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Thrapp, a retired journalist, has produced a comprehensive biographical directory of the American frontier by personally writing all 4,500 sketches. Included are deceased individuals of "significance" or "of interest" who contributed to the development of the frontier or those who later reenacted the lives of frontiersman (e.g., Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson). Entries vary in length from a dozen lines to two or three columns and conclude with up to six references to books and articles which may or may not have been used in preparation of the sketch. The set is particularly useful for identifying lesser-known trappers, stage drivers, etc. The third volume includes a 74-page index which is very detailed and is useful for locating information about individuals mentioned within entries as well as additional information about persons for whom there are separate entries. Researchers interested in particular occupational categories such as artists, explorers, historians, and conservationists will find them indexed. Recommended for large libraries and also for smaller collections in western states. Upper-division undergraduate and graduate level. -J. D. Haskell, Jr., College of William and Mary