Much has been written about the west—most of it clouded by exaggeration and fabrication. Since 1953; True West magazine has been devoted to celebrating the West’s true colors; giving the men and women who settled there accurate voices; exploring every triumph and tragedy of their time—and exposing every vice and virtue.True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West commemorates these unforgettable cowboys; Indians; and city slickers through a mix of classic histories and brand-new narratives; all illustrated with photographs—many reproduced here for the first time—of the people and places that gave rise to America’s Western mythology.With twenty-six stories that blend fact with folklore; this collection abounds with accounts of the famous and the infamous; including Sacagawea; Wild Bill Hickok; Pancho Villa; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; Davy Crockett; and Wyatt Earp. Also here are lesser-known figures whose stories were pivotal to shaping the culture of the era; such as European conquistador Francisco Coronado; rancher “Black Billy†Hill; and fearless lawman Orlando “Rube†Robbins. Other tales recount the wide open plains; lawlessness; drama; mayhem; and promise embodied in the Old West. Whether you’re a history buff; an Old West devotee; or simply someone who is fascinated by the characters of America’s early years; these timeless tales and photographs epitomize the legendary spirit of what it meant to settle the West.
#482865 in Books Hugh Kennedy 2008-12-09 2008-12-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x 1.25 x 5.50l; 1.00 #File Name: 0306817403464 pagesThe Great Arab Conquests How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Hugh Kennedy is one of my favorite historians. His prose is extremely readableBy D. CARDENASHugh Kennedy is one of my favorite historians. His prose is extremely readable; to the point it really doesn't feel like a History book. His voice offers continuous insight; which turns the reader into an analyst of its own; considering the value of different sources for what they are worth (remarkable concept; his study of "collective memory" of muslims). The internal structure of the book is very clean; with robust yet not too overwhelming chapters for each of the geographical areas of conquest.If you are looking for a entry point into the Arab early conquests; I strongly suggest this book. In other books he's also covered the Khalifat al-Rashidun; the four first caliphs of Islam; the life of the Prophet himself and the splendour of the Abbasid court in Baghdad. Truly remarkable historian.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The Great Arab Conquests by HBy BingoThe Great Arab Conquests by H. Kennedy is a fair and a balanced review of the Arab conquests. Finding authentic documents describing what happened during that period in history that turned the two Great empires at the time into the realm of Muslim rule proved to be a challenge. H. Kennedy was able to balance between the opinions of Muslim historians who documented that period in details by measuring their documents against any documents he could found that are written by historians from the conquered nations. This book provides the casual reader with an easy to follow history of a period that changed the world.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Great history!By Jeremy D. PikeI am not going to give a long; in-depth review of this book; mostly because the subject of early Islamic conquests is still relatively new to me. However; I do want to comment on one concept of other reviewers and then move on to my own struggle with this book's content.1. The use of the plural "conquests" instead of one long "conquest". Though I do agree that this initial outpouring of Muslims from Arabia who systematically brought the surrounding nations under its control; whether militarily or peacefully; was part of one long conquest; I also believe the author was dividing the conquest into its various geographical regions; describing the conquest of what we call Iraq; Iran; Egypt; etc. Furthermore; this is kind of a weak point because it doesn't really discredit the book's content.2.The major issue I ran into is one of geography. When it comes to the Middle East; Europe; and North Africa; I am fairly knowledgeable compared to most Americans -- but when it comes to the Persian/Sassanid empire (modern-day Iran) and the Central Asian steppe I have relatively little knowledge outside of the nations which exist there today. Though he does draw some geographical links to modern times (e.g.; this river is in modern day Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan; etc.) it probably would have helped if he had done this more often. Before reaching the "Crossing the Oxus" chapter; be sure to stare at a map of the Iranian plateau and Central Asia for a while; as well as getting a general idea of where "Khurasan" was in the early 7th century.I am giving it five stars because it was a well-researched book; all the proper historiographical disclaimers were mentioned in the Introduction; and the author made the most of the limited knowledge available to modern scholars.
