Amazon.com

Sorting through the innumerable legends about Wyatt Earp and his brothers is a monumental task, but Allen Barra, a sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a lifelong devotee of western lore, has tried mightily to sort the fact from fiction to determine once and for all if the Earps were heroes or villains. Judging by the cascade of films, books, and TV shows that have portrayed the Earps and their pal "Doc" Holliday, some people simply can't get enough of the legends, and those folks will find Inventing Wyatt Earp fascinating.

The central event of the Earp story is the fabled gunfight near Tombstone's O.K. Corral, a violent eruption in a simmering feud between, believe it or not, frontier Democrats and Republicans. Barra delves deeply into the motivations of all the participants and those who would later tell their stories, and he deserves credit for conducting his prodigious research with skepticism. However, the thoroughness of Barra's approach is a double-edged sword: his relentless examination of Earp's life and the various accounts of it can at times lead the narrative into a blinding sandstorm of minor details. Nonetheless, for those with a strong interest in sorting out the truth about the legends of Tombstone, this book is a valuable source. --Robert McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Excellent journalism -- poor copyediting
I would bet this book's copyeditor goofed and submitted an early draft for publishing instead of the final version.The dozens of grammar mistakes, punctuation errors, and omitted words make for choppy reading.Even so, Barra's extensive coverage and analysis of previous Earpiana provides an excellent insight into the twists and turns the legend has taken over the years. Granted, Barra favors Wyatt's side in most controversies, but this bias seems to provide a fair counterbalance to the torrent of anti-Earp revisionist journalism (some of which can be seen in other reader reviews herein).

Barra brings out an excellent bio of Wyatt Earp
With Casey Tefertillier's book ( Wyatt Earp, the life behind the legend) and this book, Wyatt Earp is clearly explained and researched in an excellent way. Mr Barra does an excellent job in this book,particularly in two areas: First, Mr Barra gives a very good insight into Judge Spicers decision in the Tombstone trial and number two; Mr Barra gaves a very good explanation on why Wyatt Earp still an important figure in US History. Excellent book for someone asking the question,Why is the shoot out at tombstone something to remember? Kudos for Mr Barra

THE LEGEND LIVES ON - WITH NO END IN SIGHT
Mr. Barra has achieved his objective in this, another look, at the life and "legends" of Wyatt Earp.His work appears to be fairly "middle of the road" although one can sense a little bias as to its being a pro-Earp work and not anti as seems to have become the "politically correct" way to be.Has always amazed how in hindsight, our history and the people in it, have always ended up being one-dimensional.As the years have passed, and we have become more cynical in our views of that past, there are always scores of "historians" and others willing and eager to give us the true picture.Well, in many ways, there may not ever be a true picture.The information and materials that are needed to shine new light on the subject, may no longer exist.Each of us has to use our own instinct as to how we weigh and analyze these findings.Whether you agree with some, most, or all of Barra's efforts, it is a very entertaining look at one of the "old West's" most recognized names.Mr. Barra's writing is one that will keep you glued to your spot.You won't put this one down until you reach the finish.No, not a finish, for as my review title implies "the legend and the man live on".

Okay for the Legend, too short for the life
I was perhaps a little too harsh in my initial review.
This book does have substantial merit as a review of
the many movies about Wyatt Earp. It certainly reveals
the Legend if not the complete Life of its subject.
The definitive book about Wyatt Earp in Tombstone has
not yet been written. The Kansas period has recently been
adequately covered by Lee Silva's Wyatt Earp, The Cowtown
Years. Kudos to Casey Tefertiller and Allen Barra for some
new insights. There is a new generation of writers who offer
promise to finally nail this subject down. In the meanwhile
we will have to make do with what we have - the movies and
fantasies nothwithstanding. The truth is out there somewhere.
It will not be found in short magazine articles of opinions.
This book comes closer than most.

Just read it
"Inventing Wyatt Earp" is a major contribution to the literature of Old West. It is not, nor is it intended to be a biography based on groundbreaking research, and those who come to the book with that expectation are certain to be disappointed. It is, rather, a book of first-rate analysis and assessment whose main virtue is the clear-eyed, even-handed, critically probing intelligence the author applies to the appraisal of his material. Mr. Barra is possessed of a formidable analytical mind, and the questions he poses and answers he assays, however provocative at times, are reasonably well-considered. Wyatt Earp has over the years become a figure of debate and controversy. He is likely to remain one into the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, much of that debate has more recently betrayed a tone of strident and petty hysteria--much heat, little light--a tone that Mr. Barra's book serves effectively to counter. One needn't agree with the author's every assertion to appreciate the value of his book. "Inventing Wyatt Earp" may not be the Last Word on its subject, but I suspect that Allen Barra would not want, nor did he intend it to be. Forgive the many typos. Attend to the meat of the book. There is much there to be thoughtfully digested. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Needed a better editor than it got
I have the distinct feeling that John Ringo the Gunfighter Who Never Was is an old dissertation rendered into a book by a university press interested in promoting works of local history. It reminds me so much of my own history advisor, Tom B. Jones' words to me when picking a topic for my master's thesis, "keep it narrow, keep it simple, get it done!"

