Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States That Never Made It

by Michael J. Trinklein

Everyone knows the fifty nifty united states—but what about the hundreds of other statehood proposals that never came to pass? Lost States is a tribute to such great unrealized dreams as West Florida, Texlahoma, Montezuma, Rough and Ready, and Yazoo. Some of these states came remarkably close to joining the Union. Others never had a chance. Many are still trying. Consider:
 
     •  Frontier legend Daniel Boone once proposed a state of Transylvania in the Appalachian wilderness (his plan was resurrected a few years later with the new name of Kentucky).
     •  Residents of bucolic South Jersey wanted to secede from their urban north Jersey neighbors and form the fifty-first state.
     •  The Gold Rush territory of Nataqua could have made a fine state—but since no women were willing to live there, the settlers gave up and joined California.
 
Each story offers a fascinating glimpse at the nation we might have become—along with plenty of absurd characters, bureaucratic red tape, and political gamesmanship. Accompanying these tales are beautifully rendered maps detailing the proposed state boundaries, plus images of real-life artifacts and ephemera. Welcome to the world of Lost States!

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Geography, Maps, Humor, Historical, Reference

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2008

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea that is poorly executed. The editors should never have allowed the errors to get into print. Still it has a lot of pretty maps and the idea of how otherwise this country could have been divided is fine for musing.
Suggestion: Make your library acquire it and save the expense since it is unlikely to be something you want on your shelf.

[Terry Carroll · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But it's replete with errors, and for a book that purports to be non-fiction, that's a fatal flaw for me (especially when it's subtitled "True stories of..."). I recognize that this is not an academic textbook, and the author has raised that as his defense, but really, there's no excusing some of the slop here.

I found three errors myself, and I'm not particularly knowledgeable in this area:

1) President McKinley's first name was William, not James. ("Philippines")

2) In the real world, the Cimarron Strip (now the Oklahoma Panhandle) turned into three counties; Trinklein thinks it turned into only Beaver County, completely missing Texas and Cimarron counties. ("No Man's Land")

3) Rio Rico, when discovered to be technically part of the US, was pretty promptly ceded to Mexico; Trinklein says it became part of Texas (which it technically did, but that was only for a few years, and hasn't been the case since the 1970s). ("Rio Rico")

These are just the errors I found; others have found more, as I found out with a little googling (try 'errors "Lost States" Trinklein'). I'm embarrassed that I missed that the photo purportedly of CSA President Jefferson Davis in ("(Baja) Arizona") is not the CSA President at all, but a different Jefferson Davis, a confederate general.

The George W. Bush references are annoying, and I'm no Bush fan. They just seem amateurish in a published book. They would be easy enough to ignore in a blog. I suspect that Trinklein just republished a lot of his blog, and unfortunately without the aid of a good editor, who would have caught things like this.

So, a potentially fun book, but completely spoiled for me by its lack of credibility. If you're reading the book to learn something, give it up: you can't tell whether what you're reading is factual or not due to the total disregard for accuracy.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw this book come through at my library, and I thought "What a great topic for a book!" And it is a great topic. It's too bad it was, in my opinion, really mishandled.

The book has quite a bit of breadth (74 "states" are covered), but no depth. Each "state" gets two pages, one of which is a full-page map. The facing page contains more pictures (which are often only tangentially related to the topic); lots of tepid, uncreative jokes; and a little information.

The maps range from interesting to out-and-out bad (one clearly has hand-drawn marker on it; one has Wyoming on the western border of Kansas--which is the reason I downgraded the book from two stars). I think there were . . . maybe four? historical facts that I learned from a 160-page book, but the history was, in places, just as bad as the maps (quote: "[George Washington] was the most popular and powerful man in the world." WILDLY FALSE. WILDLY.)

I don't know who this book is aimed at. It doesn't give enough background information to teach much to American history novices (it would have helped a little if the order of the "states" were chronological instead of alphabetical), and it's too superficial to teach anything to people who already have solid American history background.

In short, this is a book with the pace and tone of an Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, but without the depth or intelligence.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about the US states that "never quite made it!" Fascinating and full of unknown history!

