Minnesota: A History

This is a concise but complete history of the state from the French fur trappers to recent times. (Though it is starting to get a little outdated, if you look at the index "Ventura, Jesse" and "Ethanol" does not appear). It is billed on the back cover as a brief survey, which is exactly what it is. Unfortunately, that led to a number of topics feeling a bit rushed. Nonetheless, it is a good 300 page read for those wanting to get familiar with Minnesota's history or who want a brush-up.

Instead of this book, I recommend the very readable A Popular History of Minnesota. I compared both books and felt that "A Popular History of Minnesota" was better. This book is a great reference with many important dates and details. It is authoritative. However, I felt that some of the stories were not told well. This is an authoritative history but the storytelling could be better.

William Lass's state history is informative and interesting. Most of his prose is easily readable. Exceptions are the segments in which Prof. Lass attempts to describe maps in words without showing them. (Unfortunately, one of the longest such segments is in the opening chapter.) The first half of the book is organized chronologically and covers from archaeological times until shortly after statehood. The second half is organized thematically and covers the time period since about 1870. Discussions of Minnesota's industries, politics, and politicians frequent this section.