[.ca] Kansas: A Land of Contrasts (ISBN 0882959492)

Glad to See It Back:
In five simple words, glad to see it back (okay, IN PRINT). This was one of the first general volumes on Kansas history that I had the pleasure to read. It flows quite well and spurs readers to pursue further research on various topics. It is primarily chronological, spanning the prehistory period thru the present. Kansas has had a rich and multi-layered history, so no real topic gets more attention than another, so it is primarily an excellent resource tool to get one's feet wet regarding various topics. The chapter on Bleeding Kansas on the Civil War were quite useful. Richmond is a scholar on this Kansas time period, and the chapter is excellent in dispelling myths and providing information on both sides of the slavery issue. Also enjoyed the chapter on late nineteenth century Kansas development, taming of Western Kansas, etc. After noticing this book for sale, I went back and reread several chapters of this book, which goes back to the 1970's. Richmond's charming writing style accomplishes what it should accomplish: popularizes a subject relatively few readers want to go on their own...and actually makes the reading go fast and enjoyable.