Book Notices

Song of the Hammer and Drill: The Colorado Sanjuans, 1860-1914

By Duane A Smith (1982;revised ed.,Boulder: University Press ofColorado,2001 300pp Paper,$24.95.)

Books on western mining abound; this one isunusually livelyin telling the story of mining and life in the SanJuan Mountains from the 1860sto the start of World War I Its account of an ugly labor-management disputein Telluride, for instance, describes the events (martial law, deportations, murder), analyzes how the strike sullied the town's image, and also puts the flesh of detail on the bones of facts One example:the union despised GovernorJames Peabody for his role inthe dispute, calling him "This poor, weak, miserable, crawling, putty-made sample of effeminate masculinity with arubber vertebra" (176) Yes, but tell us how you really feel.

Texas and New Mexico on the Eve of the Civil War: The Mansfield and Johnston Inspections, 1859—1861

Edited and with an introduction by JerryThompson (Albuquerque:University ofNew Mexico Press,2001 264pp.,$29.95.)

Ringgold Barracks,Texas, December 1860:"The men on inspection parade were infull uniform, except the pantaloons were both light &dark blue They, however, appeared on parade without knapsacks, haversacks nor canteens.... They were neat &inexcellent order. Their arms were in good serviceable order, except some few that went off at half cock This company has made considerable progress in the light inft. drill.... It, however, could not drill at skirmishes nor at the bayonet exercise (manual)" (152) Capt Joseph K Mansfield wrote about inspection parades and much more in reports he sent to Washington from the field. He, along with Capt Joseph E Johnston, had been assignedto inspect the army posts inTexas and New Mexico and report on "all matters affecting the efficiency, discipline, and welfare of the army" (1) These matters included the buildings and layout of forts, procedures, training, supplies, arms, animals, bookkeeping, and every other aspect of the frontier military Inprinting the captains' diligent reports, this volume gives military historians much fodder for their own cannons

Utah's Sanpete Valley Tour Guide

(SaltLake City,UtahArts Council,2000.Paper booklet,35pp.,and audiotape or CDs,$14.95.)

Tour Sanpete Valley—at least, some of it—starting at Nephi and ending at Gunnison with this audio guide and booklet The audio narrative explains sights along the way, tells stories, and explains the culture. Scandinavian, Hispanic, American Indian, and Mormon experiences all add a rich mix to the narrative But the highlights of the tour are the locals performing and telling their own stories. "V" Johnson -whistles charmingly; Ephraim's Combined Men's Choirs sing Ye Elders of Israel convincingly; Victor Rasmussen gives the directions for making pit-roasted lamb; Abel Cruz plays the guitar and sings a Mexican song These and all the other snippets make this an intimate look at the valley

The booklet includes maps, photos, and supporting text spotlighting such topics as agriculture, the built environment, and ethnicity It also gives a few local recipes (Dutch-Oven Turkey Stew:"By golly I'll tell you it's worth dying for!"), ideas for stops and side-trips beyond the "official" tour, and information on annual events in the valley

Contemporary Mormonism: Social Science Perspectives

Edited byMarie Cornwall, TimB.Heaton,andLawrenceA.Young (1994;reprint ed.,Urbana and Chicago: University ofIllinois Press,2001 xvi + 367pp Paper,$18.95.)

This book was, at the time of its initial publication, the "first collection that uses social science perspectives (rather than theological or historical ones) to describe the institutional and personal dimensions of Mormonism" (1) Although more work on contemporary Mormon culture has been done since then, and although much remains to be done (and the introductory essay outlines some important, little-studied topics), the essays in this book remain relevant and important They address church growth and institutional change, Mormon society and culture, missionary experiences, and the perspectives of women and minorities

Bombs in the Backyard: Atomic Testing and American Politics

By A.CostandinaTitus (1986;second edition,Reno andLasVegas:University ofNevada Press,2001 256pp Paper,$21.95.)

Begun in secret and continued through the years in semi-secret, America's atomic testing program has created a story of political maneuvering, public relations, compensation lawsuits, testing bans, nuclear "waste, public patriotism, and public suspicion This update includes the original research spanning the period from the Manhattan Project to the eve of the Soviet breakup. A final chapter adds the story of the nineties, including "weapons reductions agreements, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the failure of the U.S to ratify it, and increased compensation for the victims of testing Finally, the uncertainty of the future of the Nevada Test Site is discussed Although testing could resume, the large numbers of people moving into Nevada may be a complicating factor as they modify a "political culture of independence, isolation, and individualism that characterized the state for so many years and fostered support or at least tolerance for 'bombs in the backyard'" (169).

William Henry Jackson, an Intimate Portrait: The Edward P. Bonney Journal

Edited by LloydW Gundy (Boulder: University Press of Colorado,2001 164pp + illustrations.Cloth,$24.95;paper,$12.95.)

Elwood Bonney met William H.Jackson, the famous photographer-artist, in 1932, "when Jackson was nearly eighty Though Bonney was in his thirties, the two developed a close friendship, and during the next ten years Bonney often wrote about Jackson in his diary Seen through the eyes of his friend, the elderly Jackson is good-humored, vigorous, and mentally sharp

By this time Jackson had become a legend whose western exploits were admired and mythologized But Bonney gives a detailed insider's view that presents both the heroic and human side of Jackson: we see his habits and preferences—he loved to imbibe both Ovaltine and an occasional "snorter"—his jokes, and his decline into the ailments of old age.

Fort Union and the Upper Missouri Trade

By Barton H.Barbour (Norman: University ofOklahoma Press,2001.xvi + 394pp.$34.95.)

Fort Union, near the border of North Dakota and Montana, "was from 1830 to 1865 the most important fur trading post on the Upper Missouri and the longest lived in the contiguous United States. For earlier historians, the fort was a triumphant example of what we now recognize as cultural imperialism. But in his comprehensive history of the fort Barbour shows that, rather, the fort embodied multiculturalism.

"What [the Euro-Americans, American Indians, and mixed-bloods at the fort] demonstrated -was the possibility that people with radically different ethnic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds could live and "work together and merge their cultures in meaningful ways By 1870 the experiment had unraveled, but it did not do so because of internal or inherent failures Instead, it -went to pieces because the citizens of the United States and their government "were devoted to a unitary culture that refused to accommodate the range of differences visible every day at Fort Union" (239)