Choice 评论
Thoughtfully conceived, intelligently edited, well (sometimes elegantly) written, this collection of 14 essays on the recent historiography of the frontier and the West attests to the vitality of American frontier history. Widely respected scholars contributed the essays. The subjects, which encompass the familiar definitions of the frontier (i.e., zone, process, or region), fall into three general categories. These are: government and political matters; social questions (including literature on women, Indians, ethnic groups, and frontier society); and aspects of economic development. Among the most useful and conceptually rich essays are Roger L. Nichols's ``Introduction,'' and ``Historians and Indians''; John Opie's ``Environment and the Frontier''; Lawrence Larson's ``Frontier Urbanization''; and Anne M. Butler's ``Frontier Social History.'' Excellent chapter end-notes, index, sketches about contributors, in a well designed and handsomely printed collection. One or two chapters read more like annotated bibliographies than essays, but the volume as a whole makes an important contribution. For professionals in the field, major research libraries, and strong undergraduate collections.-D.W. Steeples, University of Southern Colorado