Customer Reviews

Alternative Oklahoma: Contrarian Views of the Sooner State

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Like a jackrabbit, at first I hopped in and out of the Index, not only delighted with its presence, but checking out some 'hidden history' omitted from my textbooks of yore -- growing-up-Oklahoma. Satiated somewhat, albeit lacking enough on the Tulsa Race Riots (1921) and recent Commission and the state's early Freedmen players, I delved into first and second-hand reports from the Green Corn Rebellion, introduced to me in the fifties by a bullet lodged in the skull of the Bailiff's head in Seminole County Courthouse.Then the hard facts (statistics and boom-bust psychology and oily reality)behind Oklahoma's hapless history of economic distress.

"Alternative Oklahoma" delivers at lots of levels: for the researcher looking for different voices and perspectives on the historical horizon or as Progressive filler for many of the 'black hole' left-overs from childhood, such as profiles of the heroines -- and activists -- and tons of censored material pushed to the back of the stacks by "Boomer, Sooner".

I took an Oklahoma History class at East Central University where Mr. Joyce taugh for many years and was assigned this book at the beginning of the semester. I must say that it is one of the most interesting books on alternative views of Oklahoma out there. My classmates and I had a chance to speak with Mr. Joyce and he is just as great in person! He was very helpful in teaching us about Oklahoma and also very kind to answer all of our questions. After finishing this book I also read his first book which was just as good!!