Description
Book SynopsisBased on contemporary accounts, settlers' reminiscences, and the work of other historians, Sod Busting dives deeply into the practical realities of how things worked to make vivid one of the quintessentially American experiences, breaking new land.
Trade ReviewA fine recommendation for any American history collection. Midwest Book Review Danbom provides the reader with more than a conventional understanding of the region, whether it be pointing out some of the myths about homesteading or the role of the independent woman homesteader. Thus, it is an excellent undergraduate resource. Highly recommended. Choice An excellent introduction to the challenges and opportunities of agricultural life in a difficult region for farming... Danbom's Sod Busting is an outstanding survey of farm making on the Great Plains. This elegantly written, well-researched volume will find an audience with students, historians, and general readers. Those with an interest in Iowa history will find much useful information here that helps to explain settlement in the western part of the state. Anyone teaching or studying the Great Plains will want to add this book to their library. -- Jeff Bremer Annals of Iowa In a short space, Danborn synthesizes the information that might be gained from a half dozen monographs. Undergraduates and upper-level high school students will find the work readable and useful. -- Alexandra Kindell Western Historical Quarterly Danbom presents a cogent and engaging portrait of the real lives of those who settled the Great Plains... If you want not only solid history, but economics, geography, ethnic and gender studies, psychology, and sociology this short book will serve you well. Nebraska History This outstanding work is a masterpiece of both conciseness and comprehensiveness. Great Plains Quarterly
Table of ContentsPreface
Prologue
1. How They Acquired Land
2. How They Built Farms
3. How They Got Credit
4. How They Built Communities
5. How the Plains Matured
Epilogue
Notes
Selected Further Reading
Index
