New Encyclopedia Looks Beyond Popular Stereotypes Of Old West
Looking for adventure? Great scenery? An opportunity to meet fascinating people?
Don’t leave town. Just pick up a copy of “The New Encyclopedia of the American West” (Yale, $60), historian Howard Lamar’s wonderfully unpredictable portrait of this real and fictional place we call home.
From “A” (Edward Abbey) to “Z” (Zuni Indians), with detours as disparate as Plymouth Colony and polygamy, Lamar manages to redefine the West in a way that does justice to the region’s scope and complexity.
First published two decades ago, the encyclopedia has received a thorough going-over by 300 contributors, with considerably more attention paid to hyphenated Americans of native, African, Mexican and Asian ancestry. Also reconsidered is the important role of women in western history.
At 1,300-plus pages, the book is bulky enough to anchor a prairie schooner. But its 600 maps, illustrations and photographs invite readers to riffle through in search of entertaining facts and anecdotes.
Whether your interests tend toward rail baron James J. Hill or detective novelist Tony Hillerman, the Nez Perce War or natural history, “The New Encyclopedia of the American West” is sure to answer most questions - and maybe raise a few others you hadn’t considered.
For another perspective on the subject, check out the “Atlas of the New West: Portrait of a Changing Region” (Norton, $35) compiled by the University of Colorado at Boulder.
An amalgam of maps, photographs and essays, “Atlas of the New West” examines our drift away from traditional industries - logging, mining, farming, ranching and drilling - toward an economy driven by tourism, information and service jobs.
“This shift,” writes geographer William Riebsame, “shows on the land, (once) empty, awesome, natural spaces now overlain uncomfortably with a landscape of sprawling cities, greenlawn suburbs and ranchette estates.”
Among the more unusual maps are ones identifying Superfund sites, microbreweries, Land Rover dealerships and New Age retreats.
And just out: “Montana Handbook” (Moon Travel, $17.95), essential gear for anyone exploring Big Sky Country.
Whether you’re interested in getting along with bears or want the recipe for Butte pasties, authors Bill McRae and Judy Jewell can save you legwork. Their 456-page book is particularly strong on state history, but also offers good advice on where to sup and snooze.
If you’re heading for Europe and only have enough room (or money) for one book, a good choice is Lonely Planet’s new “Europe on a shoestring” ($24.95), a concise roundup of 41 countries.
Aimed specifically at budget and first-time travelers, “Europe” includes 144 maps and covers all the basics: what to pack, how to get around, where to eat. Also helpful are the 36 contributing writers’ lists of favorite destinations and “overrated attractions.”
Travelers with time, patience and spunk are discovering the joy of walking through western Europe.
Tour operators have encouraged the trend by offering escorted trips that combine light exercise, afternoon wine-tasting and cozy inns.
But you can easily design your own excursion with the help of peripatetic historian Frank Booth’s “Independent Walker’s Guide” to Ireland, Great Britain, France and Italy (Interlink, $14.95 each).
The two editions I’ve seen - Ireland and Great Britain - each recommend 35 walks, most of which require no more than several hours and offer rewards ranging from castles and cathedrals to wildflowers and beaches.
Naturally, Booth also includes such essential information as the location of public toilets (and advice for when none is available).
If you intend to confine your walking to Hyde Park and Piccadilly Circus, consider investing $14.95 in Richard Tames’ newly revised pocketbook, “A Traveller’s History of London” (Interlink).
Few cities can compete with London’s rich heritage - a 2,000-year evolution from Roman outpost to seat of an empire. Tames’ brief overview helps visitors appreciate the authenticity behind London’s familiar landmarks.