Listing of the Butler Center Published Books
 |
Bandits, Bears and Backaches by Velma Branscum Woody |
|
A collection of eleven short stories about the human aspects of the history of Arkansas. The settings of the stories range from a pre-historical mastodon hunt to a 20th century family's departure from the state in search of employment. Middle school teachers can use the stories to enhance their classes in Arkansas history with lesson plans designed by the author and available from the Butler Center website.
| A Rough Introduction to This Sunny Land: The Civil War Diary of Private Henry A. Strong, Co., K, Twelfth Kansas Infantry edited by Tom Wing |
|
Strong's diary provides a rare record of the experiences and observations of a Western Federal infantryman. It covers his enlistment in Kansas in 1862, duty in southwest Missouri, march across Indian Territory to Arkansas, camp life in Fort Smith, and the Camden Expedition. He describes Confederate guerrilla operations, the execution of bushwhackers, and aspects of civilian life in Arkansas during the war. Strong pulls no punches as he questions leadership decisions and expresses admiration for former slaves in the Union Army and respect for the conviction of rebel forces. The diary is a testament to the hardships, struggles, and bonds created by the war.
| Things Grew Beautifully Worse: Captain John O’ Brien, 30th Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A. edited by Brian K. Robertson |
|
A native of Ireland, O'Brien heeded his adopted state's call and cast his lot with the Confederacy. Shortly after his enlistment, his unit was sent across the Mississippi River to serve in the Army of Tennessee. O'Brien's diary begins only days prior to the battle of Murfreesboro. He provides an honest and detailed description of the battle and his subsequent capture. The confusion of battle, the ordeal of the hospital, and the uncertainty of life as a prisoner of war are all vividly portrayed.
| The Crossroads of Arkansas by John P. Gill |
|
A one-hour read about Arkansas, its history, and its presence, as seen from the present site of the state capitol—a knoll overlooking the Arkansas River near its intersection with the ancient Southwest Trail. The purpose of the book is to educate newcomers and to give students (young and old) a brief overview of the Natural State.
| All Cut to Pieces and Gone to Hell – The Civil War, Race Relations, and the Battle of Poison Spring edited by Mark K. Christ |
|
A compilation of essays originally presented as part of a one-day seminar at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. In this work, noted historians examine race relations, the Camden Expedition, and the battle of Honey Springs.
| Big Woods Bird – An Ivory-bill Story written by Terri Roberts Luneau, illustrated by Trevor Bennett |
|
The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies is pleased to offer Big Woods Bird: An Ivory-Bill Story by Terri Roberts Luneau as a Butler Center for Arkansas Book. Terri Luneau is the wife of David Luneau, who first captured the Ivory-Bill woodpecker on videotape. Big Woods Bird tells the story of the ivory-billed and its habitat in verse. Illustrations throughout are by Little Rock artist Trevor Bennett.
| Crisis of Conscience: Arkansas Methodists and the Civil Rights Struggle by James T. Clemons and Kelly L. Farr |
|
This book features personal stories by Arkansas Methodist pastors, laypersons, and community leaders—including Dale Bumpers, M. "Joycelyn Elders, and Miller Williams—who lived through the struggles for civil rights in the 1950s and saw their congregations and other institutions rocked by the tumultuous events of the history-making era.
|
Race Relations in the Natural State by Grif Stockley |
|
In this book noted Arkansas historian Grif Stockley (Blood in Their Eyes, Daisy Bates) presents a clear depiction of the struggles of race and class in Arkansas, using personal stories to give a deeper understanding of the price of racism in Arkansas. The last chapter explores the experiences of Hispanics in the state. Lesson plans developed by the author are available for teachers at www.butlercenter.org.
