This biography, penned originally in 1915, is a splendidly written story of an amazingly fruitful life, so full of adventure that one often feels as if they're reading a novel. Over the course of his life, Fr. de Smet travelled nearly 300,000 miles. He braved shipwrecks, blizzards, drought, famine, sectarian strife, hostile tribes, horrible food, sickness and every imaginable hardship for the sake of the Gospel. Especially dear to his heart were the Indians of the Plains and Rocky Mountains--the Flatheads, Kalispels, Coeur d'Alenes, Pend d'Oreilles, Sioux, and many others. By the end of his life, he had baptized thousands of people, brought succor to the afflicted, food to the hungry, and on several occasions was instrumental in bringing peace between warring tribes and the United States.

The book itself is a true pioneer story and reveals a slice of life on the frontier (1823 through 1874) that is rarely seen. As such, it will be of great interest to any student of American history and those who wish to learn more about the great contributions made by those intrepid men of the Jesuit order.

Father de Smet represents everything the Society of Jesus used to be: strong, austere, manly, intelligent, compassionate, courageous, generous, and positively on fire to win souls for Christ. Many of his rather soft brethren of today could learn a lot from his excellent example.

Pauline Baird Jones did a great job in letting Luke find his right match. "Missing you" is a great book not only for fans of the "Lonesome Lawman Series". Luke Kirby is trying to finds some peace. Seven years has gone by since he lost his wife to cancer and he still is missing her. Then we goes to the family cabin near the Rocky Mountain National Park he finds a woman inside the cabin who claims that she has lost her memory. Together they have to fight againt terrorists and find out, who "Amelia" really is.

Swartout's book succeeds on a couple of levels--it manages to draw some of the more interesting and colorful characters out of MT history while keeping the bigger picture fully in mind. At times the writing is a little wooden, the tone a little self-important...but the essays are definitely worth a read. Especially valuable are the insights into the lives of Montanans that are often ignored...

This is the benchmark "history" book of the Sate of Montana. Written with a passion for the state and a distain for the changes facing the west,it gives insightful background from Lewis and Clark, to the interaction and conflicts with Native Americans; through the Cattleman and Mining Interests. Today, the state is very attuned to agriculture,energy and recreation all trying to fit into a global economy. This book gives one a prespective on how and why it is where it is with the hope for gaining insight into where it may go in the future.

The Geiserts have made a book that can be enjoyed at many levels. At a basic level you have a lovely picture book about a small mountain town that has detailed pictures and is not too wordy. At another level a child can try to spot a blue car on each page and what experiences it has. On a more advanced level this book can promote a discussion of life in a small town and how the different seasons affect the lives of the folk who live there.

As a young college student, Francis Parkman, the later noted historian of the early West, goes to the land of the Lakotas and experiences their life. This is a personal history of the travels of the author through the lands of the Lakota before the great American westward expansion. Tales of Indian life and their "wars" with each other. Also tells first hand of the author's maturation in this environment. Should be required reading for any "lover of the wild west" because "This Was The It Was".

This is a selection of many of the best known essays of Enos Mills, who's regarded as the spiritual (as well as practical) father of Rocky Mountain National Park. Mills is justly loved by people who know the park, and deserves a broader audience along with other early environmentalist writers like John Muir.

Enos Mills was very much a turn-of-the-century naturalist. His voice is without any sort of academic affectation; he reads like the patient, intelligent watcher that he is, but not at all like a pedantic teacher of great and ponderous truths. Some of these stories are essentially understated, self-deprecating adventure yarns. There are times when you feel sure the author's exaggerating for his story's sake. Heck, for that matter he'll refer to an animal as "Mr. Ground Squirrel." I smiled a lot while reading this -- in bemusement, sometimes, but never in derision.

All those somewhat dated tones and turns of phrase only add to the charm of this book and of Enos Mills' work in general. Off of his pen, "Mr. Ground Squirrel" is a statement of the greatest respect. You don't snicker, because his relationship with that animal has a completely convincing integrity to it. There's a sort of glow that comes over you, reading this kind of thing, that makes "Radiant Days" a very fitting title.

Don't let my sendup of his voice fool you, though. Enos Mills was an impassioned environmental advocate -- just one whose approach, at least in writing, lacks the sort of anger we often feel a century later in realizing what we've lost.

I recommend this book to anyone who finds the indigant tone of most environmentally concerned titles to be exhausting. Radiant Days would make a fantastic gift to a young adult with a vaguish interest in the out of doors, or to anyone visiting the Rockies. Get it for teenagers who loved Raiders of the Lost Ark, too; it makes a great adventure read, with substance and to spare.

I'll say that I greatly enjoyed reading this book. With a deep plot of an FBI investigation on a giant cult that is impacting nations all around the world, the stakes become very high for Clare Conroy who is an FBI agent that has managed to "get in" into the cult and work as a spy. Many times her life will be put on the line all for the safety of the world! A real thriller!!!
In the beginning I will have to admit however, that it is a little slow going with all of the talking and narrating. However even though it can be boring in the first few chapters of the book thing will start to get interesting. It REALLY starts to pick up. With near death experiences because of car bombs, raids, and other exciting circumstances. This book is not one that is easy to put down.

i have read and reread most of this series. this is one of my favorites. it shows some ingenuity and keeps moving right 'till the end. anyone familiar with the series will enjoy the many little jokes in it. enjoy!

A great book for the novice who isn't able to identify birds according to family. The color sections are quick and easy, if not too comprehensive. All in all, a good book for the curious.