Customer Reviews

Oklahoma: A History

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Historians and college professors W. David Baird and Danney Goble present Oklahoma: A History, an in-depth, narrative history of America's 46th state. From the geological and tectonic creation of Oklahoma's landscape to both well-known and oft-overlooked historical events, Oklahoma: A History narrates in a down-to-earth style accessible to historians and lay readers alike. "The collapse of the Socialist Party and the end of World War I brought no tranquility... High among the reasons for this political turmoil was the bitterness felt by former Socialists. Their party had not survived the war, but neither had the high farm prices that the war produced... On top of that, the former Socialists carried a bitter grudge against the Democrats, whom they blamed for destroying their party. Unable to vote Socialist and unwilling to vote Democratic, their first recourse was to vote for the one remaining alternative, the Republicans." A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this excellent addition to Oklahoma and American history collections, highly recommended especially for public libraries.

After accepting a new job offer, I recently relocated to Oklahoma City. Knowing next to nothing about the state, I wanted to get a background on Oklahoma's history before I arrived. I felt that this work did a spectacular job detailing Oklahoma's geography, Native American history, settlement and journey into statehood. It also provided a resident's view of modern political trends and cultural norms. Overall, I thought it was a well-written story of Oklahoma's past.

I ordered this book in anticipation of moving to Oklahoma and teaching Oklahoma History at the high school level. Baird and Goble do a nice job of covering the various periods of the state's history including the pertinent facts as well as including illustrative and entertaining anecdotes. I have learned a lot more about the state than anticipated and am looking forward to living and working in such a fascinating place. On a side note, in the appendix is a section entitled "See History for Yourself" which includes trips to historic sites throughout the state. I look forward to planning and visiting as many of the these sites as possible.