Hyde's chronicle begins with the surrender of the Sioux to the U. S. government, and the beginning of the "noble experiment" of transforming Native Americans into Neo-Europeans (by making them farmers, for example). The book ends with the tragedy of the Wounded Knee massacre, and can be read as an analysis of all the factors leading up to that incident, which revealed the failure of said experiment.

Hyde recounts the many factors which led to the resumption of hostilities between a small minority of Sioux and the U. S. Army. the author clearly has favorite villains on both sides: from religious philanthropists on the East coast, who had never met a live Sioux in his native habitat, to Sitting Bull who went about caching firearms, to the corrupt politicians who replaced relatively knowledgeable Indian agents with inexperienced political cronies. Hyde paints the portrait of all of these actors and more with verve and detail.

Missing from Hyde's account is any in-depth analysis of Sioux culture that would allow us to understand the appeal of the Ghost Dance. Instead, Hyde's account posits that Sioux and white are motivated by the same factors: greed, political infighting, fear, hatred, and hunger. But Hyde's focus on action and decision, his love of detail, and his sardonic style make for gripping and informative reading. Recommended for anyone interested in frontier history or in the fraught relationship between whites and Native Americans.

Few people living today know that President Thomas Jefferson launched two expeditions into the Louisiana territory purchased in 1803; Lewis and Clark to the north, Freeman and Custis to the south. Lewis and Clark have been covered thoroughly, even triumphally, because they completed their task. Freeman and Curtis have been ignored because they were intercepted by Spanish soldiers after exploring hundreds of miles of the Red River. Historian Dan Flores, drawing on both American and Spanish sources, performs a real service by describing this southern expedition and placing it within the context of its time (1806). Flores reminds us that the Spanish tried to stop Lewis and Clark too, but missed them. He shows us that the scheming General Wilkinson wanted the Freeman and Custis expedition to provoke a war with Spain, and nearly succeeded. Flores provides an introduction before the expedition's own account, and an epilogue after. His annotation of the expedition's documents is exceptionally thorough and often fascinating. The book includes numerous black and white illustrations and reproductions of several old maps. A modern map of the area would have been helpful. This book is one of an excellent series published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

This book is worth reading, especially if you have or know someone who is getting older. Like many of Walker's books, her descriptions are so vivid you are right there with her characters on a moutain in Vermont.

This book was very interesting in relation to the history of several airlines. It covers Lamar and his stints at Trans-Texas, American, Southern, Central, Universal, Southwest, and even covers some of Muse Air. Too bad no pictures were included.

Algo importante para los hispanos de nuevo mejico y colorado

An excellent collection of short stories about the Southwest--its history, its fauna and flora, its people, and just a little about where it may be going if suburbia continues to encroach.

At its best, Bruce's writing style verges on poetry, refining the imagery into a few well chosen lines that beg to be read and read again. The very short story about the Metaphysical Tent is one the best short pieces I have read.

The author relies on Austin's newspaper (no longer in print) called the Reese River Reveille to describe what every day life in Austin was like, from its founding in the 1860s to about the 1950s. Most of the book focuses on the 1860s, when Austin was founded as a mining town. The book then discusses its growth and development, the struggles of its inhabitants in an isolated location, and the hopes for Austin's own "place in the sun" as a premier western town.

The book is easy to read and very enjoyable. Having spent about a month in Austin this summer, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book in my college's library. Recommended for anyone interested in frontier history.

This is a collection of short pieces dealing with some aspects of Tennessee history, including people and events through World War I and the 1920's. There is no attempt at in-depth analysis or a great deal of detail, but it's an amusing read and a good starting point if you're interested. C. W. Nestor, Jr.

As a former student of "Davis Many Voices" I really enjoyed this book. The storys in the book can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages. The drawings are really good and it is a easy reader. This is the type of book you can read on a rainy day.