Customer Reviews

Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild

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For anyone who has ever driven across one of the interstates of the plains and contemplated why anyone would choose to live there, when they could live in the mountain-ed, forested, breathtaking landscapes of the rest of the United States; here is your answer! For all of us who have attempted to explain the beauty we see in the vast rolling hills, without trees, without shorelines; here is the end of our apologies. This book makes the subtle beauty of the plains accessible to everyone.

This is a captivating book. I purchased it from Amazon (saw an advert for the publisher in the New York Review of Books) as a gift for a friend who loves to travel and especially appreciates the Great Plains. If you have been to any part of the Great Plains, you will appreciate this book. If you have never been, the book will provide an excellent context and history, and perhaps it will inspire a journey. But even if you never visit there, this book will capture your imagination, I promise. It is informative and the essays and photo captions are wonderfully written. The book delivers in every respect. A book that gives an additional perspective is Ian Frazier's Great Plains, also highly recommended.

I recently drove across some of the plain states (Kansas, Wyoming, Nebraska, parts of Colorado), and like so many other people, I caught myself saying that I was in 'the middle of nowhere.' But these photos have made me realize that there is so much more out there. This land is home to only a few hardy people... but there are many more critters out there than we realize.

I had the opportunity to meet Michael Forsberg, the photographer, and hear his stories about these photographs. He's a young family man; intelligent and purposeful with a very gentle, respectful and creative spirit - exactly who you would hope would take these kinds of photos. For years, he did lots of research and talked to locals to find out about recent sightings of rare animals. And then he would sit for hours or days, waiting for an animal to cross in front of his lens. His stories have truly impacted my view of this portion of our country. Miles and miles of fields and what looks like barren land is indeed home to many animals, and our ecosystem depends on us all respecting that. This guy is very talented, but after hearing him talk about these animals and this land, I developed new respect for the middle of our country. I will think twice about calling it 'the middle of nowhere.'

This is a beautiful book for anyone who either loves photography or wildlife, has a connection to the middle half of the United States, or has an interest in understanding and protecting nature.

Fantastic photographs and wonderful prose that's a well-deserved tribute to an iconic American landscape. The coasts have nothing on us!

I have always been interested in the Great Plains before I have visited this beautiful part of the country. It is called the flyover area because planes just fly over it and don't stop. When I saw this book on Amazon I felt I needed to order it. So I did. I became knowledgeable about this part of the country due to the plains writers. There is a map pointing out the plains area which extends from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

Dan O'Brien writes about meeting Michael Fosberg at an Nature Conservancy meeting. Mike was dressed as a tree stump to Dan's surprise. The writers drove all over the part of the country they were telling about to write about what they saw and who they visited. Mr. Fosberg took photographs of where they were going, what they were seeing and marvelous pictures they are.

The book begins by describing the geology and climate of this land, how it came into being the way it is due to the work of glaciers. The book sections the plains into three sections, Tallgrass Prairies, Northern and Southern Plains. The plains contain very cold and very hot temperatures, possibly certain crops grow here due to these extreme temperatures. Plus there are fearful tornados, tornado alley. The book contains many wonderful sepia toned old photographs.

Mr Fosberg is a great color photographer. His photos of the land, the animals, the wide open country, the high skies, plus the trees and plants bring the reader back to where I have seen and visited and intend to revisit.

Prairie dogs are cute and comical, pronghorns are fast and pretty, owls are lovely with big pretty eyes. Environmentalists are helping members of the grouse family to add to their populations which is badly needed. Hawks and eagles make for wild country, but also do others such as wolves, coyotes, fox and wildcats.

The Black Hills are scenic and do not overwhelm as do the Rockies. The plains are losing population due to young people moving to cities.

The writers give good reports about what is going on in their part of the country. The photographer brings visual images into the book. The men putting together this book show how much they love their part of the country

This is one great, interesting and worthwhile book which could be used as a teaching tool in schools.

Good reading, good pictures, good book.