The West: An Illustrated History
by Geoffrey C. Ward
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Book Summary Information
Author: Geoffrey C. WardContributor: Stephen Ives
Contributor: Ken Burns
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-10-02
ISBN: 0316735892
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Book Reviews of The West: An Illustrated History
Book Review: Where The Buffalo Roamed and the Cowboys and Indians Rode
Summary: 5 Stars
The promos for "The West" series on PBS seemed to imply that Ken Burn's following up to his incredible "Civil War" epic would be as good as the Civil War was.
And it was. Burns was able to capture the whole panorama of the history of the West, and left no stone unturned. Here was the saga of the pioneers, the cruelty of the buffalo hunters, the tragedy of the Native Americans, the bravery of Custer - and of Crazy Horse and Chief Joseph, the terrible "die up" where thousands of poor cattle froze to death in the Montana blizzards, and the courage and perserverence of settlers like the Loves. The musical score too was perfect, capturing every dramatic movement, every nuance just right.
And the book too, while perhaps not as comprehensive as Geoffrey Ward's earlier "Civil War" volume, provided the viewer with a superb text and many, never-before-seen illustrations. The reader can sense the drama of the Earps and Wild Bill Hickok, can hope that Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce reach Canada and safety (which they didn't) and feel the heartbreak when Joseph was cruelly denied the return to his homeland. The reader can also cheer for the courtship of the Loves, and almost live the toil, the disappointments, and the determination of that family through the text, the first-hand accounts, and the marvellous illustrations. I found myself getting angry over the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Mormon scapegoating of the Paiutes; being sickened and almost in tears over the slaughter of the buffalo, and the old Native American woman's tale of how the last buffalo went into Mount Scott, never to return; and in appreciating how Buffalo Bill Cody and Theodore Roosevelt did their level best in trying to save the West that they loved - Cody through the Wild West shows, and Roosevelt through his conservation efforts.
It is all here in Mr. Ward's excellent text, and more. There may be other books on the West, but for the perfect introduction to anyone interested in Western History, or even for the grizzled enthusiast, this book is not only the perfect companion to the series, it is also a perfect coffee table pictorial history of a history and a lifestyle that is all but gone.
Summary of The West: An Illustrated History
For the first time in paperback comes the magnificent, copiously illustrated companion volume to the landmark PBS television series. 400+ illustrations, many in full color.The companion volume to the stunning PBS television series, and an encore the acclaimed bestsellers The Civil War and Baseball. In a vivid narrative that begins with the arrival of the first Europeans and ends well into the twentieth century, author Geoffrey C. Ward provides a gripping journey through the turbulent history of the region that has come to symbolize America around the world. Drawing upon hundreds of letters, diaries, memoirs, and journals as well as the latest scholarship, and vividly illustrated with over 400 photographs, many of them never before published, The West: An Illustrated History chronicles the arrival of wave after wave of newcomers from every direction of the compass, each of which invested the harsh but majestic western landscape with its own myths and desires and dreams.
It is the central story of America, a story filled with heroism and hope, enterprise and adventure as well as tragedy and disappointment. It explores the tensions between whites and the native peoples that they sought to displace, but it also encompasses the Hispanic experience in the West, from the time of the conquistadors to the transformation of a Mexican-American village called Los Angeles into the region's major metropolis; the lives of Chinese immigrants who called the region "Gold Mountain"; and the ordeals of freed slaves from the South who sought a better life homesteading on the Great Plains. This book is as sprawling, vast, and rich as the history and land it describes.
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