The Montana Heritage: An Anthology of Historical Essays

Please completely ignore the prior review of this book. This is one of the best collections of non-fiction essays about the Big Sky State. Edited by two of the foremost Montana historians, the book does an excellent job covering the rich history of montana. Some essays are so basic to the study of the state that all people interested in Montana should read them. For example, David Emmons study of the Green vs. Orange Irish feud in Butte not only is entertaining but also gives new light to the wars of the copper kings. Margaret Scherf's study of the legislature as it dealt with the Baker vs. Carr decision (reapportionment rulings) shows the internal tension between machine politics and a natural populism. Of course, Harry Fritz's essay stands out as the basic reading on how Montana changed from the puppet of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company to a state that still gropes for its own destiny. If you are looking for a book that comprehensively studies the state, look to Toole's Montana: An Uncommon Land or Malone, Roeder & Lang`s Montana: A History of Two Centuries. However, if you already know the basics and want to look further, give Montana Heritage a try.