The Bottom of the Sky

The Bottom of the Sky, a debut novel, is an aching rags-to-riches family saga that springs from rural Montana squalor into the power chambers of Wall Street and Silicon Valley.  The story contrasts the 30-year struggles of an abused sister and brother who, after one abandons the other, seek to claim themselves from their abhorrent legacy. This bare-knuckled tour de force deals head-on with childhood shame, promiscuity, prejudice, Wall Street’s rape of Main Street, genius, madness and violence. It is a tale of extraordinary sacrifice, of discovery, of redemption.

For William Pack's schedule of Book Signings and Public Events, click on this link to go to his website.

Where Did Dinosaurs Come From?

There are many books that will show you what dinosaurs looked like and how they behaved. But this is the only simple book that will tell you how dinosaurs got to be the way they were. Why did some dinosaurs grow to be the biggest animals that have ever lived on land? Why did some dinosaurs walk on two legs and others on four? Why were some dinosaurs covered from head to tail with heavy armor? Why did T. Rex have a mouth that could swallow five hundred pounds in a single bite? This book tells the fascinating story of a great arms race that began with some of the earliest creatures on earth--a race for survival that actually forced dinosaurs (and other animals) to get bigger, to run faster, to develop elaborate suits of armor or to have some of the most dangerous teeth to ever exist on earth.

Some Like It Hot: Yellowstone's Favorite Geysers, Hot Springs, and Fumaroles, with Personal Accounts by Early Explorers

Some Like It Hot! is a beautiful visual portrait of Yellowstone National Park's best and most favorite thermal features. This stunning portfolio of photographs by Susan M Neider is uniquely organized by geographic region, so it's easy to find specific geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. Fascinating historical descriptions by early explorers of the geyser basins--including General H.D. Washburn, F.V. Hayden, and famed conservationist John Muir--accompany these vibrant images and emphasize the timeless beauty and wonder of Yellowstone.

Grand Teton Trivia: The Most Incredible and Unbelievable Facts About Grand Teton and Jackson Hole

Grand Teton National Park is full of wonder – and so is this book. Here you will find the biggest and smallest, longest and shortest, first and last, weirdest and wildest, and the who, what, and where of Grand Teton and Jackson Hole.

From peaks to valley and everything in between, Grand Teton Trivia offers something fascinating, fun, and little known about the area’s mountains, plants, wildlife, explorers,  mountain  men, climbers, pioneers, movie stars, outlaws – and more. Carry it on a hike, pack it on a horse, read it by a campfire, and take it home to enjoy again and again.

You can even use it to quiz your companions and play a trivia game. These trivial trifles, treasures, and treats will keep you laughing, learning, and guessing. It’s fun-tastic.

Grand Canyon Trivia: The Most Incredible, Unbelievable, Wild, Weird, Fun, Fascinating, and True Facts About the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is full of wonder--and so is this book. Here you will find the biggest and smallest, longest and shortest, first and last, weirdest and wildest, and the who, what, and where of the Grand Canyon. From rim to rim with the canyon and river in between, Grand Canyon Trivia offers something fascinating, fun, and little known about everything. Take it on a hike, pack it in your raft, carry it on a mule, or enjoy it around a campfire. You can even use it to quiz your companions and play a trivia game. These trivial trifles, treasures, and treats will keep you laughing, learning, and guessing. It's fun-tastic! Great for curious kids, inquisitive visitors, and inquiring hikers, and smart travelers.

The Pass

“The Pass” was Thomas Savage’s first novel, written by the iconic Western novelist in the 1930s and originally published by Doubleday in 1944. The book, set near Savage’s hometown of Dillon, Montana, takes place around 1910 when the area is newly settled.

The railroad is on its way, bringing all that civilization has to offer to a remote valley, changing it forever. New rancher Jess Bentley struggles against the elements, against fate, and against all odds to run a successful outfit that will be suitable for his beloved new bride, Beth, and the baby the doctor warned them they would never see.

Read about the life and times of author Thomas Savage in the Winter 2008 edition of “Montana: The Magazine of Western History”.

