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Describes the violent period of Kansas Territory history, prior to statehood and the Civil War, when abolitionists and pro-slavery factions openly murdered in defense of their cause. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

More than a picture book
What a great perspective on Nebraska. I lived there for two years as a young girl while my father was on a missile site and wanted to try going back without physically being there. The pictures are wonderful but the words are what really capture Nebraska.The humor was LOL and the Authors' gift for taking you into the photo gives the reader a great respect for the people of Nebraska. This book did take me back to Nebraska.Loved it

A Book That Really Shows What Nebraska Is All About
I moved away from Nebraska about 3 years ago to pursue opportunities elsewhere, and shortly after moving I purchased this book.Joel Sartore is a photographer for National Geographic and very active in local enviromental issues so I knew beforehand this would be an excellent testament to my home...and he did not dissapoint.

Coming from a rural place I did not miss the photos of the Old Settler's Picnic and June Jubilee...both major festivals in the Saline/Filmore county area.In one of the pics there was even a girl that was in my high school class, front and center!However, Joel didn't cover just my area of the state but the entire state.His photos evoke the culture and natural beauty of the state that go way beyond proving to folks from the coasts that we are more than just rednecks living on a flat plain.

An Incredible Picture Book for Nebraskans
In a word - gorgeous. The author - Joel Sartore - is a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine, so you know that the photography is going to be something special and it is. Sartore travels throughout Nebraska, taking pictures of everything - an endangered beatle, rodeos and the cowboys that compete in them, pheasant hunters and fisherman, and Carhenge.
It's is a book that will those of us who live outside the state homesick for Nebraska. It is a reminder of Nebraska's true spirit - it's people. People who live in a state that's dismissed as uninteresting by most, but who make up for any perceived geographical shortcomings by being interesting themselves
Sartore honors his craft, as he captures those traits in the pictures of Nebraskans throughout this book. There isn't a lot of writing, just enough to describe what's happening with each photograph.
"Nebraska: Under a Big Red Sky is a perfect Christmas present for that Husker fan who already has everything colored red. The price is right (less than $15 at Amazon, click the link above).

It's the kind of book you can pass around amongst your family at Christmas time, and I guarantee that they'll spend a few hours pouring over the pages. Well worth the money just to have around, even if you're not going to give it as a present. Leave it on your coffee or end table - someone will pick it up and it will provide hours of quiet entertainment for the holiday season.

Seriously, you don't want to miss this one.

Fabulous for non-Nebraskans too
Joel's work is extraordinary and will be appreciated by even those whohave never set foot in the state of Nebraska.It will definitely make youwant to visit, though!

Postcards from Nebraska
Joel Sartore has captured the subtle essence of why so many Nebraskans that leave the state eventually come home to roost.Unbeknownst to most residents as they grow up, a strong imprinting slowly takes place.As Joelexplains, the unique sense of family, community, place, and weather, allcontribute to this phenomenon.Joel's photographs are a collection ofthese innocent but pervasive features of life in Nebraska.If you haveever struggled to describe Nebraska to a person who has never visited thestate, this book is for you.It will crystalize your thoughts. ... Read more

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Fascinated by lighter-than-air balloons?Intrigued with the airplanes of long ago?Thrilled by dramatic World War I and World War II dog-fights or the exploits or aviation aces like Eddie Rickenbacker? Read about them all in Rudder, Stick, and Throttle!Join author Robert E. Adwers as he tells the story of aviation in Nebraska in this fascinating volume-from the Baysdorfer brothers (Nebraska's answer to the Wright Brothers), to the state's barnstormers and their daredevil stunt-flying, to Lindbergh's Nebraska connections, to Cornhusker fly-boys in World War II in Rudder, Stick, and Throttle!is an informative and entertaining guide to Nebraska's participation in the development of aviation.No aviation-, military-, or Nebraska-history buff should be without it! ... Read more

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Details, details...
Adwers book appears to be composed from myriad news clippings and reads like a conversation with a grandparent -- interesting if you have lots of patience to find the real story buried in trivia.

