From: clematis@dontemailme.com   
      
   In article , abc@123.net says...   
   >   
   >Almost anything by Robert M. Utley or Paul A. Hutton. The current deans of   
   weste   
   >rn   
   >history, in my estimation.   
   >--   
   >Todd   
      
   I'll toss the names of Sonnichsen and Metz into the soup.   
   I think the problem with singling out authors is that   
   it fails the test of giving a "general overview" of   
   the Old West for someone just wanting to get their feet   
   wet - and especially if that someone is foreign to the USA.   
      
   That's why I mentioned the Time/Life Library of the Old West.   
   For a single volume that does the same, Commager's The West,   
   an Illustrated History, is also a good beginning point, IMO.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)