Lodestar

Riverbend is pleased to be distributing Lodestar by Sarie Mackay, which tells the story of young Persis Allen. Persis travels west to marry a successful railroad baron in 1880 and begin a life of adventure with him in Territorial Montana.  Persis arrives in Helena and finds a wild, unruly place of dreams, characters and outlaws,  a place that sends cowards home and forces the courageous to stand tall. 

Persis quickly finds her marriage to be not what it seems, and must slowly peel away layers of deceit and betrayal in order to save herself and her children.  Persis nearly loses herself in her struggle with her larger-than-life partner Alexander MacKinney, but in the end, this strong female heroine stirs in the ashes and rises on bold wings.  Readers will have no difficulty seeing hundreds of parallels between the Persis of 1880 and women they know right now, today.

All of this happens against the backdrop of Territorial Montana, a landscape so rich with western history and romance that it simply can’t be crammed into one novel.  Lodestar was ten years in the writing and reflects extensive, careful research on mining, cattle ranching, and railroads.  The convergence of these economic forces on the Butte mining camp and the territorial capital of Helena created a social and financial vortex, forming the perfect setting for a view of the late 19th century west, with all its buckle-and-swash.

Cooking Backyard To Backcountry: 12 Techniques and 150 Recipes for Fabulous Outdoor Cooking 

Make outdoor cooking more fun, more interesting, more delicious.

Cooking Backyard to Backcountry is a unique approach to memorable outdoor cooking. Whether you use a gas grill, a charcoal grill, or a wood fire, you’ll find special techniques—some new, some ancient—that will enhance your cooking experience. Learn how to:

• Create crowd-pleasing barbecue the traditional way

• Fire up flavor by cooking directly on a wood plank

• Have great grilling anytime, anywhere, even on simple “grills for the hills”

• Bake anything and everything in a classic Dutch oven

• Prepare spectacular meals in a deep-pit barbecue

• Go primitive—and delicious—by cooking on a hot stone slab

• Boil up an unforgettable stew—or just a fabulous cup of coffee—using the Native American technique of stone boiling

• Cook with foil, spits, reflector ovens, and steam pits

Plus, the 150 mouth-watering recipes are tried and true family favorites that have been “field-tested” in backyards and backcountry camps. Many of them are sure to become your favorites, too.

            If you want new recipes for the grill or want to learn entirely new ways to cook outdoors, this book is your guide to great times and great food.

Notes For A Novel: The Selected Poems of Frieda Fligelman

Edited by Alexandra Swaney & Rick Newby

This collection showcases a generous selection of Fligelman’s “passionate, witty, and often heartbreaking” poems. Notes for a Novel also includes three essays on Fligelman’s exceptional life and work.

Little Friends in Verse and Photography

By Mike Logan

Straight from the heart, Mike Logan’s down-to-earth verse and crisp photography share the world of small, furry animals – from the tiny pika to the curious ermine. This peek at small mammals of the American Wet is sure to delight and educate any young reader. Logan’s verses are meant to be read aloud, and his superb photographs capture some of the world’s most appealing creatures in their natural settings.

One Woman's Montana Wins Book Award 

One Woman's Montana by Kathe LeSage has been chosen an "honor book" for 2007 by the Montana Book Award. The annual award recognizes literary and/or artistic excellence in books that deal with Montana themes or issues, or are written, edited, or illustrated by a Montana author or artist.

One Woman's Montana is Riverbend's third title to be named an honor book. The others are Silence & Solitude: Yellowstone's Winter Wilderness and Crown of the Continent: The Last Great Wilderness of the Rocky Mountains.

As a lifelong Montanan, Kathe LeSage is keenly aware that Montana is blessed with beauty. But she sees Montana’s beauty a little differently than most of us, and she records what she sees with a unique photographic style. Working in color and in black and white, Kathe brings out deep textures, unusual light, and graceful patterns. Her subjects are varied. Her focus is broad. What Kathe sees and shows to the rest of us is astonishing. She invites inquiry and study, and inspires a deeper connection to what we are viewing. Her images ask that we take a closer look, to see beyond the obvious. Her images foster a desire to take this expanded way of seeing into our own Montana.