History of Flight in Nebraska
Robert Adwers book, Rudder, Stick and Throttle: Research and Reminiscences on Flying in Nebraska, doesn't just cover the history of aviation in Nebraska or his own personal experiences.He examines the first flights ofboth aeroplanes and balloons throughout the United States and occasionallyeven ventures to Europe to report developments there.He takes time todiscuss such events as the first flights by the Wright brothers at KittyHawk and the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by Charles Lindbergh.He alsocovers less well-known incidents, including the first plane flown by aNebraskan (built by the Baysdorfer brothers in Omaha and flown by CharlesBaysdorfer in Wahoo, Nebraska) and the Omaha Air Races in the 1930s.Mixedin with the historical research are Adwer's personal experiences as a youngman growing up in Omaha during these exciting times and, later, as a pilothimself.Adwers witnessed many of the events he describes in his book, andthose he didn't have first-hand experience with, he meticulouslyresearched.This includes the research and development behind theBaysdorfer plane and Charles Baysdorfer's time as a barnstormer with theInternational Aviators.Adwers details the conflicts that arose as theindustry of aviation slowly got of the ground and took flight on its own! ... Read more

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In August 1864, Cheyenne and Sioux warriors launched a series of raids on the "road ranches" along the California-Oregon Trail, in Nebraska Territory, killing, wounding, or capturing dozens of white settlers. Massacre along the Medicine Road details that violent summer, as seen through the eyes of the people who were the targets of the attacks. Ronald Becher spent more than seven years sifting through thousands of pages of documents, diaries and newspaper accounts from the period, to produce a fascinating and detailed snapshot of the people, events and their aftermath. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

More information than I expected.WAAAAAY more.
For some reason, the impression this book description gives is that it only covers the Indian raids on the road ranches along the Little Blue River in August 1864.It certainly does that in exhaustive detail.But it covers SO much more.It basically covers ALL the Indian raid activity in Nebraska in the 1860-67 time frame including all along the Platte Valley as far as Julesburg.Biographies of all the major players are here too, no easy task considering most were simple pioneers that left a tough trail to follow.

The comprehensivness of this tome is incredible.The book is richly sourced and the footnotes highly informative.Maps are excellent, although throwing in one additional map showing all the rivers of Nebraska would have been nice.

This is a book so packed full of information that it needs to be read twice, because there's too much to digest the first time around.

Mr. Becher, my sincere congratulations.You've done a marvelous job. This was obviously a labor of love.Hard to believe this is your first book.

No history buff's bookshelf should be without this book.
I have been a "student" of the Indian raids along the Little Blue in Nebraska in 1864 and have written and lectured on the subject for the past 9 years. Even my own publication falls way short of this new book.The history of the raids has needed someone to present it using no frills,no embellishments - just hard, cold facts supported by good documentation.The author has done just that and with the flair of a storyteller, thefascinating account of the events leading to and after the conflict isflawlessly unveiled in the book. The real heart of this book though is inPart II, presented in a nearly blow by blow "you are there" viewof each of the attacks on stage stations and road ranches by Cheyenne andSioux warriors. No other accounts have told this story with the thoroughand painstaking examination given it by the writer. Drawing upon a vastbody of military records, manuscripts, government publications, newspapers,periodicals, books, and other documentation, he has sifted meticulouslythrough half-truths, outright untruths, shaded truths, and filled in withfactual material where none was available or had been omitted in previousaccounts. The remarkable research has resulted in a work that sheds a newand delightfully comprehensive light upon this period of Americanhistory.

For those who know (or wish to learn about) the whys andwherefores of the white-Indian relations from the time of the colonists andthrough the final conflict at Wounded Knee in 1890, it is put intoperspective with this work. The book is divided into four parts, followedwith an epilogue and appendices. Part I gives an overview of thedevelopment of white-Indian relations and interactions, presided over bygovernment intervention from the 1600s up to the 1860s and the eve of theraid or massacre along the Little Blue. Unfolded in Part II is an amazinglyaccurate and detailed description of each day of the raid and immediateaftermath taking place from August 7th through August 19th. Beginning onthe 7th, Cheyenne and Sioux warriors attacked numerous road ranches alongthe Little Blue and vast amounts of property and goods were destroyed.Commerce and travel along the route west from Missouri and Kansas throughNebraska and Colorado came to a halt. Hundreds of people were affected,many lost their lives, several women and children were captured and heldhostage - some for as long at nine months.

