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Mari Sandoz came out of the Sandhills of Nebraska to write at least three enduring books: Old Jules, Cheyenne Autumn, and Crazy Horse, the Strange Man of the Oglalas. She was a tireless researcher, a true storyteller, an artist passionately dedicated to a place little known and a people largely misunderstood. Blasted by some critics, revered by others for her vivid detail and depth of feeling, Sandoz has achieved a secure place in American literature. Her letters, edited by Helen Winter Stauffer, reveal extraordinary courage and zest for life. Included here are letters written by Sandoz over nearly forty years?from 1928, the year of her father's death and a critical one for her creative development, to 1966, the year of her own death. They allow memorable flimpses of the professional and private person: her struggles to learn her craft in spite of an unsupportive family and hard-won formal education, her experiences in gathering material, her relationships with editors and publishers, her work with fledgling writers, and her commitment to art and to various social concerns.

Here in one volume are Mari Sandoz's reminiscences of life in the Sandhills country; a study of the two Sitting Bulls (the Hunkpapa and the Oglala) and other Indian pieces; a novelette, Bone Joe and the Smokin' Woman; and nine short stories, mostly with a rural setting, including The Vine," her first to be published. Introducedøby an autogiographical sketch of the author's early years and linked by a commentary derived from her letters, articles, and interviews, the separate pieces coalesce into an illuminating picture both of the Niobrara River country and of Mari Sandoz's emergence as a major American writer.

Recreates the life of a Swiss-born Nebraska homesteader, while reflecting on the character of the people who shaped the American nation

Crazy Horse, the legendary military leader of the Oglala Sioux whose personal power and social nonconformity contributed to his reputation as being ?strange,? fought in many famous battles, including the Little Bighorn, and held out tirelessly against the U.S. government?s efforts to confine the Lakotas to reservations. Finally, in the spring of 1877 he surrendered, only to meet a violent death. More than a century later Crazy Horse continues to hold a special place in the hearts and minds of his people. Mari Sandoz offers a powerful evocation of the long-ago world and enduring spirit of Crazy Horse. Chosen as a 2007 One Book, One Nebraska selection, this edition of Crazy Horse includes discussion questions and a comprehensive glossary to enhance the reader's experience with this classic Sandoz text.

"This thundering book by the author of Old Jules is the story of the vast cattle industry of the American West; stupendous in length, concept, and achievement, it is the result of a lifetime of knowledge and research. . . . The whole story is here, long but never dull, written with humor and understatement."—Kirkus Service "Here, tough as whang leather, nourishing as pemmican, turbulent as Dodge City on a Saturday night in the late 1870s, is what time may well decide is the definitive history of the founding and flourishing of the cattle industry on this continent. . . . This splendid book says more (and says it better) about the most romantic figures of the old West than dozens of other books that have ranged over this familiar ground. Mari Sandoz has given herself room to move with tremendous drive and scholarship."—Victor P. Hass, Chicago Sunday Tribune "Drawing the fullest flavor from her expert descriptive technique, Mari Sandoz has written a regional history to stand among the best of its kind."—Library Journal

Old Jules' Mari Sandoz' widely acclaimed biography of her pioneering father, was published in 1935. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of that event, Old jules Country offers a generous sampling from Miss Sandoz' nonfiction writing. By zealous research, by keen observation and by wide-ranging and deep-probing commentary, all recorded in flowing prose, Mari Sandoz has hewn out for herself a unique niche as an inspired interpreter of the American \Vest. Here are selections from the six volumes of her extraordinary Great Plains Series - 'The Beaver Men', 'Crazy Horse', 'Cheyenne Autumn', 'The Buffalo Hunters', 'The Cattlemen' and 'Old Jules' - and from her trenchant study of a great people, 'These Were the Sioux'. The volume also includes two long essay-articles, 'The Lost Sitting Bull' and 'The Homestead in Perspective', Two hitherto unpublished pieces, 'Snakes' and 'Coyotes and Eagles', and the-poignant 'Evening Song' - a prayer chanted by an imprisoned Cheyenne Chief - round out a striking table of contents. "Old Jules Country," the land of the title, is made up of the region of which the author has written so much-the High Plains of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Wyoming and eastern Montana-the Black Hills, the Badlands, the sandhills of Nebraska, the North Platte, the Niobrara, the Little Missouri and the Yellowstone. This collection provides a stimulating introduction for readers not yet acquainted with her work. For her extensive following, it offers some shorter difficult-to-find and previously unpublished shorter pieces and the opportunity for a satisfying reappraisal of her over-all achievement.

"The collected correspondence of Mari Sandoz focusing on her political activism in behalf of American Indians in the mid-twentieth century. Introduced and edited by Kimberli Lee, the letters document Sandoz's role as a non-Native chronicler and advocate for Plains Indian cultures"--Provided by publisher.

A history of the beaver trade in the Great Plains region ranges from its beginnings along the Saint Lawrence River to the last great rendezvous of traders and trappers in 1834

Crazy Horse, the military leader of the Oglala Sioux whose personal power and social nonconformity set him off as "strange," fought in many famous battles, including the one at the Little Bighorn. He held out boldly against the government's efforts to confine the Sioux on reservations. Finally, in the spring of 1877 he surrendered, one of the last important chiefs to do so, only to meet a violent death. Mari Sandoz, the noted author of Cheyenne Autumn and Old Jules, both available as Bison Books, has captured the spirit of Crazy Horse with a strength and nobility befitting his heroism.