Sherlock Holmes: The Montana Chronicles

Scares and frights and mysteries!

For the first time, here are the long-lost records of four intriguing mysteries solved by the famous English detective Sherlock Holmes when he traveled to Montana in the late 1800s. Using his inimitable eye for clues, his astounding deductive reasoning, and – when necessary – clever subterfuge, Holmes solves a very public murder at the famous Opera House, a supernatural theft of gold at a mine near Georgetown Lake, the disturbing threats to Copper King Marcus Daly’s most famous racehorse, and the sudden odd behavior of a miner’s wife.

            As usual, these cases were recorded by Dr. John H. Watson, Holmes’ affable companion and chronicler, but Watson’s accounts were lost for more than a century. They were recently discovered in an old safe in Anaconda’s Hearst Free Library by researcher John. S. Fitzpatrick, who edited the manuscripts for publication. Not only are the actual crimes unique and challenging, but the stories are filled with fascinating details of life in early-day Montana—details that amply illustrate Holmes’ superb powers of observation.

            This immensely entertaining book is certain to delight all fans of detective stories, mysteries, and Sherlock Holmes.

Wyoming Ghost Stories

by Debra D. Munn

Scares and frights and mysteries!

Haunted houses! Eerie voices! The walking dead!

Here are the ghosts of Wyoming, the strange but true tales of unnerving sights and sounds that have never been explained. Footsteps when no one is there. Things that move that shouldn’t move. Spectral bedside visitors and ghastly ghoulish sights.

These stories span the state wherever ghosts ramble and roam. There are stories from Cheyenne, Sheridan, Cody, Laramie, Casper, Rawlings, Green River, and lots of places in between. The subjects are star-crossed lovers, murderers and the murdered, miners and cowboys and Native Americans, all carefully researched and authenticated by interviews with the people who have witnessed the unknown and unexplained.

So find a comfortable chair and settle in for an entertaining read about the Cowboy State’s ghosts…and is that a ghostly wail you hear or just the Wyoming wind?

The Watershed Years

By Russell Rowland

This is the long-awaited sequel to Rowland’s highly aclaimed first novel, In Open Spaces. Follow the Arbuckle family through years of troubles, trials, and triumphs as they struggle to hold their Montana ranch - and their family - together. In this dramatic story, brothers and wives turn against each other as they struggle with greed, deceit, and murder.
In Open Spaces received excellent reviews (The Atlantic Monthly, Publishers Weekly, and more), made several best-book lists, and was praised by Ivan Doig, Guy Vanderhaeghe, and others. The Watershed Years may be even better. Long after finishing this book, readers will still be remembering its sharply drawn characters and their unexpected fates.

Haunted Montana

By Karen Stevens

Here’s your ghostly guide to spooks, spirits, and specters of Montana. From haunted hotels to eerie inns, this book will take you to all the spookiest spots in the state. Want to meet a phantom? Experience a poltergeist? Commune with the dearly departed? Let Haunted Montana lead the way to places you can stay to experience the other side.

Butte Trivia

By George Everett

Butte is unique among Montana cities—some say it is unique among cities anywhere—and now there is a book that proves it. Butte Trivia by longtime Butte resident George Everett is packed with 720 eye-opening questions and answers about the state’s most raucous and rollicking town. From Butte’s wide-open years to modern times, this book mines Butte’s richest veins of astounding facts and figures. Of course, Butte claims many Montana superlatives, including the state’s first millionaire, most expensive road, and deepest lake, and Butte may be the only city on the planet to boast ringing rocks, flying cowboys, and a memorial marker for a moose.

Wyoming Trivia

By Brian Day

What do Broken Nose McCall, Big Nose Parrot, Bad Hand MacKenzie, and Captain Kangaroo have in common? Where can you find ringing rocks, vanishing rivers, and cement trucks mixing up a batch of pancake batter? The answer is Wyoming-- and you can read all about it in Wyoming Trivia, a terrific collection of trivia about the wildest state in the Union. From Cattle Kate and Buffalo Bill Cody to Liver Eatin’ Johnson, all things wild, wooly, and wonderful about Wyoming are here!