Part III describes the panicand some levelheaded preparation and fortification of their homes by peopleliving in the outlying areas of the actual raids. Accounting of presscoverage given to the events, military campaigns to seek out and punish theIndians is given by the author before chapters on the captives and theirunplanned for journey against their will.

For those interested in theordeal and aftermath of the captivity of those mentioned, the book is agoldmine of information. Of the known captives (Lucinda, Isabelle andWillie Eubank, Ambrose Asher, Laura Roper, Nancy Morton, Daniel Marble) allsurvived and were released to military authorities. All returned home torelatives except Daniel Marble and Isabelle Eubank, who lived for only ashort time after reaching Denver where they were brought by Major Edward W.Wynkoop, the commander at Fort Lyon in Colorado Territory. Nancy Morton washeld 6 months and finally reached Fort Laramie in Wyoming, as did Lucindaand Willie Eubank who were brought there by their captors in May of 1865.For those interested in the history of the Sand Creek Massacre and BlackKettle's role in the events of 1864, it may be a surprise to learn that hewas one of those greatly responsible for negotiating the release of thecaptives to Major Wynkoop near Hackberry Creek in western Kansas inSeptember of 1864. Colonel Chivington and the First Colorado Volunteersultimately attacked him and his fellow tribesmen in late November1864.

Part IV of the book describes the aftereffects of the raids withconcluding stories about many of the individuals who had lived in thevalley of the Little Blue as well as others who impacted the story.Summation is given the Lemmon, Roper, Martin, Eubank, Morton, Emery, Mudge,Comstock, Baker, Artist, Gilbert, Hunt, Palmer, Bainter, Uhlig, Metcalf,Morrow, McDonald, Gilman and Marble families. What became of those militaryand governmental officials like Colonel Summers, Generals Samuel Curtis andRobert Mitchell, John Evans, and John Milton Chivington is discussed. Aconcluding chapter describes one former captive's return to the site of hercapture that had occurred 64 years before.

Appendix A lists the knowncasualties of the raid, including those killed, mortally wounded, woundedand captured. This list is incredibly valuable for those trying to makesense of all the names and dates. Appendix B is a list of the militarytroop dispositions of company units and commanding officers. Thephotographs and illustrations are fine and their clarity is very good.Although a few typos crop up here and there in the text and one map on page174 erroneously lists Nuckotte County instead of Nuckolls County, there isnothing about the book that needs much improvement. I loved the book andlearned a lot from it that even I, after nearly 10 years of studying thistopic, did not know.

No bookshelf of individuals interested in Americanwest history should be without this awesome piece of research and easy toread style of writing. I highly recommend the book and give it my highestendorsement. ... Read more

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The long-intertwined communities of the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation and the bordering towns in Sheridan County, Nebraska, mark their histories in sensational incidents and quiet human connections, many recorded in detail here for the first time.

After covering racial unrest in the remote northwest corner of his home state of Nebraska in 1999, journalist Stew Magnuson returned four years later to consider the larger questions of its peoples, their paths, and the forces that separate them. Examining Raymond Yellow Thunder's death at the hands of four white men in 1972, Magnuson looks deep into the past that gave rise to the tragedy. Situating long-ranging repercussions within 130 years of context, he also recounts the largely forgotten struggles of American Indian Movement activist Bob Yellow Bird and tells the story of Whiteclay, Nebraska, the controversial border hamlet that continues to sell millions of cans of beer per year to the ''dry'' reservation.

Within this microcosm of cultural conflict, Magnuson explores the odds against community's power to transcend misunderstanding, alcoholism, prejudice, and violence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Excellent book for every student to read
This books is excellent and should be mandatory for every college History class across the nation.

