Distance is everything to Buck Brannaman.

Time and space have made all the difference. Whether it's the 30 years since his harrowing childhood, or the nearly imperceptible space that constitutes trust between a horse and its rider, it's all been important to the horse-whisperer whose life and work helped breathe vitality into a gentle method of training animals. Now he's telling his own story in "The Faraway Horses."

Brannaman recounts his sometimes horrifying, occasionally funny adventures. He describes his training technique, built on trust and respect, not force. He writes about horses he's learned from, including Bif, the rank outlaw who became one of Buck's most trusted mounts. And he tells of owners he's taught, including the trainer who abused her show Arabians to make them look "spirited."

But the roots of his special connection with troubled and wild horses lie in his own childhood.

"I want people to be entertained, but there are some real stark realities out there," Brannaman says. "I hope it just doesn't go away after they close the book and put it on their shelf, but that the book's with them, maybe for the rest of their lives."

I feel like I understand horses more now. What I got out of this book is:
A horse that is considered bad because of something a human did to them gets the bad rap...They are treated like they are at fault and then they get pushed asside or abused all because of humans. If there is someone who comes along and can get the horse over their fear--usually caused by a human error. These are true horseman and woman. Buck Brannaman is just that. He has helped many horses become good horses and therefore have a better life. What could be more important?

This book is not only on how to help horses but on character,from begining to end it gives us lessons on how to help not only the troubled horse ,but on our own troubles as well .
We see from early on what shaped and formed the man of today,the abuse he and his brother suffered as children,the long road to true unity with the horse,the faliures along the way ,the tragedy of his first marriage and how as we say in the horse world he got back up and got on again ,all along we can see were many people would have thrown in the towel and quit ,Buck did not and in so doing showed strength and character .This is all written in a unvarnished way that I find refreshing
I found myself near tears at times and laughing at others ,some of what has happened in his life hits close to home for myself,as a lifelong horseman I have struggled to find unity and peace with the horse ,I have lost loved ones and struggled on,in reading his book I found new ways to deal with some of lifes problems and with my own love of the horse.
To say I enjoyed the book is an understatement,it will be something I will go back to time after time and I hope others will also.You do not have to own horse or be from the horse world to find something in this book that will help you either with your family or life its self.

An outstanding guide to a wonderful state. One book, of course, cannot cover all there is about any area this big, but this book does an outstanding job for Wyoming's history, lodging, attractions, background information, etc.

As for any area, it's good to supplement with other specialized topic and / or area guides, but for a general guide to a large state, this one does a great job.

Logically arranged, well-written, and very readable, you can almost read it straight through; it's one of the better travel guides available.

I happened on this book in the library and thought it was the best travel book I have ever used. This is nothing missed in this handbook. Great maps and advise.

Most of the "name brand" travel guides are for fly-by tourists (though I do appreciate Frommer's guides much more than the rest of the big names). Well, if those books are for tourists, then Moon's handbooks (along with Lonely Planet's guides) are for TRAVELERS. And Moon's Wyoming Handbook is, as others here have said, one of their best. It's thick, it's juicy, it's meaty, it's expansive, it's authoritative and wry. So wherever you are in that great big "empty" terrain, it's got some practical information for and historical and cultural insight into places all around.

Wyoming has fewer people than any other state (yes, fewer than Rhode Island and Alaska). But it's places of interest are many and varied, though scattered far and wide. You need a good guide and a GOOD READ to cover the miles and the days. I admire author Don Pitcher's efforts here.

If you choose one guidebook, make it Moon's Wyoming Handbook. If you'd like to get a second general guide to the region for comparison and cross-reference (including more descriptive listings of selected accommodations), I'd add Frommer's guide to Wyoming, which includes Montana as well.

This story was read to me in 4th grade in a small 4 room school
house in Wyoming, just about 60 miles South of the town of Wilson in Star Valley, Wyoming. My teacher read to the class for about 1/2 hour after the lunch recess to calm us down. I have never forgotten this book and at age 60 now am recommending it to a book group of women friends, most I have know for more than 30 years. We will go from the Bay Area of California, to Wyoming near where these events actually happened and review the book. We will go to Wilson, to the little town named after the author.

