Media Room Book Collection
From the Media Room series
Every day is a good day to read a book. Check out our running list of local literature.
The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero
The Irish-born son of a wealthy merchant, Thomas Francis Meagher is arrested and convicted of sedition after opposing the union between Ireland and Great Britain.
Death sentence commuted and exiled to Tasmania, Australia, he escapes to the United States, writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Timothy Egan.
After landing in New York, Meagher studies law and journalism. He becomes embroiled in the Civil War, forming the Irish Brigade after the First Battle of Bull Run.
Later appointed secretary and then acting governor of the Territory of Montana, Meagher fails at bringing Republicans and Democrats together. He dies in 1867 after mysteriously drowning in the Missouri River while on a trip to pick up guns from General Sherman for the Montana militia.
Meagher’s death left many unanswered questions as his body was never found. Did the ill or intoxicated Irishman fall overboard or was he pushed?
Available at thishouseofbooks.com
- CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff
Pure Quill
Barbara Van Cleve describes herself as a “true-blue Montanan.”
Having grown up on her family’s Lazy K Bar ranch on the eastern slopes of the Crazy Mountains north of Big Timber, she was enchanted by Western life.
At age 11, she received a Brownie Junior box camera. Her father, rancher and writer Paul “Spike” Van Cleve III, encouraged her innate creativity.
“Even though he was a writer, he looked and saw,” she said. “He taught me to see mirages in January when we were looking down-country to the east. The sun beating on the snow and the heat waves build up and create mirages -- and kind of a soft haze.
“Dad said, ‘Think of it as frozen clouds, kiddo.’ And here are these crystals of light dancing around like a fog.”
Van Cleve is internationally known for her photography; it has appeared in U.S. embassies in Russia and China, as well as the historic Montana State Capitol building, Big Timber’s Grand Hotel, and a plethora of private and public galleries. Her first large book of photography, Hard Twist: Western Ranch Women (of which she is also author), carried on as a decade-long exhibit after it was published in 1995.
Van Cleve’s newest large photo collection spans several decades; the oldest photo featured was taken circa 1950 when she was in her early teens.
“My dad and I were on a hunting pack trip,” she tells of the story behind the photograph. “And we made camp in a beautiful glade, well into the foothills of the Crazies. And the next morning we woke up with more than a foot of snow on our sleeping bags. My dad said, ‘Well, we might as well go pack it up. We won’t be able to do any serious hunting.’
“And we’re getting ready to start off. The wind that had come up all of a sudden became a (ground) blizzard. I said, ‘Oh dad, just a minute, I’ve got to get a photograph.’”
He said, “Well, get a wiggle on. It is colder than a monkey’s tail in the Klondike.”
Van Cleve’s timing was impeccable, whether it was in the mountains, at the rodeo, in Baja California, Mexico, or somewhere in between. Though she is self-taught, Van Cleve took courses in dye-transfer, film-making and printing in Chicago; gained experience working as a freelance photographer for textbook companies and a stock photo agency before owning her own agency; and earned a master’s degree in English literature in only nine months.
Every summer, Van Cleve returns to Big Timber. She spends the rest of her time in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The 216-page book, Pure Quill, captures decades of life just as Van Cleve saw it, with commentary by author Susan Hallsen McGarry.
Available at barbaravancleve.com and amazon.com
Book
A Passion for Life
There is no shortage of inspiration in this remarkable autobiography. Read about the many obstacles Cliff Potts has overcome since he was diagnosed with polio. With profound spirituality and an inherent love for art, Potts embraces his paraplegia and desire to create drawings and paintings that capture his Montana heritage.
Available at cliffpotts.com
- Billings Gazette
Book
Billings Memories II: The 1940s, 1950s and 1960s
Billings natives, visitors past and future and history connoisseurs, ready yourselves for the second edition of “Billings Memories.” Readers will be transported back through time to glimpse into the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s with this pictorial memoir of the Magic City.
Once again, The Billings Gazette, Western Heritage Center, Billings Public Library and community members have collaborated on this chronicle of images and vignettes documenting the mid-century growth and prosperity of the city of Billings. This year, Rocky Mountain College has joined in this partnership, ensuring a diverse collection of memories.
The exceptional quality of this hardcover book guarantees its place on coffee tables everywhere. Arriving just in time for the holidays, enjoy flipping through pages of photographic treasures and sharing your experiences with the whole family.
Books will be available for sale at The Billings Gazette or online at Billings.PictorialBook.com for $44.95.
Book
Billings Food: The Flavorful Story of Montana’s Trailhead
Explore local fare with food writer Stella Fong in this historical account of Billings’ distinguished restaurant scene. With emphasis on tradition and what makes Billings one-of-a-kind, no menu page goes unturned, or recipe overlooked. Fong uncovers not only how area chefs get their inspiration, but where such ingredients are grown on Montana’s farms.
Available at arcadiapublishing.com
Book
Wrecked in Yellowstone
Journalist Mike Stark captures the untold story of businessman E. C. Waters, who settled down in Yellowstone National Park in 1886. Follow along as Waters’ intense presence and zany ambitions to build a grand steamboat challenged the calmness of the park in its early days.
Available at riverbendpublishing.com
- Updated
Native Montanan Russell Rowland captures Big Sky Country in this comprehensive narrative, highlighting the state’s diverse landscape and independent lifestyle of its people. Anyone connected to Montana, this is a Must Read. A historical account as much as it is think-piece, uncover Montana’s past and envision its future.
Available at Barjon’s and russellrowland.com
More like this...