The subject is certainly a narrow one. John Ringo was one of the lessor gunfighters among a panoply of truly famous names: Wyatt Earp, John Westly Hardin, Doc Holliday, Jessie James, Wild Bill Hickock, Buffalo Bill, etc. While he may have been in the wings, he took noticeable part in almost none of the really graphic events of his time. The most noteworthy event of his life was his apparent decision to commit suicide.

The topic can hardly be but simple; the author himself admits that there is little concrete data available on Ringo, and he proceeds to demolish most of it in his critique of these sources, some of which are poorly written western adventure novels. To his credit Professor Burrows did manage to locate and critique several Ringo family resources that, for various reasons (for which check out the chapter notes) had not been used previously in an academic fashion.

The coverage of the project took a short 203 pages. It took that many mostly because the author repeats the same information in a variety of poses and with more adjectives than I've seen since attempting to wade through an old harlequin romance at the behest of a friend. Sometimes the sentences are so long one loses sight of where one was going by the end of them. And words? I read voraciously and have a substantial vocabulary-I was once hailed as a genius by a coworker for using "sanguine" correctly in a sentence!-but some of Dr. Burrows' choices suggested that a thesaurus was ever at hand least he be too repetitious.

I do think the book is an important one. It sets much of the mystery of the subject into perspective, which most of the written works heretofore have not. Certainly the on-going saga of the Ringo family's Victorian shame over the black sheep in its midst is certainly an interesting one. The difficult events of Ringo's early life, brings one to wonder how many of the misfits of the old west-or of our own time for that matter-grew out of stressful events suffered during early adolescence, events over which they had little or no control.

I think that what the book needed was a better and more critical editor than it got.

JACK BURROWS/JOHN RINGO
A well researched and (mostly) interesting book, although even an Englishman like myself had to have a dictionary to hand which made it hardgoing at times! (Where did he learn all those words?!!) Dr Burrows did tend to knock other authors of Western history, but I guess that is useful as we are at least able to take the mentioned books with a 'pinch of salt'.

Bring a dictionary!
Wow...The author spends most of his book bashing other authors and using a language I later found out was english! I spent 30% of my time looking up definitions. Thanks US public school system!
I would recommend this book to western history fiends or the like, but not to the reader actually seeking information (the very idea!) on the elusive John Ringo.

Not Enough Information
Jack Burrows' "John Ringo: The Gunfighter Who Never Was" is a well written book that focuses on what other writers have had to say about this legendary figure. Unfortunately, Burrows' concentration on the words written by others, overall detracts the book from telling readers about who John Ringo was or what he did during his life. The first impression one receives is that there is not much information about Ringo and that his reputation was largely achieved through the writings of latter day authors. Yet, Burrows' critic of other writers seems excessive at times. A reader who has little knowledge of Ringo other than his glorified reputation generally will like this book. But, there is far more information known about John Ringo's life than what is presented in Burrows' book. While I do recommend Jack Burrows' book, readers interested in an in-depth presentation of John Ringo's life must look elsewhere. Fortunately, biographies of John Ringo are not lacking. After reading Jack Burrows' book, readers should read Steve Gatto's recently released book "Johnny Ringo." When it comes to presenting information about John Ringo's activities throughout his life, Gatto's "Johnny Ringo" is vastly superior to Burrows' "John Ringo."

Grandaddy of Gunfighter Books
This is the book that started the new age of Old West analysis. Almost everything good that followed Jack Burrows' John Ringo owes it a sizeable debt. The most engrossing and best written account of the life and legend of an Old West frontier figure ever written. ... Read more

Book Description

Many books have been written about Bisbee, Arizona; None like The B Shines Brighter: The Bisbee High School Legacy! Memories from many Bisbee High School students from the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's are humorously and poignantly relived.Hadley Hicks' down to earth writing style makes for an enjoyable read.

"Hadley Hicks has a special place in the history of Bisbee, Arizona.He is a legend.His book will allow our children and grandchildren to re-live our experiences during the decades of the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's."