The book fascinated me as a child and as I have re-read it recently, I know it stirs my imagination and wonder again about the real experiences of this young boy with incredible courage and good luck. At his age I would have loved nothing more than to have done just as he did. Knowing the experiences he had, so very well expressed, I can imagine any child or adult with an active imagination for a life in the "Old West" will dream to have been this "white" Indian Boy. I recommend it as a gift for both young girls and boys to see the past from the perspective of a boy who really did go to another culture and had an incredible adventure. I wish it could of been me!

This book is about my great uncle. Growing up in South east Idaho, it really gave me a lot of insight on my heritage and the area. It is very interesting. Most of the time history books are boring, but not in this case. This book is a real page turner. Reading it seems so real that you can actually laugh out loud and imagine yourself in the great old west! I recommend this book to everyone, not only is it real history, but a great story too!

When I was a child in elementary school, 60 plus years ago, one of my favorite teachers used to read to my class for approximately 15 minutes a day out of the book, The White Indian Boy. This only occurred, however, if we were good boys and girls and did all of our work first. It was a great incentive for all of us to do our very best. I remember vividly looking forward to that magical time with great anticipation, as did the rest of the boys and girls in my class.

It was a thrilling depiction of a boy and his adventures with the Shoshone Indians, whom he eventually grew to love. It was a revealing, wonderful story of what life was actually like living among the Indians in that day, and made them, as a people, seem far less fearful to me, as a child, than I had always been lead to believe. I remember being very happy that the young boy eventually made the decision to leave his Indian friends and return to his own family in Utah.

I hardly know where to begin. I have nothing but unstinting praise for these letters and the book, except for . . . well, I'll get to that in a moment. Elinore Stewart's writing is a model to be followed by anyone of any time or place on any subject. Clear as a bell, concise yet comprehensive, replete with localisms and skillfully rendered frontier humor, it makes one want to toss the PC and reference library into the trash and move to some unspoiled wilderness. Yet, a caveat. When you finish the book you feel you know this indomitable woman. Then it suddenly strikes you that you don't. Who was Elinore Pruitt Stewart? Where was she born, grow up? Who was the railroader who fathered her daughter, and most of all, what happened to her?

Elinore Pruitt Stewart was my grandmother, my father's mother. She died before I was born; I deeply regret never getting to know her, as she was a remarkable woman. Readers who enjoyed the book might also enjoy the film made from it- "Heartland", directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Conchata Ferrill as Elinore and Rip Torn as Clyde. It is available on video. The script was originally conceived by the Wilderness Women's Project at the University of Montana. My father and mother got to play bit roles as wedding guests. Elinore also wrote "Letters On An Elk Hunt", as well as many short pieces for periodicals of the day.

At first, the thought of reading letters from nearly a hundred years ago held very little interest for me but from the second page I was hooked. Just over four hours later I was done reading, and was equipped with a whole new view of not only life in the early 20th century but of the impact woman had on it. Worth reading by both woman and man alike.

I will reccomend the book "Where rivers change direction" to all my friends. It is easy to read and at the same time extremely powerful. If he comes to your town for a book reading, go see him. Mark Spragg stories come to life when he reads them. I can hardly wait for November to see him at Aunties in Spokane.

This memoir by Mark Spragg is one of the best books I've read in years. And I read a lot of books. His imagery and descriptive lines aren't just written. The words are sculpted into exquisite granite sentences like the mountains that surrounded him as he grew up on a dude ranch in Wyoming in the 1960s. I read the book two weeks ago and can still remember one or two, paraphrased here. He's shoeing a horse with John, one of the hands, and he gets put down a bit by a man he respects, perhaps, more than his father. He writes that he didn't mind being a boy, but didn't like being treated like one. Later, in describing his school, which had about 12 children, he says it was painted the color of an elk's eye. I mean, this is terrific stuff and there are lines like that on every page. The only other writers I've read who do this well are Barbara Kingsolver and Owen Parry. Sure, there may be others, but I've not read them yet. You have to read this book. It will make you laugh, perhaps cry, it will give you goose bumps and it will make you think. It is a gem.

