Inspired by the 1973 riot at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, one of the most destructive prison riots in U.S. history, Robert H. Mitchell's Ride the Lightning spins a fascinating web of political and legal intrigue.The blazing sun has sent the thermometer soaring over 100 degrees, and the three thousand inmates of McHenry Penitentiary, an aging, decrepit institution built to hold six hundred, are beginning to simmer. Governor David Horton, ignoring his advisors' warnings, adamantly refuses to allocate money to repair and expand the crumbling, overcrowded facility. A prison riot, however, could be just the trump card needed by his political rival Glen Tobias. Moreover, certain inmates are aware that a riot would provide the perfect cover for an escape attempt.The new player in events at McHenry is young attorney Eric Williams, who views his recent appointment to the state pardon and parole board as a boost to his career and a distraction from his disintegrating marriage. He also sees in the appointment an opportunity to help society's unfortunates, who have run afoul of the law but now are struggling to turn their lives around. If Williams is not careful, his idealism could make him easy prey for manipulative criminals, not all of whom are behind bars.With a sure hand, Mitchell ratchets up the tension at every step of the way, through the climactic riot and the shocking denouement. At the same time, the novel addresses timely questions of prison reform, rehabilitation, and the problems faced by inmates preparing to return to life outside prison.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Allison Fuss Mellis is Professor of History at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Seller: Books From California, Simi Valley, CA, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Seller Inventory # mon0003909715
Seller: Archer's Used and Rare Books, Kent, OH, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Dust Jacket is in fine condition without tears or chips or other damage. Quantity Available: 1. Category: American Indians; ISBN: 0806135190. ISBN/EAN: 9780806135199. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 24010. Seller Inventory # 24010
Seller: Old Village Books, Mt. Pleasant, SC, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Full number line. Very clean. Black and white illustrations. Pictures on request. Seller Inventory # 034851
Seller: Lloyd Zimmer, Books and Maps, Chanute, KS, U.S.A.
Cloth - Hard Cover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. First Edition / First Printing. 266 pages. Dust jacket is now in a clear Brodart protective sleeve. Seller Inventory # 037681
Seller: Old West Books (ABAA), St. Robert, MO, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. First Edition. 266 pages, maps, photos. "Reveals how northern Plains Indians have used rodeo to strengthen tribal and intertribal ties and Native solidarity. Features numerous photographs of Indian rodeos from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and maps illustrating the all-Indian rodeo circuit in the United States and Canada.". Seller Inventory # 4055
Seller: Kenneth Mallory Bookseller ABAA, Decatur, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very good. Hardcover. xvii, 245pp+index. Very good hardback in a very good dustjacket. Seller Inventory # 69819
Seller: Main Street Fine Books & Mss, ABAA, Galena, IL, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Small 4to. Tan cloth spine and tan speckled paper over boards, pictorial dust jacket. xvi, 266pp. Illustrations, map. Fine/fine. An absolutely pristine first edition. Seller Inventory # 36266
Seller: James Lasseter, Jr, Brooksville, FL, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. 1st Edition. 1st edition, 1st printing. Dust jacket now housed in archival quality cover. Mellis is the first to write about rodeo in the northern Great Plains in detail. She clearly presents how and why specific Indian reservations participated in rodeo and highlights the development of key gatherings such as the Crow Fair. A very nice copy in near mint condition. Seller Inventory # 001365
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory # 1173343
Seller: Lifeways Books and Gifts, Prescott, AZ, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: New. After his remarkable eight-second ride at the 1996 Indian National Finals Rodeo, an elated American Indian world champion bullrider from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, threw his cowboy hat in the air. Everyone in the almost exclusively Indian audience erupted in applause. Over the course of the twentieth century, rodeos have joined tribal fairs and powwows as events where American Indians gather to celebrate community and equestrian competition. In Riding Buffaloes and Broncos, Allison Fuss Mellis reveals how northern Plains Indians have used rodeo to strengthen tribal and intertribal ties and Native solidarity. In the late nineteenth century, Indian agents outlawed most traditional Native gatherings but allowed rodeo, which they viewed as a means to assimilate Indians into white culture. Mistakenly, they treated rodeo as nothing more than a demonstration of ranching skills. Yet through selective adaptation, northern Plains horsemen and audiences used rodeo to sidestep federally sanctioned acculturation. Rodeo now enabled Indians to reinforce their commitment to the very Native values--a reverence for horses, family, community, generosity, and competition--that federal agencies sought to destroy. Mellis has mined archival sources and interviewed American Indian rodeo participants and spectators throughout the northern Great Plains, Southwest, and Canada, including Crow, Northern Cheyenne, and Lakota reservations. The book features numerous photographs of Indian rodeos from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and maps illustrating the all-Indian rodeo circuit in the United States and Canada. Seller Inventory # 9780806135199