The New Encyclopedia of the American West Book

Did you know that when Annie Oakley was not performing her sharp-shooting skills, she preferred a quiet Quaker lifestyle and an embroidery needle to a rifle? That gunman John Wesley Hardin killed more people than either Jesse James or Billy the Kid? Or that Frederick Law Olmsted was once commissioned to manage the Yosemite Valley and was instrumental in the national-park movement? The New Encyclopedia of the American West is full of such interesting information. This weighty volume, compiled by Sterling Professor Emeritus of History at Yale University Howard R. Lamar, contains over 2,400 entries by more than 300 contributors on all aspects of the American West, from prehistory to the present. Types of entries include brief biographical sketches of important men and women, extensive descriptions of the physiogeography of the continent, pieces on art and literature of the West, and histories of the area's transportation systems. Over 600 illustrations and maps complement the text and help make this book a joy to read. Lamar provides a brief timeline of Western history to help put things in perspective, and the individual entries are extensively cross-referenced. A detailed index provides a comprehensive list of every person mentioned in the book, and most articles provide bibliographic citations to point the interested reader to further sources. The tone of the book is authoritative yet accessible--and refreshingly jargon-free. So whether you're interested in Sacajawea, Sasquatch, or Santa Fe, The New Encyclopedia of the American West will please scholar and casual reader alike. --C.B. DelaneyRead More