Dale Hancock, Northern Arizona professor; Retired Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Chandler Arizona Public Schools ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Down-to-earth, sincere
These diaries of Mary Walker and Myra Eells bring to life the early day pioneer struggles to maintain survival and sanity during the years 1838-1848. Being recently married wives of missionaries, both Walker and Eells maintained excellent daily diaries of their arduous overland journey from Missouri to Washington. In company with two other missionary wives (Gray and Smith), they were the second group of women to cross the continent. These overland diaries are an entrancement to read, depicting day to day life along the Oregon Trail while riding side-saddle for 1900 miles. Mrs. Walker was oftentimes dismayed over both the long journey and the uncertain and questionable love of her husband (she was also pregnant during this journey).
Once in Washington, they all spent the winter of 1838-39 at the Whitman mission. Conditions were somewhat crowded that first winter, therefore human feelings and emotions ran rampant (even amongst missionaries).
Mary Walker then continues her diaries for the next ten years. They had their own mission to build and manage at Tshimakain whilst bringing salvation (attempting to) to the Spokane Indians. Mary had six children while living at their mission. With so many children to look after, along with cooking, cleaning, making clothes, tending livestock and the garden, etc., it was a full life. So full in fact, she oftentimes was despondent of her purpose in life regarding the mission and raising her children. The book ends shortly after the tragic Whitman massacre of 1847 when they then moved to the Williamette valley of Oregon.
At times the book can become somewhat overbearing due to the multitude of footnotes, but still a truthful look at pioneering so long ago.

An impressive compilation of our past.
I am very impressed with this new release of Mary Walker's Diary. I am a direct decendant of Mary and Elkanah Walker and am very proud that there is such a wonderful book with her's and Myra Eells' diary entries. It gives us a view of how women's lives were, how people's views about the Native Americans were at that time, and shows us the hardships of pioneer life. I want to thank the authors for keeping this piece of history alive.

Carrie Walker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent sampling of New Mexico women in history
More Than Petticoats: Remarkable New Mexico Women is an excellent sampling of women in New Mexico history. This book offers brief biographies of women, crossing ethnic and cultural barriers and spanning several hundred years of herstory. Some of the women included in this volume are Mabel Dodge Luhan (patron of early Southwest Arts), Mary Colter (Fred Harvey/Santa Fe Railroad architect), Georgia O'Keefe (aritist), Maria Martinez (potter),and Elsie Clews Parsons (anthropolgist). Seven other women or groups of women (like the Harvey Girls) are also included. This enjoyable book of significant women is a wonderful volume for those who would like to know a little about a lot of people from one book. I particularly appreciated the regional/state focus because I was familiar with most of the women written about. "More Than Petticoats" is a series focusing on the women who were influential in individual states, and I would definately read more from this series! ... Read more

Book Description

In Growing Up True, Craig Barnes shares his stories of growing up in rural Colorado during and after World War II. As the youngest of three boys, and an imaginative one at that, he dreamed of many a swashbuckling adventure far beyond Colorado's Highline Canal. But the lessons and demands of real life always nipped at the edges of his fantastic dreams. Barnes's mother told him that he would develop moral character if he would carry water to her maple saplings. His father held that a small person "... should learn to plan ahead, think a problem through, be lighthearted, cheerful, ready to help whenever needed. It would also be good to do the algebra homework, and geography, too, and it would be good to clean the barn ... ." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Boyhood Classic
Craig Barnes has crafted a beautiful, evocative book. This vivid reminiscence of family life in the rural West explains--better than any general work I have read--the beliefs and values and personal strengths that enabled the so-called "greatest generation" to surmount the challenges presented by the Great Depression and the world's first global war. As a story of family life in America, GROWING UP TRUE is a boyhood classic which belongs on the special shelf that holds Russell Baker's book about GROWING UP in Baltimore. ... Read more

Book Description

A wrenching chronicle of loss and
reaffirmation from novelist James Brown

Plagued by the suicides of both his siblings, heir to alcohol and drug abuse, divorce and economic ruin, James Brown lived a life clouded by addiction, broken promises and despair. In The Los Angeles Diaries he reveals his struggle for survival, mining his past to present the inspiring story of his redemption. Beautifully written and limned with dark humor, these twelve deeply confessional, interconnected chapters address personal failure, heartbreak, the trials of writing for Hollywood and the life-shattering events that finally convinced Brown that he must "change or die."