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost really loved this one. It covers many, but not all, failed states. Each one gets a one page profile, plus a full page map created by the author, usually by superimposing the proposed state on an existing map. It was interesting, for the most part, though occassionally repetitive. Many of them were simply failed proposals to divide territories, so not much to say. Some of them can't be taken even remotely seriously. Who really thinks that the European country of Albania has ever seriously been in contention to be a U.S. state? Who really thinks that, if Quebec were ever to leave Canada, that Newfoundland or Alberta might decide to become Americna while they're at it? Take those out, and there are still some really interesting stories in here. But the tone is often bizarre. I just want to read about failed states, not lame jokes. This is one book where the subject matter overcame the author's tone to make what is still a pretty good book.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief history of states that were proposed but never actually became states. Each states has a two page spread, one page showing a map of the state and the other the text.

Some of the proposed states were silly like annexing other countries while others made a lot of sense like breaking off part of Texas .

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Social Studies teacher I'm always looking for books that make history a bit more interesting. With that said, being a Social Studies teacher makes that incredibly difficult. Since I already find it interesting, I don't know if something is interesting because it is, or because I'm already predisposed to thinking it is...

I thought this book was pretty dang interesting. And funny. Yeah, there were some errors on a couple maps - and maybe they should have been caught by somebody... but since a lot of the maps were just conjecture in the first place, what's the big deal, people? Nickajack never made it as a state. I've never seen a map of Nickajack until this book.

This was mostly all review, but it was an icing review of entertaining tidbits that are often overlooked by the cake of history.

Sure, there were times when his tongue-in-cheek wit made me question the facts... Does the government include "USA" after New Mexico because people got the licenses confused? Was Washington the most popular and powerful person in his day? Is distance the real reason the Phillippines didn't become a state? ... or are these just the punch lines to the jokes I didn't tell here for fear of copy-right lawsuit reprisals?

I don't know. But I do know I enjoyed the book. The book has a little info on each proposed (sometimes not officially proposed - but there were always inklings of a state forming) state, along with a theoretical map of where it would go. The info for each state is sourced in the back. In an era where citation is becoming a thing of the past, and opinionated blogs are replacing investigative journalism, I apprecitate going to the back of the book to see where Trinklein got his information. It lets me know that if people really have a beef with his wit, they can go to the source and see what the "real story" is.

Surprises?
The number of states proposed out of a fear of Communism
The number of states proposed due to water issues
The number of cities that considered statehood
Texas doesn't need Congressional approval to form itself into new states... how did I miss that one? ...and it can turn itself into 5 states (counting TX itself)...

Connections?
I just read all about William Walker in the book The First Tycoon. That dealt mainly with Walker filibutering (not as we know it) in Nicaragua - but mostly just a thorn in the side of Vanderbilt himself. Here it talks about his attempt to make Baja California into a state - Sonora.


Favorite Person?
William Augustus Bowles. Seriously, how did I never hear about this guy? "...a guy who gets kicked out of the U.S. military, joins a Creek tribe, marries the chief's daughter, consolidates several Native American nations, becomes their king, rallies the native peoples against an evil empire, gets captured and thrown into a Spanish prison, escapes, takes over a British ship, becomes a pirate... takes over a Spanish fort... A huge Spanish force is dispatched to capture him, but they get lost..." He's like a real life Gilgamesh. Only bigger. I'm hoping I can work him into my family tree somehow... even if it's by marriage. To a distant eighth cousin. In-law...


Favorite State?
I don't know. Navassa maybe? Just the thought of being legally allowed to claim any island in the world because it has a bunch of bird poop on it makes me happy. ...A little weird.


Yeah, there are some mistakes. And it's not exhaustive, but it's not meant to be. It's meant to pique your interest and get you looking for stuff on your own. Which I have. I'm thinking about starting my own state. Legally. Not a coup. Hopefully I get mentioned in the second edition.






"Habecker's state, Habeckeria would have been the smallest state in the union - comprising his house, yard, and an eighth of a meter into his alley. But it was not to be. Having only 4 people in the state was deemed imprudent by the 113th Congress. Habeckeria sent two Senators and a Representative anyway - but all were turned away. Upon returning home, he received a fine for leaving his 4 year old daughter unattended as the sole resident of his state, and fine for long grass. As he sat in jail, he realized his goal of statehood was unattainable... for now."

