Battle for Butte: Mining and Politics on the Northern Frontier, 1864-1906 [Paperback]

Michael Malone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999

A classic study of mining entrepreneurship, it is the authoritative work on the War of the Copper Kings for the "richest hill on earth."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Malone's superbly crafted narrative treats the political economy of Butte and Montana from the gold boom of the 1870s through the absorption of the copper independents by the Standard Oil-financed Amalgamated Copper Company in the first decade of the twentieth century ... The Battle for Butte is fine history: rich in detail, full of finely drawn people, masterfully clear where the subject matter is most complex, constructed to preserve something of the tone and atmosphere of the age." American History Review "[This] is one of those happy and much-needed works which informs without overwhelming, clarifies without over-simplifying, and entertains without distorting. Above all, it is a book written with an affection for the mines, the town, and the titans which it so well describes, a fitting literary monument to the victors and the fallen in the war of the copper kings." The Pacific Historian --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

A classic study of mining entrepreneurship, Battle of Butte is the authoritative work on the War of the Copper Kings for the 'richest hill on earth.'

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Montana Historical Society Press; 1st edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0917298349
• ISBN-13: 978-0917298349
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,836,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars - As good as history gets, May 20, 1999

By 

Rob Witwer ([e-mail]) (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battle for Butte: Mining and Politics on the Northern Frontier, 1864-1906 (Paperback)

This is a highly readable and well-researched account of what must be one of the most fascinating towns in the United States. As anyone who has visited Butte can attest, the town possesses a cultural richness and idiosyncratic character unmatched anywhere in the US west, maybe the whole country, and Malone's book captures this nicely. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of political machinations in Montana around the turn of the century, which make today's politics look anemic by comparison. If you have any interest at all in Montana/western history, political economy, mining or politics, I couldn't recommend this book more highly.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read about town "ugly as sin, and just as fascinating.", July 21, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battle for Butte: Mining and Politics on the Northern Frontier, 1864-1906 (Paperback)

Butte, Montana, has a rich history with stories that just seem too preposterous to be true! ("Copper Camp" written in 1930's is good example).

Michael Malone, a historian at Montana State in Bozeman, must have felt the same way. He did some good, scholarly research, and found out that many of the wild tales WERE true!

The book is VERY readable, almost like a novel, filled with some wild stories about how the three "Copper Kings" (Butte's version of "Robber Barons") worked, wheeled, dealed, cheated, competed and conspired to make as much money as they could from "the richest hill on earth."

In the mix are many stories about the everyday Butte residents, who, to this day, are actually friendly, big-hearted people...who put their hearts and backs into the building of the town.

Butte, Montana truly is "as ugly as sin" (quickly verified by any who has been there), "and just as fascinating."