South Dakota Books

The Real Deadwood: True Life Histories of Will Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Outlaw Towns, and Other Characters of the Lawless West

John Edwards Ames, John Ames

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Television -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Television -> General AAS
Subjects -> Entertainment -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Deadwood Lite 2 out of 5 stars.
18 of 19 people found this review helpful.

If you're looking for a fast, easy read about Deadwood with little detail, insight, or depth, this is the book for you. The book offers nothing new or interesting for those of us already familiar with Deadwood's history.

I also consider the strong tie in to the HBO series (which is, by the way, my favorite show) generally ill advised. The positive aspect of doing so is the author makes it clear early in the book that the series is not completely factual, the writers, producers, etc. do not intend for the show to be completely factual, and the book addresses some of these characters, events, situations presented in the series, and "corrects" the facts. Unfortunately, in a few cases, the author discusses fictional characters/situations from the series, it's important to understand the context and details of the reference, the context and details are not included in the book, so only readers who've watched the series would understand the references. I'm sure there are a lot of people interested in Deadwood and it's history who haven't watched or have no interest in the series. Overall, I found the constant references to the series annoying. I love the series, I wanted to learn more about the real Deadwood, I didn't want to read about the series, I didn't get what I wanted or thought I'd get from this book.

Editorial Review:

Supported by strong ratings and a rich history, The Real Deadwood provides background and historical accuracy for the figures depicted on the hit HBO series, and takes a broader look at the times that spawned them. Covering law and order, politics, journalism, and early medicine, and examining some "historical guest stars" who may play a factor in future Deadwood episodes (Teddy Roosevelt was an acquaintance of series protagonist Seth Bullock and made several visits to the lawless town; Bullock turned away Wyatt Earp when he offered his services as a lawman)-The Real Deadwood will allow readers to traverse the unpaved streets of an outlaw town without ever getting their boots dirty.

The Death of Raymond Yellow Thunder: And Other True Stories from the Nebraska-Pine Ridge Border Towns (Plains Histories) (Plains Histories) (Plains Histories)

Stew Magnuson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

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.

The River Where America Began: A Journey Along the James

Bob Deans

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderfully written 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderfully written, informative book that focuses on the history that happened on the James River from 1607 to 1865.

Like any good storyteller, Deans illuminates specific characters (John Smith, Pocahontas, Powhatan, Patrick Henry and Abraham Lincoln among them), to shed light on the whole. And the whole is this: That the two original sins of the American experiment -- our near-genocidal treatment of the Indians and our institution of black slavery -- began here, early in our formative years, on the banks of the James River in Virginia. At the very same time and in the very same place, began our very real belief in a democratic government of laws and not of men.

On this river was nurtured the the notion that all men were created equal, even as those who proclaimed liberty and equality denied it (and increasingly codified that denial) to a whole race of men and women.

That such schizophrenia of national psyche could not long endure seems obvious. And the fever that provided the cure finally broke here, too, on the banks of the James in April 1865.

This is a terrific book. However, the publisher, I believe, has let the writer down in two respects: It could use more maps. When Deans writes of someone rounding this point, exploring this tributary or inhabiting that island, I want to have a map close at hand to see for myself. There are a few maps, and they are good, but I would like more.

And here's a thing sure to rankle any West Virginian ex-copy editor: In the chapter on John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry (then Virginia, today West Virginia), it says he was hanged in nearby Charleston. As any Mountain Stater (and probably even some Virginians) know, Charleston, the state capital, is in the south central part of the state. Charles Town, where they have horse racing, is in the Eastern Panhandle. Charles Town is close to Harper's Ferry, not Charleston. (And as any newspaperman knows, Charleston, Charles Town is an AP Stylebook entry. I presume the error is an editor's and not Deans'.)

