Sexual Culture In Ancient Greece adds to the university's series in classical culture, but stands well alone as a college-level survey of early religious and sexual culture in ancient Greece. Art from the earliest periods accompanies a discussion of nine successive stages of Greek sexual culture, using passages from Biblical, Near Eastern and Greek literature to trace ideas of sexual culture in regional civilizations. The only comprehensive survey of Greek sexual culture.

There are those who revere a past where western heroes ride tall. If so, they are forewarned as the author dismantles the celebrated frontier reputations of Chris Madsen, E. D. Nix, and Bill Tilghman. Heck Thomas is left unscathed. Some may feel the author's unyielding stance is a tacit admission that she is arguing rather than proving her premise but they would be wrong as this is a well documented book derived, in the main, from original sources.

Samuelson offers the proposition that the early transgressions of Madsen and Tilghman in particular were harbingers of their misbehavior in Oklahoma Territory. A misspent youth isn't always a predictor of a misspent adulthood yet the author makes a good case to the contrary. The guardsmen's early deeds and misdeeds coupled with names, places, and dates does complicate Samuleson's narrative. Her task is eased somewhat when the subjects' lives converge in Oklahoma Territory where their primary focus settles on the Oklahoma outlaws. Samuleson illuminates various incidents from that time period and matches legend against fact and myth against truth.

Nix was a venal U. S. Marshal who hired scores of incompetent relatives and associates. He also hired some lawmen including the guardsmen to help police Oklahoma Territory. Complaints soon surfaced about drunken officers and their illegal seizures of property. An audit of Nix's office disclosed, among other things, that he was forging and/or inflating expense vouchers and discounting fake vouchers to banks for cash. Nix later wrote a popular book extolling his Oklahoma experiences wherein he often claimed as his own the accomplishments of other enforcement agencies.

Madsen's assertions that he fought in foreign wars with the Danish army and the French Foreign Legion were false. In contrast, he did spend considerable time in Danish jails because of forgeries and frauds. He was deported as an undesirable and came to the United States. Madsen joined the U. S. army, served six months in a Wyoming prison, lied about his Rough Rider experiences, and continued romanticizing and embellishing his phantom exploits, including those in Oklahoma, until his death at 92 years.

Heck Thomas was a policeman, trail driver, express man, and bounty hunter before being appointed deputy U. S. Marshal for the Indian Territory. He was an excellent deputy and arrested scores of violators. If Thomas had one fault it was a fiery temper which led him into trouble at inappropriate times. He was quick to use a billy club or firearm and engaged in several shoot outs .

Tilghman's claim to fame as the "outstanding lawman on the frontier" was promoted by Outlaw Days (1926) and Marshal of the Last Frontier (1949) written by his widow Zoe Tilghman. Frontier myths have a life of their own and Tilghman's were no exception as they were passed on by succeeding writers who based much of their narratives on Zoe's loving but somewhat mythic information.

Tilghman led a checkered life in Kansas . He served as a lawmen yet had earlier joined with known thieves to steal scores of horses from protected Indian lands. He also sold whiskey and guns to Indians. The author regards Tilghman and his associates' illegal actions as a major cause of the Red River War of 1874-75. Tilghman hadn't altered his wayward ways decades later as he was arrested six times in Oklahoma for running bawdy houses and consorting with prostitutes, and at least nine times for illegal gambling. His job as Sheriff of Lincoln County, Oklahoma, was clouded by minor scandals and issues of impropriety, a consequence of his advanced age and diminished future.

Samuelson carefully examines the 1924 shooting death of Tilghman in Cromwell, OK, by Wiley Lynn, a Federal Prohibition Officer. She raises the specter of "Special Officer" Tilghman as a pay-off man for the Governor and uncovers troubling questions. Why was Tilghman in a notorious place late at night sitting with the owner, a known lawbreaker? Was Tilghman a protector for the night spot? Was Tilghman, who didn't like Wiley, waiting to confront him? Why did Wiley Lynn have a night time search warrant for that particular place to be served at that particular time? Was Lynn as corrupt an officer as other writers have portrayed him?