The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero
The Irish-born son of a wealthy merchant, Thomas Francis Meagher is arrested and convicted of sedition after opposing the union between Ireland and Great Britain.
Death sentence commuted and exiled to Tasmania, Australia, he escapes to the United States, writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Timothy Egan.
After landing in New York, Meagher studies law and journalism. He becomes embroiled in the Civil War, forming the Irish Brigade after the First Battle of Bull Run.
Later appointed secretary and then acting governor of the Territory of Montana, Meagher fails at bringing Republicans and Democrats together. He dies in 1867 after mysteriously drowning in the Missouri River while on a trip to pick up guns from General Sherman for the Montana militia.
Meagher’s death left many unanswered questions as his body was never found. Did the ill or intoxicated Irishman fall overboard or was he pushed?
Available at thishouseofbooks.com

- CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff
Pure Quill
Barbara Van Cleve describes herself as a “true-blue Montanan.”
Having grown up on her family’s Lazy K Bar ranch on the eastern slopes of the Crazy Mountains north of Big Timber, she was enchanted by Western life.
At age 11, she received a Brownie Junior box camera. Her father, rancher and writer Paul “Spike” Van Cleve III, encouraged her innate creativity.
“Even though he was a writer, he looked and saw,” she said. “He taught me to see mirages in January when we were looking down-country to the east. The sun beating on the snow and the heat waves build up and create mirages -- and kind of a soft haze.
“Dad said, ‘Think of it as frozen clouds, kiddo.’ And here are these crystals of light dancing around like a fog.”
Van Cleve is internationally known for her photography; it has appeared in U.S. embassies in Russia and China, as well as the historic Montana State Capitol building, Big Timber’s Grand Hotel, and a plethora of private and public galleries. Her first large book of photography, Hard Twist: Western Ranch Women (of which she is also author), carried on as a decade-long exhibit after it was published in 1995.
Van Cleve’s newest large photo collection spans several decades; the oldest photo featured was taken circa 1950 when she was in her early teens.
“My dad and I were on a hunting pack trip,” she tells of the story behind the photograph. “And we made camp in a beautiful glade, well into the foothills of the Crazies. And the next morning we woke up with more than a foot of snow on our sleeping bags. My dad said, ‘Well, we might as well go pack it up. We won’t be able to do any serious hunting.’
“And we’re getting ready to start off. The wind that had come up all of a sudden became a (ground) blizzard. I said, ‘Oh dad, just a minute, I’ve got to get a photograph.’”
He said, “Well, get a wiggle on. It is colder than a monkey’s tail in the Klondike.”
Van Cleve’s timing was impeccable, whether it was in the mountains, at the rodeo, in Baja California, Mexico, or somewhere in between. Though she is self-taught, Van Cleve took courses in dye-transfer, film-making and printing in Chicago; gained experience working as a freelance photographer for textbook companies and a stock photo agency before owning her own agency; and earned a master’s degree in English literature in only nine months.
Every summer, Van Cleve returns to Big Timber. She spends the rest of her time in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The 216-page book, Pure Quill, captures decades of life just as Van Cleve saw it, with commentary by author Susan Hallsen McGarry.
Available at barbaravancleve.com and amazon.com

Book
A Passion for Life
There is no shortage of inspiration in this remarkable autobiography. Read about the many obstacles Cliff Potts has overcome since he was diagnosed with polio. With profound spirituality and an inherent love for art, Potts embraces his paraplegia and desire to create drawings and paintings that capture his Montana heritage.
Available at cliffpotts.com

- Billings Gazette
Book
Billings Memories II: The 1940s, 1950s and 1960s
Billings natives, visitors past and future and history connoisseurs, ready yourselves for the second edition of “Billings Memories.” Readers will be transported back through time to glimpse into the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s with this pictorial memoir of the Magic City.
Once again, The Billings Gazette, Western Heritage Center, Billings Public Library and community members have collaborated on this chronicle of images and vignettes documenting the mid-century growth and prosperity of the city of Billings. This year, Rocky Mountain College has joined in this partnership, ensuring a diverse collection of memories.
The exceptional quality of this hardcover book guarantees its place on coffee tables everywhere. Arriving just in time for the holidays, enjoy flipping through pages of photographic treasures and sharing your experiences with the whole family.
Books will be available for sale at The Billings Gazette or online at Billings.PictorialBook.com for $44.95.

Book
Billings Food: The Flavorful Story of Montana’s Trailhead
Explore local fare with food writer Stella Fong in this historical account of Billings’ distinguished restaurant scene. With emphasis on tradition and what makes Billings one-of-a-kind, no menu page goes unturned, or recipe overlooked. Fong uncovers not only how area chefs get their inspiration, but where such ingredients are grown on Montana’s farms.
Available at arcadiapublishing.com

Book
Wrecked in Yellowstone
Journalist Mike Stark captures the untold story of businessman E. C. Waters, who settled down in Yellowstone National Park in 1886. Follow along as Waters’ intense presence and zany ambitions to build a grand steamboat challenged the calmness of the park in its early days.
Available at riverbendpublishing.com

Native Montanan Russell Rowland captures Big Sky Country in this comprehensive narrative, highlighting the state’s diverse landscape and independent lifestyle of its people. Anyone connected to Montana, this is a Must Read. A historical account as much as it is think-piece, uncover Montana’s past and envision its future.
Available at Barjon’s and russellrowland.com
More like this...
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