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For our second book of the class we read Whoop-Up Country by Paul Sharp. This book takes place mainly on the land in the Northern Plains, which is East of the Rockies in Montana and parts of Alberta which is in Canada. This book turns our attention from Webb's book which was mainly about the Southern Plains to the Northern Plains where we live and go to school. Paul Sharp named the book after the Whoop-Up Trail trade route that people used for fur trade with the Native Indians. Some locales in the book are Fort Benson and Fort McLeod. This is an important area for military posts, ranches, and fur trading with the Indians.


This book was a lot better than Webb's book for me because I am a lot more connected with the area of Montana then Kansas and Texas. It brings a little more regional flavor and thus makes me a little more interested in reading it. This is why I look forward to Dr. Isern's book the most because I enjoy his stories and also because I know I will be a lot more connected to it. Unlike Webb, Sharp uses a lot more small stories that keep the reader a little more interested although there are a few stories that are pretty boring and pointless. It was also interesting to learn about Canada for a change. It is hard to remember that Canada is actually a part of the plains and not some far-off country; so it's nice to hear about how they place in the history of this continent. Like the Canadian Mounties and others. Overall, the book was okay but still not a book I would pick-out to read. Fortunately Dr. Isern's book is coming up.