Nebraska

Originally issued in 1939, this state guide had never appeared in paperback until the University of Nebraska Press brought it out. It was produced by the Federal Writers' Project, a Depression-era program. Its sections cover Nebraska's past, its landscape, plants and wildlife, Native American peoples, state government, farming and manufacturing, the communities of its immigrant groups, local folklore, buildings, the visual arts, and writing.

The guide reaches well past the usual sightseeing lists. Readers will find many quirky stories about the state's towns and residents, along with facts that are hard to come by outside specialist archives. Tom Allan, a longtime roving reporter for the Omaha World Herald, contributed a new introduction that connects the 1939 text to the years up to 1979 and shares a few of his own lesser-known finds.

The book works both as an armchair read and as a practical companion for anyone visiting the state. It also suits readers curious about the Great Plains more broadly.