Editorial Review:

From the establishment of the first permanent English colony at Jamestown in 1607 to the fall of Richmond in 1865, the James River has been instrumental in the formation of modern America. Over the course of the United States' first century, the James River bore witness to the irreconcilable contradiction of a slave-holding nation dedicated to liberty and equality for all. When that intractable conflict ignited civil war, the James River served as a critical backdrop for the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history. As he guides readers through this exciting historical narrative, Deans gives life to a dynamic cast of characters including the familiar Powhatan, John Smith, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold and Robert E. Lee; as well as those who have largely escaped historical notoriety.

Deadwood: 1876-1976 (SD) (Images of America)

Bev Pechan, Bill Groethe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Jones-Gonzalez 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Awesome book for those that like a lot of pictures. If a picture is worth a thousand words...this book says it all.

Editorial Review:

Think about the most romantically notorious Wild West town you ever heard of, and most likely Deadwood would head the list. Deadwood has more than its share of legends, heroes, and brigands who traveled through or made their homes here: Wild Bill and Calamity Jane to be sure, but also Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Captain Jack Crawford (the “Poet Scout”), California Joe, Seth Bullock, Poker Alice, and many more. No other frontier town—not Dodge City, Tombstone, Abilene, or Cripple Creek—could claim them all. Deadwood is the champion, and was the happening place in the late 1870s. This legacy lives on today as casino

gambling—perhaps ironically but fittingly—financed the preservation of historic downtown Deadwood begining in 1989, an area that is now designated a National Historic Landmark.

Roadside History of South Dakota (Roadside History Series) (Roadside History Series)

Linda M. Hasselstrom

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Wonderful Way To Travel 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

The Roadside History of South Dakota is an entertaining, well-written book. At first I read this book as an armchair traveler and enjoyed anecdotes that gave the flavor and essence of South Dakota. Then I drove through the state. The book brought to life the places we passed on the way, and I was able to entertain my children with stories of the people who lived there. Driving roads like I90 became a historical and cultural experience. I am looking forward to reading other books in the Roadside History series.

Editorial Review:

Reading Roadside History of South Dakota is like having a friend guide you through the state's rich past and wide-open spaces, from its homespun beginnings to its endurance as one of the nation's most rural states.

The Black Hills Yesterday and Today

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

escellent book 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is an excellent historic comparison of the black hills through photos. It is filled with historic information and insight. Great purchase!

Editorial Review:

Take a journey across time in the fabled Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. Author/photographer Paul Horsted logged thousands of miles to seek out and rephotograph the original sites of more than 160 images made here between 1874 and 1935. In this book you will find rare and fascinating photographs of early expeditions, the gold rush, growing towns, tourist meccas and the unique beauty of the Black Hills. The historic images are matched with carefully composed views from today to create a near-mystical connection between past and present. The book includes "then and now" photos of towns such as Custer, Deadwood, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sundance and more. Places such as Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Custer State Park, Harney Peak and other landmarks are also shown. Seldom-published images of military expeditions and early explorers are also included in this remarkable oversized book.

Land of the Burnt Thigh (Borealis Books)

Edith E. Kohl

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Sometimes, what you see isn't what you get... 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Two young women (sisters), from a fairly well-to-do family back East, bought into the turn-of-the-century land-grab hype, and decided to stake a claim to free land in South Dakota. It had recently been acquired from the Sioux Indians by the Federal Government, and was ripe for the taking by persons willing to abide by the rules of claim, which required living on the land for eight months. Eight months in South Dakota, in the dead of winter, in a wooden box called a house, about eight feet by ten feet in size. The only insulation was torn tar paper on the outside of a house which had no stove. When the snow didn't come through the cracks, the blowing sand did. Frozen water had to be melted for drinking, and there was no well on the land.

This is the story of how they lived, endured, and survived, during their time on the land they claimed. Living through almost the same hardships of the Pioneers from 100 years earlier, they were miles from any neighbors, were terrified of the Indians, and for a while, had no horse. And no income.

