Lone Pine books are probably the most pleasing nature guides I've seen. They aren't as lean and functional as some of the great bird ID guides, they're... pleasing, like a really engaging encyclopedia. Their layout, their spare but well-written texts, their thoughtfully done range maps, their size and weight, their durable feeling, and just the overall tone of these books all feel right, just right.

As a publisher, Lone Pine seems to be aiming for spots that aren't saturated with competitors. They're also taking a regional approach. So, we get a "Plants of the Rocky Mountains" title from Lone Pine, with trees and perennials and annuals and so on, rather than an "Eastern Wildflowers" or something like that.

This Mammals book is more of a browsing sort of guide, a reference you skim through or go to check when you've see something, rather than an identification helper you'd use with binoculars. I'm sure it'd be fine as an actual ID guide too, but the idea here isn't to get a bunch of comparable deer species onto the same page to let you compare, it's to provide enough space for each species to really come into its own. (There is a little paragraph for each animal explaining what you could mistake for it, but that's not quite the same. And anyway, how many types of bear are there in the Rockies?) I've also seen a Squirrels guide from them that seemed to follow much the same style.

The format's beautiful, easy to use and very consistent. Each species includes at least one illustration and one photo, along with four pages of loving description. There are nice little callouts with explanatory text about behavior and so on. It's all extremely easy on the eye.

Once you've used one of this company's books, you'll probably want to set a shelf aside at your cabin.

The sequel to "Mystery on Rampart Hill", Manitou Art Caper by Emily Burns is the next involving installment in this on-going series for young readers about the Thompson kids, teen detectives who become involved in tracking down the thief behind a number of art gallery robberies. The Manitou Art Caper is enthusiastically recommended as a charming and enjoyably entertaining story.

The Medicine Bow Mountain Range is in southeastern Wyoming, and this book gives a very good chronological history of this area. The authors begin with the earliest known evidence of man inhabiting this area, then move on to talk about how the Indians,fur trappers and mountain men influenced this part of the west. William Ashley paved the way for the Overland Trail, Jim Bridger helped to explore this region and John Fremont mapped this part of the west. Chapters on the logging, mining and grazing industries are also very interesting. The railroad had a major fundamental part in the development of this area. The authors also talk about the Medicine Bow National Forest and how till this day, it is still trying to be a land for multiple use. I really enjoyed this book, there is a lot of history here.

The western ghost town holds a special mystique for all of us who are fascinated by the history of the American frontier, or who simply love to wander its mountain backroads. As a result, guidebooks to these etherial, abandoned communities abound. It's unfortunate that most such volumes really have little to recommend them, with their quick compilations of boilerplate text and often-reproduced photographs.

"Montana Pay Dirt" is an intriguing and memorable exception to this rule. The book chronicles the histories of Montana's most famous old mining camps with an accuracy and thoroughness found nowhere else, drawing on a combination of extensive archival research and engrossing interviews with old-timers. These fascinating stories are presented in an engaging, evocative style that makes them a joy to read.

Muriel Sibell Wolle researched and visited most of these towns back in the early 1950s, and the book is filled with great first-person stories of her explorations in the backroads of the Montana mountains, driving a large touring sedan and searching for abandoned mines and cabins. A talented artist, Wolle illustrated her books with handsome sketches of ghost town streetscapes -- drawings that alone are worth the price of the volume.

In short, Montana Pay Dirt is certainly among the best of the western "ghost town" books, and it also endures today as a standard history of the Montana mining frontier. Very highly recommended.

This account of the Vigilantes of Bannack and Virginia City is well documented and verifies, or, is verified by, Dimsdale's account of the vigilantes. My great-grandfather, Bob Dempsey, was a citizen of Bannack and had a ranch between Bannack and Virginia City. He was not involved with the members of Plummer's gang but somewhat on the fringe of things. My grandfather James Dempsey married Ellen LeCompte in Virginia City. Williams was the leader of the vigilantes but did not want his name used in the Dimsdale account. This account is accurate and can be verified by historical records available. Vi

Glenn Monahan's book, Montana's Wild and Scenic Upper Missouri River, 2nd edition, is written clearly and accurately. Lewis and Clark first described this portion of the Missouri in their annals of 1805. Construction of the Fort Peck Dam has changed the course of the river since that date. And one will not see grizzly bear or buffalo as documented by the Expedition in what was then Montana Territory.

For travelers who are canoeing, rafting or exploring outcroppings on foot, Monahan gives a play-by-play of scenic changes and their identification. His historical accounts and pictures satisfy curiosity and bridge a 200-year gap.

If you think there are no really good places to cycle in the Midwest, this book will change your mind. Very detailed...everything you need to know, how to get there, how to find the trails, what to expect, etc.

My Best Work Is Done At The Office is pure Roland Cheek, that is, a rollicking blend of wit, wisdom, and adventure in the Northern Rocky Mountain country and written down in his newspaper articles for more than two decades. This highly recommended compendium showcasing some of the best of his writing is a "must" for all his fans and will serve to introduce to new generations of readers one of the country's a truly masterful, wittiest, and memorable western storytellers.

This refers to the paperback edition. Robert Campbell joined Ashley's Fur Trade Expedition in 1825, and this little book gives his own account of his adventures in the American West up to 1835. Although Campbell is cited in many historical and biographical books, documents, manuscripts and journals, he has somehow eluded notoriety amongst the more famous mountain men and fur trappers of his day. After reading this book, one can easily see that he played a very significant role during this time period. Even though the book is only sixty pages, there are many interesting stories and events which Campbell relates to the reader. The historical notation and introduction are also well done.

As with all of the National Audubon Society's field guides, the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Rocky Mountain States" is a most worthwhile purchase, perfect as a gift or for your own collection. The guide is durable and very portable, which makes it well suited for use in the outdoors. More importantly, it has excellent content. Despite its small size, the field guide contains a wealth of information. In addition to the usual focus on flora and fauna species, there is information on constellations, parks, ecosystems, and more. While the depth and detail of the information in the various sections is not vast, the breadth of subject matter more than makes up for this; the information presented is ideal for a general field guide. Moreover, the book is beautiful, filled with gorgeous color photographs. Residents of the Rocky Mountain states and non-residents will both love it.