Having never heard of Mark Spragg, I bought this book because it was the winner of the 1999 Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award. I can hardly wait for him to write more! The beauty of this book is how the author relates events of his life, particularly his boyhood, with such matter-of-fact innocence and honesty. I marvel at how candid he is with his thoughts and feelings. Wyoming comes alive because of the vivid pictures he paints with his words. I feel thankful that I found this gem of a book!

This book also has a recommendation by Teresa Jordan, author of Riding the White Horse Home, another of my favorite books.

I haven't stopped thinking (or talking!) about ANGEL FIRE since reading it several months ago. This beautiful and compelling story of two brothers has something to teach us all about the necessity of our relationships and what they bring to our lives: about love and loss, pain and redemption. Daniel and Cassidy's story seems so familiar to us because it involves these universal themes; it captures our imagination so completely because Mr. Franscell shows us essential truths within a seamlessly constructed "vivid, continuous dream." Ron Franscell presents us with authentic and complicated characters so fascinating they force us to care about them. His writing is at once richly poetic and deceptively simple, without a single wasted word. ANGEL FIRE is a beautiful story, beautifully told, and one that will stay with you long after you've devoured every page. I recommend ANGEL FIRE to all readers who believe that the best literature provides us with stories that entertain and truths that enlighten; you'll find both in this passionate, inpiring novel. Go buy it. Right now.

I have read BOTH Angel Fire and Don DeLillo's "Cosmopolis" and I think there's not much question that one (Angel Fire) is good, under-read literature and one (Cosmopolis) is simply sitting on shelves today because the author is "known." I take nothing away from DeLillo, and I agree with Ron Franscell's review of his book as being brave but not praiseworthy. The New York Times and Washington Post were even tougher on "Cosmopolis." But I want to praise Angel Fire as being one of those books that should be read for its insights into the human spirit. I've followed Ron Franscell's book reviews in the Chicago Sun-Times and read his novels, and I would highly recommend his work to anyone. I think Angel Fire, which is a story about two brothers in a very close relationship under heartbreaking circumstances, should be read by mnany more people. It's a book that proves if you only buy best-sellers, you'll miss a lot of the best writing.

"Angel Fire" is a beautifully written story about two brothers growing up in a small Wyoming town. David and Cassidy McLeod experience every childs dream of living in a world full of make-believe, adventure and folklore. The story within many stories takes the brothers on their own personal "adventure" away from home. Eventually, the brothers return full circle to West Canaan finding strength, peace and a sense of self.

Growing up in Wyoming, I found myself going "home" while reading "Angel Fire". I was there with Daniel and Cassidy sharing the places, adventures, people and stories told by generations before. Thank you, Ron, for bringing me "home" through your gift of writing this novel. My life is richer and I will forever treasure the magic and memories of "home" given back to me through this wonderful book.

My main complaint with "A Doctor's Life: Unique Stories" is that I wish there was more. In this book Dr. Close shares many unique and moving stories from his medical practice in New York, Congo/Zaire, and Wyoming. His stories from his time in Africa are especially interesting to me. In the pre-independence Belgian Congo he worked first as a hospital surgeon in Kinshasa, then in independent Zaire, as President Mobutu's personal physician. From his perspective as a physician he sees the end of colonialism in central Africa, and the beginning of the chaos of independent Zaire. One very touching story is that of his domestic security guard, an elderly veteran of WWII, whose wish is for a doctor to see his dying wife, just so he can tell his grandchildren that she was seen by a doctor before she died. The chapters about Mobutu depict a man very different than is typically seen in print; apparently even dictators have their good side. This book is recommended to anyone who is interested in medicine or Africa. [Note: most of this book is the same as the out-of-print "A Doctor's Story"; the newer version has two new chapters and photographs.]