Food of Gods and Starvelings

By Grace Stone Coates

With the publication of Food of Gods and Starvelings: The Selected Poems of Grace Stone Coates, Drumlummon Institute of Helena, Montana, brings back into print the poetic works of a leading 20th-century writer of the American West. Edited by Lee Rostad and Rick Newby, the substantial collection showcases more than 200 of Coates’ “irresistible, poignant and authentic” poems.

Caroline Patterson, editor of Montana Women Writers: A Geography of the Heart, says of Food of Gods and Starvelings, “Like a twentieth-century Emily Dickinson, [Grace Stone Coates] writes of the world around her from the small town of Martinsdale, Montana, and her poetry is at once as sweeping and as precise as the prairie she lived on. With startling imagery and philosophical acuity, she explores the emotional landscape between men and women, mothers and daughters, small-town neighbors, and between a lonely woman and the landscape she lives in. Her voice rings clear, her eye is sharp, and her music is unerring.”

During her lifetime, Grace Stone Coates (1881-1976) published two critically acclaimed collections of poems, Mead and Mangel-Wurzel, and Portulacas in the Wheat, and the novel, Black Cherries. Food of Gods and Starvelings contains the two collections Coates published during her lifetime, plus more than seventy uncollected poems drawn from literary journals and the poet’s notebooks.

Montana Ghost Stories

By Debra Munn

This collection of stories span the state wherever ghosts ramble and roam. The subjects are star-crossed lovers, murderers and the murdered, miners and cowboys, and Native Americans, all carefully researched and authenticated by interviews with the people who have witnessed the unknown and unexplained. Originally published as Big Sky Ghosts Vol. 1 & 2 in the early 1990s, these long out-of-print stories deserve to be brought back from the dead.

Coming Home

A Special Issue Devoted to the Historic Built Environment and Landscapes of Butte and Anaconda, Montana

A joint venture of Drumlummon Institute & the Montana Preservation Alliance:
Patty Dean, Guest Editor
Foreword by The Honorable Pat Williams
Cover art by Lisa Wareham

Coming Home  was made possible through generous support from the National Park Service Challenge Cost Share Program; Humanities Montana, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and a National Park Service Preserve America Grant administered through the State Historic Preservation Office, Montana Historical Society.

Perhaps the most scrutinized and documented of Montana cities, Butte and Anaconda possess great material and cultural incongruities that continue to intrigue and beguile: natural beauty versus industrial landscape, great wealth versus subsistence and poverty, ornate buildings designed by nationally known architects versus alley hovels, urban density versus the void of the Berkeley Pit.

This special issue of Drumlummon Views, the online journal of Montana arts and culture (www.drumlummon.org), seeks to shed fresh light on the industrial and domestic landscapes that make these cities so distinctive.

The issue features essays, portfolios, and reprints that make accessible such underutilized/ forgotten historic resources as an early 20th-century newspaper series profiling “queer spots” in and around Butte and Anaconda (e.g. Chinese gardens, the “Assyrian colony” on East Park, the Cree village on the Butte Flats), historic photographs of sanitary conditions in Butte’s working class neighborhoods, and a 1907 article on arts and crafts homes in Butte.

In addition, the issue offers new research on the landscape and architecture of Butte and Anaconda as a manifestation of dominance and power, multi-family building forms in Butte, Anaconda’s roundhouse, and Butte's iconic mine headframes. Scholars such as Brian Shovers, Fred Quivik, Chere Jiusto, and Carroll Van West whose works have long focused on the Montana landscape and built environment share their current perspectives while a newer generation of historians such as Matt Basso and Kate Hampton introduce readers to emerging topics of interest.

The issue also includes works by visual artists, writers, and poets (Edwin Dobb, Lisa Wareham, Ron Fischer, Joeann Daley, and Dennice Scanlon) who reflect on, interpret, and document the landscapes and cultures that make these places so extraordinary.

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