The book jacket clearly summarizes this Recipient of the 2008 National Endowment for Humanities Medal book:  “Here is the story of the land, of the people who transformed it, and the terrible price they paid.”  The author writes about the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.  He introduces to the readers the ecology of Great Plain which sets the stage for a better understanding of the dust storms.  The reader is given another introduction into the history of the Great Plains in the late 1700s and the 1800s.  Farming life in the late 1880s and the 1890s prepares the reader for the role of the farmers in World War I.  As time progresses, the reader is able to follow those farmers into the 1920s,  the Depression era and then into and after the devastating Dust Bowl Days.  In the final chapter, the reader is told, “The lesson is clear:  serious droughts are inevitable. We should expect them and plan for them.  If not, we will see more Dust Bowls.”  Evidence of an immense dust cloud in China (2002), excessive erosion on cropland (1997) and the desertification of the Amazon rain forest are presented leaving the reader wanting to pay attention to history and not make the same mistakes again.  The book contains a glossary, a “Books for Kids” section, a bibliography, a timeline and an index.  The brown-and-white photographs are well-chosen and greatly complement the text.  Students, teachers and history buffs will enjoy this well-written thought-provoking book.

The author has created a visually stunning and clearly presented book on this event in history.