As I laid in my comfy, warm bed, reading this book a few years ago, I continually felt guilty, for my part, for what they endured to achieve what they wanted. We take so much for granted today, in our country, and never give pause to what those before us went through, suffered through, and the prices they paid. This is a fascinating look into a short period in the lives of these two sisters, and a reminder, that few things of value in life are easily obtained.

Editorial Review:

This tale of two sisters courageously homesteading on the prairie in 1907 provides a lively portrait of frontier life.

DAKOTA CL

Kathleen Norris

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 48 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

After 20 years of living in the "Great American Outback," as Newsweek magazine once designated the Dakotas, poet Kathleen Norris (The Cloister Walk) came to understand the fascinating ways that people become metaphors for the land they inhabit. When trying to understand the polarizing contradictions that exist in the Dakotas between "hospitality and insularity, change and inertia, stability and instability.... between hope and despair, between open hearts and closed minds," Norris draws a map. "We are at the point of transition between east and west in the United States," she explains, "geographically and psychically isolated from either coast, and unlike either the Midwest or the desert west."

Like Terry Tempest Williams (Refuge), Norris understands how the boundary between inner and outer scenery begins to blur when one is fully present in the landscape of their lives. As a result, she offers the geography lesson we all longed for in school. This is a poetic, noble, and often funny (see her discussion on the foreign concept of tofu) tribute to Dakota, including its Native Americans, Benedictine monks, ministers and churchgoers, wind-weathered farmers, and all its plain folks who live such complicated and simple lives. --Gail Hudson

Pioneer Days in the Black Hills: Accurate History and Facts Related by One of the Early Day Pioneers

John S. McClintock

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Jones-Gonzalez 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

After seeing the HBO special about Deadwood I was interested in getting some factual data. This book provided insight and drama to a part of history above and beyond what a HBO special could provide. The historical accounts of people, places and gold give the reader something to chew on while contemplating what it would be like in the American past. SASS members would love the book also.

Pioneer Days in the Black Hills is the real deal 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This man gives a real account of the real Deadwood and the events of the gold rush. Nothing is made up nor did he embelish. How refreshing. While reading it in the Black Hills, I am in awe of some of the places he describes. Though the topography has changed a bit, its fun to go see where the events happened. Some happy, some sad. Stories about the Sioux and Lakota Indians adds interest.

I would highly recommend this book for true facts of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane and Deadwood gold rush days

Buy This Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This an awsome collection snippets from the life & times in the Black Hills aroung the 1870's. Written is a way that you feel like you are reading the author's diary. Deadwood was a great HBO series and this book really fills in the blanks. It is a suprise how much pain the early pioneers endured heading west (and how the American Indians were take advantage of!).

Ruling Pine Ridge: Oglala Lakota Politics from the Ira to Wounded Knee (Plains Histories) (Plains Histories)

Akim D. Reinhardt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Incorporating previously overlooked materials including tribal council records, oral histories, and reservation newspapers, Ruling Pine Ridge explores the political history of South Dakota s Oglala Lakota reservation during the mid-twentieth century. Akim D. Reinhardt examines the reservation s transition from the direct colonialism of the pre 1934 era to the indirect colonial policies of the controversial Indian Reorganization Act (IRA). The new federal approach to Indian politics was evident in the advent of the tribal council governing system, which is still in place today on Pine Ridge and on many other reservations. While the structure of the reservation s governing body changed dramatically to reflect mainstream American cultural values, certain political equations on the reservation changed very little. In particular, despite promises to the contrary, the new reservation government s authority was still severely constrained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In addition, the new governing format led to an aggravation of social divisions on the reservation.

Reinhardt then examines the period of 1968 -1973, showing that many of the political players on the reservation had changed, and although the tribal council system was well established by this point, deep dissatisfaction with the IRA government persisted on Pine Ridge. This longstanding unhappiness came to a head in 1973, with the occupation and siege of Wounded Knee. Reinhardt demonstrates that the siege is best understood not as a political stunt of the American Indian Movement (AIM), but as a spontaneous, grassroots protest that was at least forty years in the making.