[Newton Public Library Iowa]

Ever heard of the state of Lincoln? Probably not; it doesn't exist. But, if you've ever driven through northern Idaho, you've passed through what many natives wanted to be Lincoln, U.S.A. Did you know that if President Buchanan had had his way in 1853, the Mexican states of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Baja California would be part of the United States? Find these and many other interesting tidbits of Americana in Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States That Never Made It. Packed with humorous tales of inventive place names such as Hazard, X, and Yazoo, this fun book will provide a wealth of information about our country's history. The book showcases the sense of determination and humor that forged our fifty states into a nation. Although, really…wouldn't “Rough and Ready” make a fun fifty-first state?

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating subject, an author with a sense of humor, beautifully designed maps on every page-- couldn't ask for more!

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating read, I had no idea there were so many almost states. This book also teaches a little about the unwritten rules and traditions of becoming a state.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first goodreads first reads win! This is my kind of non-fiction book - easy to read with lots of pictures (or in this case mostly maps).

A mix of humor and interesting information.

The cover unfolds to a full-sized map which would be nifty to hang up if I had a library or study. A nice looking book.

Trinklein who lived in Idaho for 20 years, keeps mentioning Mormons. I've noticed this in 5 Lost States - there may even be more that I missed. Having an LDS background myself, I can not recall a temple being built in Iowa under the direction of Joseph Smith as Trinklein claims. The only temples completed before moving to Utah, were in Kirtland, Ohio and Nauvoo, Illinois. If Trinklein is referring to one of these, he should clarify that the temple was not in Iowa. FYI here is what he wrote about this in HALF-BREED TRACTS:

"Probably the most famous buyer was a guy named Joseph Smith, who gathered his Mormon followers on a Half-Breed Tract he purchased in southeast Iowa. The Latter-Day Saints then built a temple and settled in for the long haul. It's entirely possible the Mormons might have grown their sphere of influence and eventually tried to form their own state, based on their religious practices. I'm not speculating about this; that's exactly what they did. But they didn't get around to it until after they had migrated westward to Salt Lake."

Favorite Quotes:

INTRODUCTION:
"Fifty States, It's such a nice, round number. It might even seem preordained that America would gobble up the perfect amount of territory to create fifty just-right states.
Sorry, It wasn't nearly that tidy."

"I've always felt a sense of wonder gazing at old maps, imagining the stories behind each squiggly line. Maps are a record of individuals trying to make a difference in how the world works."

ABOUT THE MAPS:
"All maps have a purpose, perhaps even an agenda. Mine are no exception."

BOSTON
"If every New England squabble led to the creation of a new state, the U.S. flag would have a thousand stars."

FORGOTTONIA (loved reading about this one)
"So as long as America keeps drinking sixty-four ounce fountain drinks, Forgottonia's people will survive. In fact, about the only thing that could hurt Forgottonia would be medical reports suggesting high-fructose corn syrup isn't healthy.
Oh."

FRANKLIN (named after Ben Franklin)
"The lesson here is that if you're going to name a state after a living historical figure, you should probably ask the person first....It's worth noting that Congress had a unofficial policy against naming new states after people (dead or alive). It's a guideline they held for more than a century, with only one exception: Washington."

GREENLAND - Prime Real Estate. Even George W. Bush Was Interested.
"It's true that Greenland is mostly ice, but that could change quickly as global warming kicks in."

GUYANA
"Many have argued that the best way to preserve its rain forests is to offer the protection of U.S. law. (Admittedly, this is not a terribly compelling reason to annex another country, but America has invaded places for flimsier reasons.)"

"I predict that if oil turns up in Guyana, relations with the United States might warm up considerably."

HOWLAND
"Those landing strips remain the island's strange irony. The United States made great effort to build them, the Japanese were intent on bombing them, and Amelia Earhart likely died trying to find them. Yet there is no record of any plane ever landing on Howland Island."

ICELAND
"What if America had offered to buy, rather than invade, Iraq? I know the idea sounds silly, until you run the numbers. Given the best estimates of the cost of the war, the United States could have offered each Iraqi citizen about $103,000 if they would agree to become an American. A family of five would get a cool half million dollars. Those numbers are the actual dollar costs, per Iraqi, of the war."