In "Snapshot," Brown is five years old and recalls the night his mother "sets fire to an apartment building down the street," an act that splinters the family, later leading to their destruction. In "The Facts," he is a young writer and professor "afraid to step out of the darkness" and confront his double life as an addict. In "Daisy," Brown purchases a Vietnamese potbellied pig for his wife to atone for his sins, only to find himself engaged in a furious battle of man versus beast -- with the pig's bulk growing in direct proportion to the tensions in his marriage.

Harrowing, brutally honest, The Los Angeles Diaries is the chronicle of a man on a collision course with life, who ultimately finds the strength and courage to conquer his demons and believe in life once more.

Reviews (8)

A privilege to read.
There's something terribly disturbing about confessional writing. In the hands of a man or woman at the top of their craft, a writer of immense skill and transparency, the experience for the reader can border on the pathological. Honesty without the slightest hint of pretence, particularly from an experienced and intelligent individual, knowing full well that what they tell the world is deeply personal and the honest to goodness truth, is rare. There's always some other agenda. For example, the two most famous confessional pieces in world literature are St. Augustine's Confessions and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Confessions; both author's had an agenda in writing these works, whether for purposes of religious conversion or literary immortality - both achieved their respective ends. Brown's book, however, is different. This is a writer telling a story because this particular story needed to be told. I get the impression that Brown needed to communicate his life in the only form he knew how to as a writer. This is a memoir about writing, addiction, alcoholism, relationships and human responsibility. It is about madness, suicide, compulsion, irony and love. This is a heartbreaking story that leaves the reader with a tiny glimmer of hope. As a true confessional does, it doesn't raise feelings of sympathy or thoughts of self-righteous condescension, but a real empathy, because we've all experienced, in varying degrees, this man's life.

Brown's vivid and deceptively rendered prose reminds me of a style of American writing that's all its own. One reads this simple, clear-eyed style of writing and thinks that it would be easy to imitate. Wrong. It appears simple but is awfully difficult to do. Brown's prose adds to the subject matter, making his family obsessions and chemical escapes much harsher, difficult to swallow, but in the end, inspiring and troubling.

The L.A. Diaries is a rare memoir because it is what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else. Brown is a fine writer and this work was a privilege to read.

Powerful
Not to take anything away from JAMES BROWN and the very powerful writing he does with "THE LOS ANGELES DIARIES" but he covers the same territory as "MY FRACTURED LIFE" and I'm not sure it can be done better than that. Mentally ill mother, moderately successful suicidal Hollywood actor, absentee father, they're all the same subject matter. Like I said, Brown does write a powerful book. Plus he does tell his own story, he's not imitating Travolta. This is Brown's own story, be sure. I just can't say that he does it as well as Travolta did. Perhaps I'm biased because I read "MY FRACTURED LIFE" first and I'd feel different if I read them in the opposite order (only one chance for a first impression). I definitely recommend reading "THE LOS ANGELES DIARIES" and give it 4 and 1/2 Stars. "MY FRACTURED LIFE" I give 5 stars. They're both excellent. Which you like better will come down to preference. Maybe if you buy them together you'll flip flop the ratings.

Wow....Brought back tough memories of my own
What a great book. If you have grown up in a dysfunctional, truly dysfunctional, family then you need to read this book. I'm tempted to write the author and tell him he is awesome (maybe he checks these reviews). These stories/memories bring back a lot of pain of my own but I cannot help but think that he is healing himself by writing this and hopefully passing this along to his children and his niece. This is a book for someone who is ready to recover, not just from alcohol or drug addiction but from dependency.

Unforgettably Honesty
James Brown's memoir, The Los Angeles Diaries, cuts to the quick with its terse but layered descriptions of alcoholism, mental illness, sibling suicide, and, unexpectedly: hope. Without glorifying his addictions or misbehavior--especially towards his wife and three children--Brown's confessional creates a powerful intimacy where none should be.

When the book opens during the middle of Brown's usual commute to a screenwriting job in Hollywood, he seems a likeable professional, with morbidly intelligent commentary on his childhood and southern California. Then like a fast-forward edit in a music video, we witness one of Brown's typical three-day binges. He begins with one drink. And promises himself only one. Next comes crank, followed by crime... Without eliciting sympathy, Brown creates a sense of intimacy by simply stating his emotions: "My wife's name is Heidi, and I know I should call her, that I owe her that much, but I don't want to hear it. Her cursing. Her screaming. I know I've done wrong. I know there's no excuse for getting drunk when you're supposed to be home with your family and I wish knowing this would stop me from doing it. I wish that's all it took. That I could will it to happen. But it doesn't work that way, it never has, and in my state of mind, at this particular moment, I can't imagine living without it. The alcohol. The dope. I've been drinking and using since I was nine years old and sometimes I think it's the only thing that gives me any real pleasure."