In A Doctor's Life: Unique Stories, Dr. William Close draws upon his many years of practice to present the reader with invaluable insights into compassionate care giving in today's high-tech world of medicine. A medical memoir sharing cameos drawn from fifty years as a practicing physician and surgeon in New York's "Hell's Kitchen", sixteen years in Africa's brutal and chaotic Congo, and as a country doctor in rural Wyoming, these vignettes and observations include a broad spectrum of patients and notable characters ranging from African leaders to oil field roustabouts, casualties of civil war in the Congo to older people in rural Wyoming reaching the end of their lives at home. A Doctor's Life is highly recommended reading as both an autobiography and as a persuasive testament that compassion and courtesy are as important as scientific excellent when working for the benefit of patients and the advancement of the medical profession.

An elephant in the maternity ward? A carpenter's brace and bit to drill a hole in the cranium? The "Urine Man" at the Presbyterian Home for Women? Oh, and much more! Here is the story of a doctor who, using the most primitive of equipment, performed a host of procedures in this African outback so far removed from high tech medicine as most of us know it today. From the often violent, always political machinations of civil authorities in the African Congo to the quiet complacency of a small Wyoming community . . . from the hectic internship in New York to the broad expanse of the western plains . . . it's all there. A Doctor's Life is the embodiment of the tragic, the hilarious, the truly compassionate. This is a trilogy in one book: New York, Africa, Wyoming -- an exciting, wonderfully human account of Dr. William Close and his keen insight into, not just the world of medicine, but the human condition -- witty, inspiring and stunningly true to life.

Extremely Detailed, to detailed for me. It had a lot of reading and did not get down to the point on where, what and when. If your looking for lots of detail and history of everything about the park this book is for you. If your like me and time is limited you may want to look for a different book. But if you got all the time in the world or you want to know it all this is the book for you.

...just returned from driving trip to yellowstone/tetons/jackson hole....having bought 5 different guide books from Amazon.com to insure a trip that covered everything and missed nothing... I feel it is important to let potential driving travelers to yellowstone know how valuable this book is. Of all the books I purchased, this is the only book I used as we traveled the park by car. I used it daily as we went from one location to the next. I kept saying to myself as we toured the park using this book, that I wanted to thank the author and let the public know how valuable this book was. In fact. I saw this book for sale in the national park visitor centers. Get yours before you arrive to ensure a knowlegeable trip. Thanks, susan,

Butler's way of writing reminds me of my grandmother and our trip to Yellowstone. While reading her travel guide, I revisited the cold-sweat panic of sitting in the front seat of a car driven by my grandmother.

I am now an adult, and have kept my copies of My Friend Flicka and Thunderhead. By some horrible oversight, it appears I never purchased the final book in the trilogy, Green Grass of Wyoming, and thought I might buy it now. I now find it's out of print. What is the logic of keeping the first two parts of a trilogy in print and not the third?

It's been years since I read this one, but if memory serves the book is more for adults than children. It focuses a great deal on Nell and her relationship with her husband now that her children are grown. It is a horse story in the loosest sense of the term, in that a horse ranch provides the background for what goes on. I definitely recommend it, and maybe if enough people ask the publisher will bring it back.

"Green Grass of Wyoming" is the necessary culmination of "My Friend Flicka" and "Thunderhead." Like those others, it is by no means a childrens' book. It can be read on one level by children, and on another by adults. Ken has finally grown up, and his long-time faith in Thunderhead has been justified. How I loved the MacLaughlins when I was a child and wished they were my family! I love them still, and Mary O'Hara's trilogy has an honored place on my bookshelf. I return to them again and again, and am enchanted all over again when these enchanted pages take me back to my childhood and the "green grass of Wyoming."

"Green Grass of Wyoming" is the heartwarming and satisfying conclusion to Mary O'Hara's Flicka trilogy.