Highly Recommended, Eye-Opening Read
History, politics, racism, greed... Plus death and injustice. This book has it all. Stew Magnuson shines a light on Nebraska's snub-nose panhandle and exposes a shocking continuity of callous behavior. And he does so in concise and precise prose. Very well written and highly recommended.

A Death that Kindles the Indian Movement and Highlights Conflicts between the Rez and Towns on the Border
A well told true story of a virtual racial explosion in the town of Gordon, Nebraska when Raymond Yellow Thunder dies 8 days later after being roughed up by intoxicated young whites who use him for a cruel prank. Yellow Thunder's death results in an open conflict between the Native Americans, Sioux that are predominately Lakota and Oglala that live on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, and the white population of this town near the border. The author provides an excelldent look at reservation life in the early 70s at the time of Yellow Thunder's death that underscores the poverty, lAck of jobs, education and a chronic alcohol problem. The latter is often exploited by a number of stores and bars that sell alohol in huge quantities to the Native Americans who leave the dry reservation. The death of Yellow Thunder creates a lightning strike for the Siouxcreating a dramatic opportunity to not only look at possible mistreatment of all Native Americans in these similar border towns also the exploitation of their alcohol problems. While the town does an efficient job of investigating the matter, the leaders of American Indian Movement, Dennis Banks and Russell Means descend on the town. This period is the height of AIM's movement and later moves on to the Wounded Knee and Alcatraz take over, the former resulting in violence. The author provides an excellent picture of the conflicts of many of these border towns between those trying to make a decent living while there are establishments that make huge profits from the alcohol problem. The book reminds me a lot of Ian Frazier's book "On The Rez" with a specific focus on the problems between the Rez, exploitation by bars and attempts to resolve isues between both parties that disolve frequently over controversial deaths. There is at times hope but as the other notes, President Clinton's visit discussing a possible enterprise like zone for businesses to build and invest in reservations offers great appeal but after the visit, never materializes due to a number of complications. An excellent book that helps tounderstand the difficulty ofa proud culture, that as of the time of Yellow Thunder's death, that is still struggling with a myriad of problems that virtually date to the time of Sitting Bull's death.

informative and enlightening
I can't say enough good things about this book. I grew up in one of these border towns, and my grandparents were Sheridan County pioneers. Although I was only 15 when Raymond Yellow Thunder was killed, I remember the fear and unrest. Stew Magnuson has written a remarkable book that illuminates a very dark place and time. It has also given me a whole new perspective on a place I once called home. It's a history book that reads like a can't-put-it-down novel.

One Word: "Balanced"
Finally, someone is taking time to look at both sides of the story when it comes to a book on 1970s Indian-White relations, particularly when it comes to the American Indian Movement.
The author made the effort to interview everyone from Russell Means to the killer of Raymond Yellow Thunder.
Obviously, he is coming at the story of the the Nebraska and Pine Ridge communities from a white man's point of view, but it's better than some of the biased works that have been put out there by AIM members and the academics.
Most importantly, this is a great read. I stayed up late at night to read it. ... Read more

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This work reveals the storied love affair that has long existed between native Nebraskans and the University of Nebraska football team. The author draws upon his experiences as a devoted "Huskerviller," and the insights of over 500 other Husker fans who shared their ideas through interviews, questionnaires, and Internet communication, to compose a story that highlights how the culture, history, and geography of Nebraska are intimately embedded in fans' devotion to the Cornhuskers. The book features photographs and an extensive bibliography, while an appendix provides 16 essays written by devoted Husker fans. ... Read more

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The Soul of Nebraska Football
In the interest of full disclosure, I have a couple of fan stories in the book, and I'm referenced as one of the many fans who were interviewed. The author is a friend and former roommate.

"Huskerville" asks the questions pondered by many Nebraskan fans, particularly those of us who've left the state but still call it home. Why does Husker football mean so much to Nebraskans? Why is the connection between Nebraskans and Husker football so strong? Is this connection unique?

