The Big empty The Great Plains in the twentieth century

R. Douglas Hurt

Book - 2011

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978.033/Hurt
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Subjects
Published
Tucson : University of Arizona Press [2011]
Language
English
Main Author
R. Douglas Hurt (-)
Physical Description
xv, 315 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780816529728
9780816529704
  • The age of optimism
  • The ethnic and racial divide
  • The age of uncertainty
  • The anxious years
  • The age of certainty
  • The perils of agriculture
  • The inevitability of change
  • The politics of race and agriculture
  • Epilogue.
Review by Choice Review

Hurt (Purdue), a respected historian of the 20th-century West, examines the Great Plains by first admitting that the region's geographical dimensions are ill defined at best. His reference to the "Big Empty" will strike a responsive chord among people familiar with the area, though it may anger local chambers of commerce that do their best to avoid this imagery. Utilizing a great variety of primary and secondary sources, Hurt synthesizes some of the most important themes in recent Plains history by focusing on environment, race, politics, and agriculture. He directs secondary attention to ethnicity, economic change, and daily life. Chapters follow a loose chronological approach and fairly represent all the Plains states, including urban and rural settings. Furthermore, even in its attempt to find common themes within the region, the book never underestimates the vast differences that exist within this heterogeneous entity. For instance, political preferences have ranged from mainstream Republicanism to the radical Industrial Workers of the World. Likewise, economic anchors range from the boom-and-bust oil industry of West Texas's Permian Basin to the cornfields of Nebraska. This well-written overview deserves an examination by all adult readers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. M. L. Tate University of Nebraska at Omaha

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.