Wellington Rankin: His Family, Life and Times

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Summary: Wellington Rankin: His Family, Life and Times by Volney Stee
Review: How pathetic that someone who never met Wellington Rankin, and was neither born nor raised in Montana, can claim to be his biographer. Gleaned mainly from old newspapers, rumors and suposition, there is nothing insightfull here and nothing not generally known. The many who knew Wellington Rankin personally, and admired his wit, intelligence, charm and generosity are strangely absent in this book. The cheap gossip shows a lack of knowledge of Montana and Western history. Two examples: "He let his cattle run loose"...Montana had a free range policy, as did other cattle states, and still does. "He hired jail-birds"...Yes, cowboys do get drunk and land in jail. Tsk-Tsk. This book reminds one of a 7th grader's term paper. Dull facts, no substance but loads of footnotes.

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Summary: The Essential (and only) Rankin Book
Review: How ridiculous it is to suggest that someone who did not live with a subject is unable to chronicle his or her life. Does this mean that no one can be the biographer of anyone who lived before their subject's time? One reason there are no other biographies of Wellington Rankin in print, is because Wellington and the Rankin family were extremely private people. All of Wellington's personal papers are currently under seal in the state's historical archives and unavailable to researchers. The author spent 10 years meticulously culling through what records were available and interviewing countless people who did live with, work with, and know Rankin. People who knew or knew of Rankin either loved him or hated him. The author's attempt and success at painting an honest picture of the man will no doubt inflame those on both sides. His goal was to dispel the myths of the man, both positive and negative, and he has done an excellent job. This book is not only an outstanding portrayal of a man of legendary stature in Montana; it also offers an excellent background on the politics of his time. Whether you loved or hated the man you will find something in this book to support your beliefs, or anger you. If you are unfamiliar with him, you will find an excellent recounting of one of the most fascinating characters, not only in Montana history, but also in U.S. history. If you love the history of the West, this is a must read.