The New Encyclopedia of the American West

Book Overview

The American West is an evocative term that conjures up images of cowboys and Indians, covered wagons, sheriffs and outlaws, and endless prairies as well as contemporary images ranging from national parks to the oil, aerospace, and film industries. In addition, the West encompasses not only the past and present of the area west of the Mississippi but also the frontier as it moved across each of the fifty American states, offering the promise of freedom...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300070888
• ISBN13: 9780300070880
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 1344 Pages
• Weight: 6.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.2" x 9.1" x 11.2"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

OUTSTANDING REFERENCE BOOK

Indispensable for us, ignorant Europeans. I needed some informations abut the early organization of the Texas Rangers, and it was there. The printing is very clear, and the paper very nice, as most American editions, so I have no quarrel with that book, except for its unavoidable weight which makes it awkward for in bed browsing.

A vital source of illustrations and facts about the American West...

This book is a remarkable publication, and no one who cares deeply about the history of the American West, should be without it. I highly recommend the hard bound version however (simply because this single volume weighs over six pounds and would be much more difficult to read, in paperback form). Lamar and his legends of writers have created a phenomenal, exciting, compendium of all manner of interesting information regarding the people, places and events that formed the American West, and you will absolutely love browsing through this book. Its single weakness is that (yes, it's true) the font size is slightly below what it should have been, and you will need good light and decent eyesight to read it comfortably! I would even recommend for some, a reading glass..ideally, this should have been a two volume work, with a larger typeface. Having said this, it is still definitely a 5-star book, and in fact the hundreds of incredible pictures, photographs and illustrations, are in themselves a highly valuable and interesting reference. The editing and writing in this work, seem to be extremely well done, with facts and details about so many persons and events carried to the highest level of accuracy and interest. I guarantee that anyone reading this volume, will discover facts and interesting information about the West, that they never imagined.

good content, small print

I'll agree with the previous critque...great content, though the small typeset detracts from the readability

a very comprehensive history of the West

Although primarily a reference book, it is the kind I would like to read page after page. I wish it had been printed in two volumes. The type is extremely small and tiresome to read at any length