The following eleven autobiographical sketches of The Los Angeles Diaries operate in a similar fashion. Brown's brutally honest narration, modestly describes disturbing situations throughout his life. Watching an author publicly display the pains and problems of his past, in a dignified, without-whining-way shows how people can learn from their mistakes and move forward into a brighter present.

A dark voice that utters absolute truth
I don't know where James Brown found the courage to recount the tragic tale of his life, but I cannot emphasize enough how meaningful it has been for me to read it. Where many will see this memoir as a classic depiction of the descent into substance abuse, what resonated for me was honesty in regard to the issue of suicide. I believe it takes a potential suicide to understand a potential suicide; most family members respond in the same way that 'Jimmy' did to his older brother: "You don't really mean that stuff." Sometimes we do. Beyond his courageous though brutal honesty, Brown has the rare ability as a writer to bring his readers into a scene so deeply that we forget we are reading the words on the page and begin to believe we are living these scenes with him. His power as a writer comes from his concise, unembellished rendering of every scene. In 200 pages we have his life--and his soul. I suspect this book will see the same success as Angela's Ashes--because everyone will tell everyone to read it. Bravo. ... Read more

Book Description

In Cidermaster of Rio Oscuro, an orchard in northern New Mexico is the setting for fourteen seasons of growth and harvest and for Harvey Frauenglass, the current steward of this orchard, to meditate on the natural cycles of life and death. Frauenglass comes to realize, this shamble of property offers a kind of salvation.The decrepit farmhouse and its outbuildings, the trees and their infirmities, and the querulous centuries-old acequia that funnels water from the Rio Oscuro to the farm embody histories of care and hope, of grief and loss.Stories of devotion and love may be found her, too: the story of a lonely Catholic priest, Father Freidrich Meyers, the previous cidermaster of the farm; the story of neighbors who share their collective wisdom and work selflessly along with Frauenglass and his wife; the story of Marni, Frauenglass's daughter, battling breast cancer even as she carries in her stricken body her unborn son Trevor.Cidermaster of Rio Oscuro offers a vision of a simpler life where a venerable orchard becomes a place to put down roots and find hope and expectation in the harvest.This is radiant first book about the ways in which a man is gentled by a growing connection to the earth, to her fruits, and to the order of the seasons. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Moving
I have never read a book that made me feel quiet and humble like this book did.The author was very good at description and bringing the reader "into" his life.I went through the highs and lows of being a farmer and a father.Very moving, very enriching, and very memorable.

Vivid and touching
This is a wonderful book, beautifully written and immensely touching.The author interweaves vivid descriptions of his farm and its inhabitants -- both past and present -- with his observations on cider-making, the care of apple orchards, his wife's art, and his memories of his late, much-loved daughter.He doesn't gloss over the irony that, after he spent years working on nuclear testing, his daughter should contract breast cancer;but he isn't polemical about it, and by the end of the book his personal tragedy is subsumed into the rhythms of the seasons and the ongoing life of the farm.The timeline of the book is circular -- it's not a straightforward history -- but I felt that this further emphasized the cyclical nature of life in the orchard.I recommend the book unreservedly.

Tender hearted memoir
This is a very special tenderly written book aboutliving...loving...working... and dieing.Every one can find something torelate too with Harvey in this book.I would highly reccomend it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ah Mabel!
Ah Mabel! I have been to your house in Taos, slept in your bed, and bathed in that wonderful bathroom where you painted the window panes with flowers. Lois Rudnick reveals your life brilliantly. Here is a book alive with heartache and joy, some meaness, and much searching and discovery. Mable Dodge Lujan--an amazing life; a complex and talented woman who, indeed, was a "mover and shaker". "Her desire for self-importance attracted her to some of the most stimulating and creative talents in America." Lois Rudnick details a wonderful biography of who, what, when, and where. Thank you, Lois. You made Mable's house come to life and her life fill the house. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Never forgetting the words of her father, who said that police are Christ's soldiers on the rough city streets, Mona Ruiz spent her youth with gangs, married an abusive husband, then went from collecting welfare to preserving the welfare of others as a police officer in her hometown of Santa Ana. Ruiz tells her story with the objective eye of a detective who sees both the issues of necessity in joining a gang and the gang system's fatal vision of drugs and war. Informative and inspiring, Ruiz is one who made it out of the gangs, but never abandoned the streets. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Loved it!!!!
This is a really good book to have a teenages read, I read it just because and I liked it so much that I gave it to my little sister to read who then passed it on to her friends.