As the book opens, much has changed in the McLaughlin household. There is a baby daughter, Penelope, the apple of everyone's eye. The Goose Bar ranch is finally doing well, thanks in no small part to Ken and his wonderhorse, the racing champion Thunderhead. And Ken? Now a fine and handsome young man, he is head over heels in love with a headstrong young blueblood named Carey, whose aristocratic grandmother looks down on Ken and his entire family. And therein lies the plot. Will Ken win Carey the way he stubbornly won his first love, his horse Flicka? Will Carey break free from her domineering grandmother? Will they live happily ever after?

Juxtaposed to this wonderful romance is the story of Nell, who has changed dramatically from the previous books. She is now subject to sudden and debilitating anxiety attacks, and is convinced that she is going to die. Her enduring marriage and her love for her family cannot break her anxiety, and all who know and love her are worried--but unable to help.

This is a strong and wonderful book, and most definitely should be saved for the teenaged years, no younger than 12, to my mind. But why save it for the kids? This is a romance complete with horses, handsome heroes, and strong, heroic women. A perfect read for any time you want a good escape into a better time.

I have to admit, when I first saw this book, I saw a big thick book. But then I read it , and now it is my favorite book! I loved how they gave such a description that you felt like you were there. I could realy relate to Ken, and how he stuck to what he did and was nervous about it. I liked how the love of Flicka stayed with Ken even when she was in pain. This is such a good book I recomend it to anyone!!!!

Long relegated to the ranks of children's books, My Friend Flicka is indeed a wonderful story for a thoughtful child. I first read it at the age of 9, and have read it many, many more times throughout my life.

As a 9-year-old, I loved the story of the sensitive boy, Ken, and his filly Flicka, who has questionable bloodlines and does not meet with the approval of Ken's stern rancher father, Rob McLaughlin. Boy and horse must surmount that initial disapproval and all sorts of other challenges as they struggle and grow together.

But on another level entirely, My Friend Flicka is the story of a marriage that is so real, so adult, and so compelling, that any adult can appreciate the story. In a nutshell: Rob McLaughlin, a former captain in the Army (this was written shortly after World War II), is struggling to make a success of his Goose Bar Ranch, where he raises thoroughbreds in the rugged Wyoming countryside. His wife, Nell, is a blueblood from the East whose apparent fragility masks an inner strength that is Rob's lifeline. A delicate-looking beauty, Nell nevertheless can deliver foals at midnight, weather all the storms that ranching throws her way, and still feed a hungry crew of workers three times a day.

Rob and Nell's marriage is strong and passionate. But their one bone of contention is their second son, Ken, a daydreamer who simply does not fit the mold of Rob's ideal son. Older boy Howard is the perfect McLaughlin: athletic, strong, personable, talented, outgoing. Ken is slight, small, quiet, sickly, and above all, a creative dreamer. But when he sets his sights on a horse of which his father strongly disapproves, Nell fiercely backs his choice. And Ken begins to grow as a man--in his own way and in his own speed. And Rob learns some strong lessons about being a man, a father, and a husband.

If you have never read this book, or if it lives on your child's bookshelves, give yourself a treat. It's much more than you think.

This is my favorite book ever! I carry it around with me everywhere! This book will touch your heart and soul, and you'll never forget it! Mary O'Hara's style of writing makes you grow to love Flicka and Ken! Flicka, a wild filly who is thought to be loco because all of her descendants are, is the only filly Ken, a young day dreamer, will have. His father is outraged when Ken will have no other! When they bring Flicka in, she is so afraid, she tries to jump a barbed wire fence that is obviously too high! The McLaughlin's can't afford anything but barbed wire fencing, and Flicka is torn up. Because she is so hurt, Ken can get close to her, and soon becomes her whole world. When hail comes, he threw himself over her head to protect her, and reads to her for hours, sometimes he'll just gaze at her. If you like horses, this book will make you love horses! A must read for ANYBODY who is the least bit interested in horses!