Discover the Great Plains book series


Discover the Great Plains

Discover the Great Plains is a new series from the Center for Great Plains Studies published in cooperation with the University of Nebraska Press to provide short books of substance on the natural wonders, diverse cultures, history, and contemporary life of the Great Plains.

This region is frequently defined by its real or presumed deficits — no mountains, no oceans, no great cities, no diversity, no iconic natural marvels, no world-class centers of culture — but its greatest deficit may be people’s lack of knowledge about it. As one of the world’s great grassland biomes, the Great Plains is a place of extreme importance for biodiversity, it contains sublime and almost ethereal prairie landscapes, and over time its peoples have constructed rich and varied cultures.

The series’ authors, experts in their fields, use their own personal experiences as well as their deep knowledge to create entertaining and authoritative guides to important aspects of the region. These books bridge the gap between the specialized, often-technical writings of scientists and scholars and the interested general reader. As original works, these books invite non-specialist readers to enjoy their concise, authoritative, and easy-to-understand treatments.

Click on the books below to explore each book.

Discover the Great Plains titles

Great Plains Birds

Great Plains Birds 
Larkin Powell, professor of conservation biology in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Great Plains Weather

Great Plains Weather 
Ken Dewey, Professor of applied climate science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He won the 2018 National Weather Association's Public Education Award.

Great Plains Politics

Great Plains Politics
Peter J. Longo, professor of political science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney

Great Plains Literature

Great Plains Literature 
Linda Pratt, professor emeritus of English at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the former executive vice president and provost of the University of Nebraska system.

Great Plains Bison

Great Plains Bison 
Dan O'Brien, wildlife biologist, bison rancher, author of Wild Idea: Buffalo and Family in a Difficult Land (2014)

Great Plains Geology

Great Plains Geology 
R.F. Diffendal Jr., professor emeritus in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is the author of Lewis and Clark and the Geology of the Great Plains.

Great Plains Indians

Great Plains Indians 
David Wishart, University of Nebraska-Lincoln historical geographer, author of Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians (2006)