A great book by a great author!!!
This book was required when I took one of my college classes. After reading it I knew why. The book offers an inside look into the life of a young woman, hispanic and in a gang. She struggles with many obstacles and in the end pulls herself through. The book is not only inspirational but it is also a demonstration of triumph in spite of obstacles! I give it Five stars and hope that more people can get to reading this book. Maybe instead of requiring it as a college course they should offer it in Junior high's and High Schools. This is the kind of book that should be read.

Need more.
I am an English teacher at Santa Ana Valley High School, in Santa Ana, CA.Ms Ruiz spoke at Valley several years ago.Her presentation was as memorable as her book, "Two Badges."I bought three copies the day of her presentation, I have since bought ten more.My students love the book.Young men and young women, alike.They relate, and it is such a strong story with a postive, true life ending.Unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on your view) these books do not make it back to my room after being checked out.I am down to three copies.In a way I am happy, in that I know the books are in contiuous use, they are getting passed around to friends.Cool.It is just that I can not afford to buy a bunch more books for my kids this fall.

Great Book, A Must Read
I had to read this book for a class, I never thought i'd enjoy it.I couldn't put it down.This book is one of the best books i've ever read.I'm glad a chicana can overcome so much. A+for mona!

Being a girl in Santa Ana I could relate to her book.
As a young adult in Santa Ana,California, I could totally relate to most of the things Mona Ruiz wrote in her book. I loved it because just by reading it she made me feel close to her and made me realize even more thatthere is a way out of that lifestyle,I'm almost there. I was never in agang like her but I associate with that way of living. I hope she writesmore books because I would buy them. I like that she writes about the waythe gang life is, it's all true, but there is also more that is behind thelifestyle. Hopefully you will read and enjoy it. ... Read more

Book Description

Louis Tikas was a union organizer killed in the battle between striking coal miners and state militia in Ludlow, Colorado, in 1914. In Buried Unsung he stands for a whole generation of immigrant workers who, in the years before World War I, found themselves caught between the realties of industrial America and their aspirations for a better life. ... Read more

Book Description

Born on a Kona coffee plantation in 1914, Koji Ariyoshi saw the importance of unions and strikes after witnessing labor clashes as a boy.In the 1930s he worked as a stevedore and wrote a series of articles about life on the docks for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.After World War II broke out, Ariyoshi used his language skills in the U.S. Army and was assigned to China, where he met several of China's future leaders, including Mao Zedong.

After returning to Hawaii, Ariyoshi became the editor of the Honolulu Record, the voice of labor during the turbulent postwar conflicts between unions and Hawaii's ruling elites.Following his 1951 arrest on charges of being a Communist, Ariyoshi spent the next years writing "My Thoughts for which I Stand Indicted" for the Record.The present volume draws from this series of weekly articles to create an energetic and thoughtful work chronicling a life lived at the center of events that transformed Hawaii, America, China and the world. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Extraordinary Human Being
Koji Ariyoshi was an extraordinary person--a true American hero. He studied journalism at the University of Georgia, staying with the family of novelist Erskine Caldwell. Years later, after successfully defeating his prosecution by the government, he went back to speak at the University. When the story was told of how they tried to send him to prison in the McCarthy Era, the audience was so overwhelmed by his courage that they spontaneously burst out in applause. This was no man born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but someone who had to work his way through many difficulties in life. As he was dying of cancer in 1976, the Hawaii legislature passed a resolution in his honor. "We shall overcome" could be the motto of Ariyoshi's life. This is a book that will carry his extraordinary story on to future generations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

slow read, not particularly gratifying
I purchased this book based on the author's experiences with many artists that have touched my life. I found this to be a slow read and not particularly thought inducing. Perhaps someday as my father is aging I will re-read it and find a new appreciation for it, but until then I would suggest avoiding this one.

The voyage of a generation
Tony Cohan, an incredibly gifted writer - his account of finding a new life in Mexico, 'On Mexican Time', is a superior contribution to the genre of literary travel memoir - has written a sort of early prequel to that book, a fascinating and heartrending story of one man's search for a meaningful life. This is played out in retrospect as he watches his father die in present day Los Angeles. He takes us back to his boyhood in the shadow of a belittling and domineering man, who shaped him for all that was to come. Young Cohan was an accomplished jazz drummer playing with greats like Dexter Gordon in Copenhagen - and pre-Ringo Beatles in Hamburg! - but he gave this up to follow a trickier path of self-expression as a writer. This led him through the early days of the counterculture that began in the late 1950s and flowered into the sex,drugs, rock and roll, Buddhism of the 60s. Cohan hung out with Paul Bowles in Morocco, Jim Morrison in LA, Burroughs in Paris. But this is much more than a name-dropping memoir. It's the paradigm voyage of a generation, and Cohan is its very best, most moving explicator. A great and moving book. ... Read more

