Nebraska Moments - by Donald R Hickey & Susan A Wunder & John R Wunder (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Nebraska author Mari Sandoz remarked that most people see Nebraska as "that long flat state that sets between me and any place I want to go." If so, they're missing plenty, as this entertaining volume makes abundantly clear. Susan A. Wunder and John R. Wunder's new, expanded, and updated edition of Donald R. Hickey's classic account of defining Nebraska moments showcases triumph, tragedy, comedy, and accomplishments that could have happened nowhere else and that reveal the rich culture and history under the state's deceptively quiet surface. There are moments that shine-surviving the Oregon and Mormon trails; completing the Union Pacific Railroad; and winning national football championships, Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, and presidential nominations. There are also moments of darkness such as the murders of Crazy Horse, Malcolm X, and Brandon Teena; the lynchings of Will Brown and Juan Gonzalez; and the Blizzard of 1888. Together they evoke a dramatic history populated with the likes of Pedro Villasur, Willa Cather, and William Jennings Bryan. This new edition also mines Nebraska's most recent history, adding to the ever-changing, ever-intriguing picture of this Great Plains state. Donald R. Hickey is a professor of history at Wayne State College. Susan A. Wunder is an associate professor of education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. John R. Wunder is a professor of history and journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Review Quotes

"This is a fun way to soak up local history."--Carol Bicak, Omaha World-Herald -- (4/3/2011 12:00:00 AM)

"Each chapter in Nebraska Moments opens with a facet of the state's past and gracefully broadens the horizon to reveal the timeless implications of the initial story. Here are the sagas of people of all backgrounds who over nearly three centuries have made Nebraska's history. Every state ought to have such a book!"--Harl A. Dalstrom, coauthor of Upstream Metropolis: An Urban Biography of Omaha and Council Bluffs-- (1/3/2007 12:00:00 AM)

"Reading Nebraska Moments gives one an accurate perception that the state has--and continues to reflect--a very diverse past, present, and future."--Miguel A. Carranza, professor of sociology and ethnic studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln-- (1/14/2007 12:00:00 AM)

"This new edition of Nebraska Moments offers hours of reading pleasure about Nebraska's rich and often quirky history. From ill-conceived military campaigns to English-language-only responses to immigrants to savvy political women, the Wunders remind us that today's newspaper headlines have their origins in our past."--Jane Renner Hood, executive director, Nebraska Humanities Council-- (1/12/2007 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Donald R. Hickey is a professor of history at Wayne State College. Susan A. Wunder is an associate professor of education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. John R. Wunder is a professor of history and journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.