Aden provides the answers, referencing countless Husker fans, and a fair amount of Nebraska history along the way. It's a good read. It's heavier than your average sports book, but Aden treats the subject seriously while throwing in some fun. ... Read more

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Well-chosen articles that work together to form a whole
As the author points out in his preface, "[n] o comprehensive history of the Indian wars in western Nebraska exists."(ix) So he provides us with the next best thing, an anthology of articles, all but one of which appeared in Nebraska History (the quarterly of the Nebraska State Historical Society) covering the years 1865-1877.

While Nebraska is strongly associated with the end of the Indian Wars-the surrender and death of Crazy Horse; the Cheyenne breakout; and the largely symbolic Warbonnet Creek-most readers probably know little of the association prior to that period. Fittingly, Paul has chosen to begin this anthology with an article by James T. King entitled, Forgotten Pageant: The Indian Wars in Western Nebraska. In this article, King tells us about the various battles that took place in western Nebraska, and also offers some explanation as to why this region has been largely overlooked with regard to the Indian Wars.

Following King's article, Paul divides the book into four parts: Seizing control of the Platte and Republican Rivers; Pawnee Triumph, Pawnee Tragedy; Red Cloud Agency in the Spotlight; and Sioux War Saga, which includes excerpts from the Eleanor Hinman interviews on the life of Crazy Horse. He provides his own introduction to each of these parts, and adds, as epilogue, a previously unpublished article by James E. Potter.

For the most part Paul has done an excellent job of choosing the articles for this anthology. They not only cover the important subjects, but also fit together well. They cover all of the major players, and some of the lesser known ones also. I found particularly interesting, due to the novelty of the subject, Paul D. Riley's The Battle of Massacre Canyon. In this article, Riley tells the story, not of the usual Indian vs. Euro-American rivalry, but the massacre of a band of Pawnee at the hands of the Sioux.

My one small criticism is with Paul's choice of an epilogue. The Pageant Revisited is more or less a laundry list of Medal of Honor winners and what became of them. This article is interesting and well researched, and warranted inclusion. However, as epilogue, it did not fulfill the promise of drawing all the loose ends together.

On the whole, though, the book provides some very valuable information on the Indian Wars in Nebraska. Furthermore, since each article can stand alone, readers not interested in the history of the entire period can pick and choose. However, no one should pass up the Hinman interviews. They, alone, make this book worth the purchase price. ... Read more

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Excerpt taken from Preface:Overton; Plum Creek, now Lexington; Cozad; and finally, Golhenburg. A large section of Dawson County extended south of the river and the trade territory to the Republican. The trade from the south side was essential to both setters and the towns if they were to grow and prosper. Every town needed its bridge across the Plane, and Dawson County finances were insufficient to build even one. There was considerable rivalry between the towns, and each made Its own plans to build a bridge Plum Creek, the county seat and the largest town, was the first to succeed. Its bridge, built in 1873. was the first across the Plane west of Columbus Nebraska. Today the land once called worthless has become a major agricultural region, Dawson County is a leading producer of corn and alfalfa; large herds of cattle and swine replaced the buffalo, fed now by grain and hay. Microwave towers and buried cable flash telephone messages and TV across the Nation in a second. Power lines carry electricity to the towns and thousands of farms. Oil and gas pipelines lie beneath the silent ruts of the Oregon Trail. Thousands of vehicles speed by on 1-80 where ox teams struggled to travel fifteen miles a day.The Battle of the Bridges by Rex German and Russ Czaplewsta tells the beginning of that storyhow the settlers coped with the problems of the day and laid the foundation for the prosperous land we enjoy today it is a long and difficult task to research and write the history of those days. Bits of history are hidden in old newspapers, county records, and reminiscences of pioneers. Rex and Russ have done an excellent job of putting it all together, and I congratulate them on a task well done. All who are interested in our pioneer heritage should read it.Respectfully,Clyde Wallace ... Read more

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This reproduction was printed from a digital file created at the Library of Congress as part of an extensive scanning effort started with a generous donation from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.The Library is pleased to offer much of its public domain holdings free of charge online and at a modest price in this printed format.Seeing these older volumes from our collections rediscovered by new generations of readers renews our own passion for books and scholarship. ... Read more