Book Description

Cris Mazza delivers a spirited rebuttal to pop-culture stereotypes about growing up female in Southern California. Coming of age in the 1970s and '80s, Mazza's memories aren't about surfing, cheerleading or riding in convertibles. Though her story has its exotic elements -- her family hunts and -gathers food in the semi-arid coastal hills well into the early '70s -- she sets herself in the context of familiar Americana. Repeating motifs -- gender issues, the California landscape, dogs, musicians, plus the perplexing melancholy of a sexless marriage -- thread through these very personal essays, as Mazza confronts madness, disability, sexual dysfunction and death, speaking to the drama of ordinary lives.

Cris Mazza's most recent novel was Girl Beside Him, and she is the editor of Chick-Lit: Postfeminist Fiction.

Reviews (1)

Intimate, intelligent, and thought-provoking
INDIGENOUS is a rare book: a memoir that offers both intimacy and a sharp-eyed look at a variety of social issues. Cris Mazza grew up in southern California outside of San Diego as one of five children, but, as she makes clear from the first page, she is not a stereotypical Californian. She is not blonde, does not surf, has no interest in acting. Her California is a gritty terrain - scrubby land populated by ant lions, bird dogs, and sand crabs. The daughter of educators by vocation and scavengers by avocation, she grew up hunting, clamming at the beach, searching through the landfill for soda bottles to redeem for spending money, and playing with and studying the indigenous creatures she encountered. Her views on ecology come from knowing both the before and the after, and by attempting to understand the forces that come into play. But Mazza is not an environmentalist; she is a fiction writer who has set out to share the complexity of her experiences. In these personal essays, Mazza uses her life as a touchstone to pose questions we should all be asking. In the chapter on her failed marriage to a San Diego symphony musician, she explores the reasons behind - as well as the repercussions of - America's view on the arts. As she discusses both her mother's stroke and her own volunteer work in the children's wing of a nursing home, she poignantly evokes the difficult role of being a caregiver while exploring what it means when the body cannot perform the most basic of human activities - walking and talking. She conjures up her preteen days of wanting to be a boy in the 1970's when the male gender seemed to have all the fun and advantages. She writes of raising her Shetland sheepdogs to be champion show dogs, thus examining the intricate relationship between humans and animals. All the essays are punctuated by black-and-white photographs of Mazza and her family. These images serve as anchors to Mazza's writing; they add to the atmosphere and wonder of what is written within these pages.

Mazza writes with clear-eyed passion for her subject matter. Under her touch, ordinary subject matter becomes extraordinary. Her story contains none of the sensationalist topics of many high-profile memoirs; instead, it revels in the quiet details of an unconventional life. This book is exactly what a memoir should be: intimate, intelligent, and thought-provoking. Certainly fans of Mazza's fiction should read INDIGENOUS to understand the background from which her stories and novels spring. However, even those without a familiarity of her work will enjoy Mazza's stories about growing up in rural California and then taking that experience into a much larger world. ... Read more

Book Description

A young man’s journey into the heart of the American myth. The soul of the book is in the richness of the telling. With lively and insightful writing, Clay Evans makes this memoir sparkle, blending in an appealing coming-of-age story, in which he begins to come to terms with life, love and himself. "I See By Your Outfit" does not aim to puncture the cowboy myth, but rather to penetrate its romantic veneer to find the flesh-and-blood, sweat and leather reality of cowboy work. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

It was well written but....
Clay Evans has a very well written tale here. Tale being the key word here. Although I can not account for all of his stories I can account for the ones that took place in my hometown. Some of the portrayals of people I know and have known my entire life are innacurate and down right offensive in many respects. His opinion of a lifestyle I was raised in and continue to be a part of is one of someone who totally missed the mark in his short lived experience with "The Life." It's not only offensive to the people it's writtewn about but to anyone who has chosen the lifestyle he so wrongly describes. But if you are looking for a well written book of tales, then read it, but if you are looking for an accurate representaion of a true way of life, pass this one by.

Cowboy life as it really is
This book begins slowly. As a matter of fact, my husbaand who knows how to rope and has been in a rodeo was so bored as he read the first 40 or so pages that he quit reading it. I kept on, and after Clay got on his first horse, everything (including him!) took off! By the time I finished the book, I was impressed with the depth of his feelings about himself, his cowboy experiences, and his future. I feel like a better person for having read Clay's story and am looking forward to more things by him. I was impressed that he learned to write quite by accident when he took a writing class in college to complete units for graduation. His teacher was one of those rare ones who encouraged him! We all need that kind of encouragement.

