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Dakota Circle: Excursion on the True Plains, was written by Dr. Tom Isern and contains a collection of stories from his experiences on the plains, and from passed down stories of the plains. Dakota Circle was a truly enjoyable read, and I enjoyed how it was an easy read that is written in a conversational style. In Dakota Circle each chapter tells a unique story from an excursion of Toms, and I especially enjoyed his stories of his paddlefishing excursions on the upper Missouri near Glendive, Montana, though I think he needs to come out to Williston someday to have some real fun paddlefishing. In other chapters he talks about how the cold winters have an affect on people and how so many stories arise after each blizzard, like that of Hazel Miner. I also enjoyed his stories on the mysteries of the plains like that of Absaraka, a common one around this area. I think every town in the Dakota’s has some sort of legendary story like that one. Another point that came out was that of the world’s largest on the plains; such as the world’s largest pheasant, in Huron SD, the largest walleye, in Wahpeton ND, the largest Holstein in New Salem ND, and many others. The plains are probably the best place in the world to find something huge and to hear stories from old timers about the way it was.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Dakota Circle, and am fascinated by all the unique stories that can be found here on the Northern Plains. There truly is a sense of history here among North and South Dakotans, and I would recommend this book to anyone.