Profiles in Courage: Standing Against the Wyoming Wind

by Rodger McDaniel

This is a book about that most admirable of human virtues - courage. 'Grace under pressure, ' Ernest Hemingway defined it. These are the stories of the pressures experienced by nine Wyoming citizens and three groups of citizens, i.e., the Black 14, the People of the Wind River Indian Reservation and the internees of Heart Mountain It's about the grace with which they endured the risks to their careers, the unpopularity of their courses, the defamation of their characters, and sometimes, but sadly only sometimes, the vindication of their reputations and their principles. This book is about the flashes of courage these women and men exhibited when it mattered most. This book is written to resurrect those moments and to restore the meaning of courage as an honored attribute in Wyoming politics. There has never been another time in the state's history when the winds blew stronger against those who would otherwise act courageously than we witness today. It follows that there has never been a time when recognizing political courage was more important.

372 pages, Paperback

Published December 14, 2022

Reviews

[Edie Hanafin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the overlooked courageous people of Wyoming including a gay activist, a cross-dresser, politicians who acted with conscience, the people of Wind River Indian Reservation, and the incarcerated Japanese at Heart Mountain. The author provides details in a very readable manner and documents his research with notes and an excellent bibliography. This is a book that will be an important source for Wyoming residents seeking an honest look at the state's history. It shows the political history that still drives politics in Wyoming but notes that others have successfully countered more conservative traditions in order to preserve a sense of justice.

[Nicholle · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Extreme Book Nerd Challenge - Book with a cowboy in it (Wyoming Cowboys football team)
24 in '24 - Nonfiction
PCLS Book Bingo - Book of nonfiction

[Dale Wilen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised. Good background on some Wyoming history.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories were interesting and provided lots of historical background I was unaware of, even as a native Wyomingite. It did need another copyediting sweep.

2025 Staff Climb the Mountain #10