The author doesn't provide answers to all these questions leaving it up to the reader to be the judge. What is clear is that Lynn's and Tilghman's careers came to an end on that fateful evening in Cromwell. Two men: one young, brash, and destined to die within a few years; the other aged, physically ill, and ensnared by his past. Tilghman the possessor of clay feet became a legend when he died on that dusty street.

These celebrated Oklahoma lawmen may have lacked firmness of character when in positions of power. They may have faltered occasionally when crucial decisions had to be made. However, on most occasions they acted with assurance and celerity, rarely allowing themselves the burden of doubt. This is an admirable trait in the right place at the right time. According to the author, the right places were few and far between. Some will argue the guardsmen were victims of circumstances that few of us will ever experience; that they shouldn't be judged for indiscretions precipitated by exigent circumstances and that their hallowed status as myths should remain untarnished. The author would probably describe those so inclined as failing to grasp reality by clinging so fiercely to the past.

The book's title may prove confusing unless one is familiar with the subject. A list of photographs and documents would have been helpful along with additional maps. Each chapter should have had related end notes rather than being grouped together at the rear of the book. The appendix contains thorough and useful genealogical information on all four subjects. Excellent information is contained in the author's notes. The source material Samuelson examined is quite impressive.

This is an admirable addition to book collections of frontier lawman and outlaw histories.

My grandfather was a ragtime/jazz musician in Oklahoma from 1916 to 1928 -- something I've always thought strange. This book makes sense of it, adding names, dates, and facts that would otherwise be lost to history. Chapters are far too short. But it's a quick read, if you consider that a good thing.

Excellent research source for jazz history buffs.

Not all history is made by the likes of George Washington, Napolean, or Babe Ruth--larger than life individuals. Sometimes, lesser known luminaries from smaller locales make a significant mark. Such is the case with Nicholas Comfort, as shown exquisitely by Robert Cottrell. Professor Cottrell, the author of biographies about I.F. Stone and Roger Nash Baldwin, recounts in this carefully researched and beautifully told biography the story of a minor character in history who bravely stood up to larger forces. Comfort, a professor of religion at the University of Oklahoma, was ahead of his time--in a region not necessarily receptive to his mindset. For example, Comfort stood up against racism by confronting the KKK and befriending black leaders. He stood up to the powers of a people at war by supporting pascifism. Cottrell's biography depicts the actions of a brave man with unpopular convictions. This compelling biography is told with compassion, and again marks Cottrell as one of our most important biographers of the radical left.

Speaking in Tongues is a novel that I bought on a whim, knowing nothing about it. I simply picked it up at random, wanting to try something totally new to me. What a wonderful surprise this book was. It is a fascinating story of a married woman living in France. The protagonist is a fully developed character created with warmth and insight, and delightful humor. Linda Ashour writes powerfully and wittily; she deserves a wider audience ready to appreciate a rich reading experience.

This is an outstanding book for any one with interest in Native American history. I learned some facts I never knew before. Very well worth the price paid.

Outstanding book! I think it is very fair in it's analysis of
Judge Fall's behavior regarding the Teapot Dome Incident.
I am fascinated by this event in history and wish there had been even more detail in the book. I realize, however, that
most readers probably would be satisfied with the level of detail. I also realize that "Teapot" happened in the early
1900's and all the participants are gone and there is scanty
documentation from that era.

Eddie Faye Gates is a very good author. Her down to earth writing style is easy to read and enjoy.

A typical trail drive story. Lots of problems but what would you expect when you're driving thru a thousand miles of Indians, harsh land wet and dry, raining hard and hotter than the worst desserts. You may have survived the civil war but this is a different story. Another very intertaining trail drive except Mr. Compton had just to many rain storm disasters.

This book is a compilation of eyewitness reports. From the moment of the blast to the demolition of the building, we hear from those who were there. What they saw, what they felt, what they experienced. Cops, firemen, office workers, FEMA experts, Red Cross volunteers, every aspect of the disaster except the hard details of the investigation are covered. (The book was created during the investigation and the pending criminal trial, so these details were not available for publishing.)

After reading this book, you will know at least a little about what it was like to be there at ground zero, about what the building was like inside (without many graphic details), about the willing sacrifice of all involved, about the effects of the terrorist's bomb.

Highly recommended.