History of Nebraska was originally created to mark the territorial centennial of Nebraska and then revised to coincide with the statehood centennial. This one-volume history quickly became the standard text for the college student and reference for the general reader, unmatched for generations as the only comprehensive history of the state. This fourth edition, revised and updated, preserves the spirit and intelligence of the original. Incorporating the results of years of scholarship and research, this edition gives fuller attention to such topics as the Native American experience in Nebraska and the accomplishments and circumstances of the state’s women and minorities. It also provides a historical analysis of the state’s dramatic changes in the past two decades.

The co-author of "The Shortgrass Prairie" paints a startlingly vivid portrait of the Nebraska Sandhills as he delivers riveting accounts of the flora, fauna, wildlife, and rich cultural history of the region.

Charles Barron McIntosh has devoted a lifetime of scholarship to the history of human activity on Nebraska’s Sand Hills, the spare, beautiful land that occupies much of western Nebraska. From carefully deciphering Native American occupancy through rigorous analysis of thousands of arrowheads, to patiently combing through decades of courthouse land title transaction records, McIntosh has mastered the sweep of centuries of human interaction with the land. We learn how the land shapes humankind, far more than pride would have us believe, and we see that perhaps our real success lies in learning how to live with the land, rather than attempting to master it. The Nebraska Sand Hills reflects McIntosh’s lifetime of learning, reading, questioning, analyzing—in short, everything it means to be a scholar; seldom are these efforts so well demonstrated. His affection for this unique landscape is present on every page.

Throughout its existence the Federal District Court of Nebraska has echoed the dynamics of its time, reflecting the concerns, interests, and passions of the people who have made this state their home. Echo of Its Time explores the court’s development, from its inception in 1867 through 1933, tracing the careers of its first four judges: Elmer Dundy, William Munger, Thomas Munger (no relation), and Joseph Woodrough, whose rulings addressed an array of issues and controversies echoing macro-level developments within the state, nation, and world. Echo of Its Time both informs and entertains while using the court’s operations as a unique and accessible prism through which to explore broader themes in the history of the state and the nation. The book explores the inner workings of the court through Thomas Munger’s personal correspondence, as well as the court’s origins and growing influence under the direction of its legendary first judge, Elmer Dundy. Dundy handled many notable and controversial matters and made significant decisions in the field of Native American law, including Standing Bear v. Crook and Elk v. Wilkins. From the turn of the century through 1933 the court’s docket reflected the dramatic and rapid changes in state, regional, and national dynamics, including labor disputes and violence, political corruption and Progressive Era reform efforts, conflicts between cattle ranchers and homesteaders, wartime sedition and “slacker” prosecutions, criminal enterprises, and the endless battles between government agents and bootleggers during Prohibition.

Mari Sandoz came out of the Sandhills of Nebraska to write at least three enduring books: Old Jules, Cheyenne Autumn, and Crazy Horse, the Strange Man of the Oglalas. She was a tireless researcher, a true storyteller, an artist passionately dedicated to a place little known and a people largely misunderstood. Blasted by some critics, revered by others for her vivid detail and depth of feeling, Sandoz has achieved a secure place in American literature. Her letters, edited by Helen Winter Stauffer, reveal extraordinary courage and zest for life. Included here are letters written by Sandoz over nearly forty years?from 1928, the year of her father's death and a critical one for her creative development, to 1966, the year of her own death. They allow memorable flimpses of the professional and private person: her struggles to learn her craft in spite of an unsupportive family and hard-won formal education, her experiences in gathering material, her relationships with editors and publishers, her work with fledgling writers, and her commitment to art and to various social concerns.

Clarice E. Richards of Dayton, Ohio, was a tenderfoot when in 1900 she moved to a ranch in Elbert County, Colorado, east of Pikes Peak. She was the bride of Jarvis Richards, a former Congregational minister from Vermont. It was an unlikely place for these two cultured easterners to land, but Clarice, possessing curiosity and a lively sense of humor, became thoroughly westernized as she witnessed "the ebb of the tide of the wild, lawless days," succeeded by the more pastoral eras of the sheepman and farmer. Her memoir, A Tenderfoot Bride, was first published in 1920 and praised for its charm and verisimilitude, qualities that have increased in value with time. Maxine Benson's introduction expands on the ranching and political activities of the close-knit Richards family and on a well-publicized courtroom trial in 1902 pitting Jarvis against a neighboring rancher.