughter is raped and eventually Doc is charged with murdering one of the suspects. Billy Bob agrees to represent him. However, don't get ready for any court room scenes, because this plays out in a convulted fashion in which scores are settled and people get what they deserve.

Well crafted dialogue is a strength of the author, James Lee Burke, and he outdoes himself in this book. The discussions between Billy Bob and the local sherrif, J.T. Cain are something to look forward to.

This book will hook you as you try to figure out what is going to happen next and with all of the characters twisting through the book there is a lot happening. James Lee Burke has been awarded two Edgars in the past for hit literary efforts. I'm not sure this one will rise to that level, but is definitly worth your time.

This is a great book. Texan Billy Bob Holland struggles and often fails to control his capacity for violence. He goes to visit a friend in Montana, Doc Voss, who similarly battles his urges to settle things with guns and fists. After Doc nearly kills a biker in a bar fight, three bikers rape his daughter in an apparent act of revenge. But there are so many awful and violent people populating the town, all with mixed up motives and impulses, that the answers to the book's riddles are far from apparent. Billy Bob frequently talks to the the ghost of his friend LQ Navarro, whom he shot accidentally during a gun battle with Mexican drug dealers, adding a melancholy personification of his inner battles. Burke brings a strong literary touch to the tough guy genre. His books are packed with imagery and his characters are all unique (don't buy into the Robicheaux and Holland are the same character foolishness). This book is fabulous. You may find yourself compelled to read it in a single sitting.

I made a promise to myself after reading HEARTWOOD last year that I'd buy the next "Billy Bob Holland" novel in hardback when it came out, rather than waiting for the paperback edition. It's a promise I'm glad I kept. In James Lee Burke's newest novel, BITTERROOT, ex-Texas Ranger Billy Bob Holland is back in true form, ready to protect his family and friends, and to put down anyone who gets in his face. When Billy Bob goes to Bitterroot, Montana to visit his old friend, Tobin "Doc" Voss, he expects to have a nice, relaxing vacation with maybe a little "fly" fishing thrown in. It turns out, however, to be anything but relaxing. It seems that a local mining company is polluting the rivers around Bitterroot with cyanide and Doc Voss is trying to put a stop to it. The mining company decides to fight back by hiring some hard-nose bikers and members of a certain white supremacist group (led by Carl Hinkel) to try and intimidate Doc. Since Doc is a former SEAL and did his fair share of killing in Vietnam, he's not the kind of guy who generally backs down. When Doc's sixteen-year-old daughter, Maisey, is brutally raped by three bikers, everything takes a turn for the worse. The men suspected of the crime are released from jail due to a lack of evidence and then are murdered, one by one, by an unknown assailant. Because of evidence found at the crime scenes, Doc is the number one suspect for the murders, and he has to ask Billy Bob to represent him as his lawyer. As if Billy Bob doesn't have enough to deal with, an ex-con by the name of Wyatt Dixon shows up in Bitterroot, seeking revenge against the former Texas Ranger for the death of his sister (a woman who killed all of her children). Then, there's a mobster by the name of Nicki Molinari, who's trying to retrieve some stolen money from a woman Billy Bob happens to be sexually involved with. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. Before the novel is over, the body count is going to be sky high, and Billy Bob is going to have to answer some tough questions about love, family, friendship, and his violent nature. Not even the ghost of his late friend and partner, L.Q. Navarro, will be able to help him with this. In BITTERROOT, James Lee Burke shines at his brightest as he juggles a dozen or more subplots, spinning and weaving them into a gripping tale of violence, suspense and redemption. The character of Billy Bob Holland will have to delve deeply into his heart and examine his feelings for his close friend, Carol Temple, while at the same time, acknowledging that his son, Lucas, is now a man and must be allowed to make his own decisions, right or wrong. Billy Bob must also find a way to deal with his violent tendencies, understanding that he only feels alive when putting down men who deserve to be killed. This is especially true for the character of Wyatt Dixon, a man who's as deadly as a rattlesnake and is determine to teach Billy Bob a thing or two about revenge by going after the people he loves the most. Though the book is filled dozens of main and secondary characters, Mr. Burke manages to breathe life into each and everyone one of them through the use of individual quirks and nuances. Few authors have the skill to do this. The writing, of course, is sheer poetry to read. Mr. Burke has a finely tuned ear for dialogue and a vivid eye for description, bringing words together that reach into the reader's heart and soul, making him or her at one with the story. I have to say that, after three novels, the character of Billy Bob Holland is beginning to remind me more and more of Dave Robicheaux. Both men are filled with guilt at the lost of a close friend or wife. Each one also has a strong loyalty to friends and family, not to mention a strict code of honor that enables them to do whatever is necessary in order to protect the weak and innocent. There's even a rumor floating around that Mr. Burke will eventually bring both characters together in one book. That is definitely something all of Mr. Burke's fans would happily die for. Read BITTERROOT and find out why James Lee Burke is now considered to be one of America's best writers, then check out the "Dave Robicheaux" novel, PURPLE CANE ROAD, and discover why millions of people are addicted to this great author.