Montana: An Uncommon Land

A good fast read. Nice writing style that grabs you. Written in 1959 but still valid for history up until then. You will finish the book with a nice comprehensive understanding of the history of the state.

This book served as the text book for K. Ross Toole's class in Montana History at the University of Montana, Missoula. The class was always packed and had quite a waiting list. No one skipped. Toole has quite deftly interwoven the politics of the era with the economics of Montana. Did you know that a private company forced the Montana legislature into session? That has never happened anywhere else. The same company also controlled the seven major "independent" newspapers in the state. Its all in Toole's book. A definite "must read" for any western history buff.

This is the benchmark "history" book of the Sate of Montana. Written with a passion for the state and a distain for the changes facing the west,it gives insightful background from Lewis and Clark, to the interaction and conflicts with Native Americans; through the Cattleman and Mining Interests. Today, the state is very attuned to agriculture,energy and recreation all trying to fit into a global economy. This book gives one a prespective on how and why it is where it is with the hope for gaining insight into where it may go in the future.