Growing Up With Dreams & Reality
I related very much with this book as I had very similar dreams as Clay.I also followed my dreamsthrough college and finally faced with the real world let them go.But I have never regretted taking that path as did Clay.I found the book to be very honest in its approach to the subject. Mr. Evans writes clearly and to the point.I felt that most men couldidentify with him even if they had no cowboy background.

I See By Your Outfit
Although I don't entirely agree with Clay Bonnyman Evans, I admire his honesty with which he has written this book.His tenacity for following the life that he wanted to lead is so rare and he expresses it so well in his writing.After reading this book, I am surprised at how long it hasstayed with me, and how often I think of Mr Evans.If your looking for aglorified tale of ranching, don't look here, but if you are looking for ahonest tale, read this book!

from Boulder, CO
I loved the book.It made me understand the struggles within a grown up boy who had everything and just wanted to experience life at its fullest and chose being a cowboy.Clay's talent is how he sees things a littledifferent and is able to describe them on paper and make you say oh yeah! ... Read more

Book Description

Cleofas M. Jaramillo (1878-1956) grew up in northern New Mexico, and her memoir, originally published in 1955, offers a unique and engaging portrait of daily life and customs from the late nineteenth through the early twentieth century. The story of her life in a prominent family steeped in the traditions of Old Spain takes us into village life of a bygone period. Jaramillo's vivid recollection of a time when tradition clashed with modernization and New Mexican cultures nevertheless came together to form a richly diverse society makes her autobiography not only the story of one woman's life but of changing lifeways on the edge of a new era.

Jaramillo narrates her life from girlhood through courtship and marriage, motherhood, and her later years in Santa Fe. Throughout we witness her enduring and indomitable spirit despite political upheaval, economic depression, and family tragedy. Jaramillo drew singular strength from her faith and her heritage. She discusses religion, politics, local customs, family, love, and more, recounting in unique detail customs associated with courtship, marriage, fiestas, and hospitality that are so much a part of Hispanic culture in New Mexico. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Got to read these wonderful sketches compiled by Despain.
Hafen's sketches have been favorites. This new compilation has made it easier and more enjoyable to learn about the trappers and traders of the Southwest. Despain has done a masterful job of selecting the best of the collection. Definitely worth your time. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Philosophy from the north slope
Having read Mr. Wright's first book, Koviashuvik: Making a Home in the Brooks Range, I was anxious to read this. Although much of the book is his philosophical viewpoint about "life explanations", a great deal of the wonderful Alaskan serenity and harshness comes through. I am sad to say, this writing was neither entertaining nor left me soulful. I think the author has grown old and yet as wise as he clearly is/was, doesn't fit well into 21st century solutions. I take homage at his reference to the northern lights and Billie talking to him with the same voice, and will just have to live with his first Koviashuvik stories. By the way, did anyone ever find the thief who cleaned out the cabin?

I live in Alaska. I couldn't have read a more enjoyable book
Sam's book, written from his cabin 100 miles north of the arctic circle, is a contemporary adventure story par excellence. I'm a recent University graduate in sustainable agriculture now living in Alaska. I appreciate Sam's view of living with the land, not just upon it.

Wrights philosophy of life.
Edge of Tomorrow By Sam Wright Reviewed by Frank Kadish

Few people are able to synthesize their lives from being born and raised in the west, to being a scientist, to become a minister in a free thinking liberal church, to an be outdoorsman and to put into practice his philosophy by combining it with living off the land as our ancestors did. My wife bought the book at our meeting of our group interested in communing with nature. I spent the last three hours reading it in one gulp. It has been as satisfying an afternoon as I have had in many a year.

Sam structures his philosophy and experience with the calendar and the events of the year in his in his cabin just below the Arctic Circle. His wisdom comes thru the stories he tells and the parables that he creates. With his wide-ranging experience in life, his story becomes an adventure of the mind.

Get the book and enjoy. ... Read more

Book Description

Another great story of growing up on the prairies of Montana is born. Nedra Sterry, born in 1918 in Fort Benton, Montana, the daughter of hailed-out homesteaders, grew up in a succession of isolated one-room schools in northern and central Montana, where her mother, a teacher, eked out a living. The book traces Sterry's family through the homesteading boom, the Great Depression, World War II, and the postwar advancements brought by rural electrification. An extremely captivating, well-written story of growing up in early Montana. ... Read more