Atlas of the Great Plains - by Center for Great Plains Studies & Stephen J Lavin & J Clark Archer & Fred M Shelley (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

2011 Booklist Editor's Choice, reference category

The Great Plains, stretching northward from Texas into Canada, is a region that has been understudied and overlooked. The Atlas of the Great Plains, however, brings a new focus to North America's midcontinent. With more than three hundred original full-color maps, accompanied by extended explanatory text, this collection chronicles the history of the Great Plains, including political and social developments. Far more than simply the geography of the region, this atlas explores a myriad of subjects from Native Americans to settlement patterns, agricultural ventures to voting records, and medical services to crime rates. These detailed and beautifully designed maps convey the significance of the region, capturing the essence of its land and life. The only current and comprehensive atlas of the Great Plains region, it is also the first atlas to include both the United States and Canada, showing the region's full length and breadth.

Review Quotes

"Every library in the plains region will of course need this title in its reference collection."--Mark T. Bay, American Reference Books

"Recommended as a great value at a terrific price for most libraries; essential for all types of libraries where there is an interest in the history and geography of this region."--Diana Shonrock, Booklist -- (12/1/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"The Atlas of the Great Plains may well be one of the best scholarly atlases of a United States region ever produced. While the volume makes a much-needed scholarly contribution to research on the region, its layout, topics, map design, and text make the geographical diversity and geographical patterns of the Great Plains easily accessible to anyone who has an interest in this often-overlooked region of North America."--Robert Watrel, South Dakota History

"The 300 maps here are more than enough to demonstrate the diversity present in North America's vast interior. And, at $39.95, the atlas is a bargain."--James R. Shortridge, Geographical Review

"This distinctive and handsomely produced atlas is highly recommended as an invaluable reference resource for public and academic libraries, and it will enthrall all those with a special interest in North America's heartland."--Edward K. Werner, Library Journal

"Whether your interest is cartography, social trends or a desire to learn more about our country's midsection, this glorious book is sure to captivate and educate."--Sandy Amazeen, Monsters and Critics -- (8/15/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"A useful reference volume."--Russell S. Kirby, Historical Geography

About the Author

Stephen J. Lavin (1943-2011) was a professor of geography at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the coauthor (with J. Clark Archer and Fred M. Shelley) of the Historical Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, 1788-2004 and the Atlas of American Politics, 1960-2000. Fred M. Shelley is a professor of geography at the University of Oklahoma. He is the coauthor of The Geography of North America: Environment, Political Economy, and Culture. J. Clark Archer is a professor of geography at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. David J. Wishart is a professor of geography at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the editor of the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains (Nebraska 2004). John C. Hudson is a professor of geography at Northwestern University and author of Across This Land: A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada.