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Webb spent the first 50 or so pages describing the physical geography of the Great Plains. He spends some time talking about the amount of rainfall and how fast moisture will evaporate in different parts of the plains. This is an important point because even if a particular area gets more rain it dos not really matter if it evaporates instead of sustaining plant or animal life. Webb also included maps of rainfall averages and evaporation rates so it was easy to compare. He goes on to talk about other plains features such as the wind, treeless prairies, and level terrain.

Webb than talked at length about the plains Indians. He spoke highly about the Indians skill with horses, and often gave credit for the Indians successes to the horses. Much of this chapter is spent discussing the influence of the horse on the culture of the plains Indians. Webb wrote specifically about the Comanches and how they were the best horseman on the plains and would often stun European Calvary who had previously thought they themselves were the most skilled horseman. Another aspect of plains Indian culture that I found interesting was the extensive use of sign language on the plains. It could be used over long distances and also between tribes that spoke different languages. This is clearly useful in trade proceedings.

In the next section, Webb talks about exploration of the plains by non-native people. He starts with the Spanish explorers and how they viewed the plains. In describing the effect of the Spanish on the plains Webb says, "At the end of the Spanish regime the Plains Indians were more powerful, far richer, and in control of more territory than they were at the beginning of it." (138)

Webb than writes about American exploration, The "Great American Desert", and the development of the six shooter. There was a necessity to develop a weapon that can fire multiple rounds without reloading. The Indians were able to fire several arrows in the same time it would take to reload a single shot rifle. People living on the plains would need a weapon that could match or exceed that rate of fire.

Another important issue on the plains was water. Webb discusses techniques of supplying water on the plains. The device that I liked the most was the windmill. It could be built with almost any material and could get water from underground instead of needing to be near a river. Webb compared the windmill on the plains to floating debris for a shipwreck survivor. He said both will allow people to hang on when others could not.

I found this book interesting, because it describes a particular area of the continent that has not been looked at as a unique region very often. I did notice that Webb really only described the plains from the perspective of white men. He didn't really talk about women and when talking about Indians he did it by looking only from white men's writings and at none from the Indians point of view. This book was an interesting look at the Great Plains through the eyes of a historian from a different time period.

Mitch Tommerdahl