Western Places, American Myths
How We Think About the West
University of Nevada Press author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:University of Nevada Press
Published:18th Jan '06
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Despite countless past attempts to describe and analyze it, the American West retains an enigmatic quality that continues to attract and intrigue us. The essays in ""Western Places, American Myths"" are the work of a dozen scholars from several disciplines, all examining the West as both an actual region and as an enduring element of American culture, demonstrating how today's West is the result of a long and continuous process, a constant reinvention and redefining of place. The book rewards its reader with exciting new perspectives and insights, reminding us that the West still contains 'mythic places that help us come to grips with our national identity and who we are as a people.'
"Western Places, American Myths is among the best of the genre. The collection has a set of unifying themes: the West as a discrete geographical region; the West as a mythical place set against the 'real' West; and the West as region rather than as process.... What this...says to the reader of this fine anthology is that western places themselves are mythical and that these mythical places help us establish our national identity and character. This book then, is about more than just the American West, it is about America." - Geographical Review "This volume transcends the usual historiographic essays on the 'frontier' and addresses the role of this iconic place in the national imagination....Highly recommended." - Choice"
ISBN: 9780874176629
Dimensions: 228mm x 149mm x 22mm
Weight: 578g