SOUTH CALIFORNIA - Actually They Wanted To Call It Colorado
"Pico's proposal suggested calling the new state 'Colorado', which, by the way, ranks among the most-coveted state names ever. After southern California's rebranding attempt failed, the Arizona territory laid its plans to rename itself 'Colorado.' But the rectangular state to the north beat them to the prize."

[Rob]

Trinklein, Michael J. True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States that Never Made It. Philadelphia: Quirk Books, 2010.

This was a really interesting book. Though by book, it is not so much a narrative, but closer to an encyclopedia of states that wanted to be states but never were states. Within each entry, however, the writing is clear and amusing as well as being informative. This book is great for the American history enthusiasts or for that person who just likes to know about trivia.
Each entry is about a part of American that either formally applied to Congress to be a state or for where there were movements that tried to make a new state. It seems that most of these Lost States wanted to form because they felt forgotten by the rest of the state or that they felt that the rest of the state exploited its wealth. Sometimes both feelings happened at the same time. However, there is also influences of world politics, local politics, and personalities that conflicted that created these crazy stories. Each entry also includes a map of where the state would be located. As an added extra, the maps are made to look like a map from the period when the statehood movement took place.
This is a fun and interesting book. The perfect place for it- in the bathroom. It can give you something quick to reading when you have time to sit.

[Sarah TheAromaofBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love nonfiction books about random topics, and I also love maps.  Lost States incorporates both things!  Basically, Trinklein looks at a BUNCH of territories that almost became states, or wished they could become states, or would  be really cool if they could become states, etc.  He covers everything from random ways to divide the Northwest Territory, to the possibility of some of our current states splitting (California, Maine, and Texas have all considered it in recent years), to current US territories, to western states that didn't quite make the cut.  

While the book is really enjoyable - and also full of color pictures and maps, making it fun to read - it's also very brief.  Each potential state only gets one (oversize) page, and one page of pictures/maps, so you don't get a lot of details about anything.  There is also plenty of Trinklein's snarky humor to go around, but luckily I enjoyed that part, too.

All in all, Lost States wasn't necessarily the most educational nonfiction read I've come across recently, but it was quick and engaging, and gave me a lot of random trivia to pull out during those awkward conversational silences that come up from time to time.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun to read. We all learned the fifty states in school but this book talks about proposed states that didn't manage (yet) to achieve statehood.

This is not something that happened only in the past. In 2013, the north and northeastern counties of Colorado wanted to secede from the rest of the state. Even now, a petition is circulating within California as there is once again talk about splitting - into three states this time. It has only been tried a few other times - Jefferson to the North, South California or Colorado to the south.

Each chapter only lasts 2 pages - a description of the state and short history why it wanted to be it's own state and why it failed with the other page being a beautiful map of the proposed state. Some cities - like Boston, New York City, Washington (or Potomac) - wanted independence usually due to taxation disputes. Then there is how to split the Dakotas - East and West? North and South? Dakota and Pembina? What about the Lost Dakota?

And there are the ones not connected to the North American continent - like Albania; Cuba; Guyana, Greenland....

A completely fun read and great bunch of trivia.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book - a somewhat cheeky history of states that never were and, in most cases, never should be. From reading this book I have discovered that the top three reasons for making a new state are (in order):

1) Money (you have a lot and you want to cut out the poor people in the other half of the state);

2) Dislike of people who aren't like you (different language, religion, hairstyle etc.);

3) Being a crazy person who believes that they have some mystical insight into the way the world should be.

Often, the crazy people are able to combine all three reasons in a single proposal for statehood.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting concept, executed poorly. Was very disappointed in the lack of depth and glossing over the majority of the interesting details, usually to make far-too-easy jokes.

If anything, the book reinforced the importance of political geography that I read about in Prisoners of Geography, but this was boring and shallow.

That's what I get for buying at a bookstore that has everything 70% off. Not all independent bookstores are good bookstores...

[Don LeClair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satirical history of states that never were

I really enjoyed the light hearted satirical writing in this book. It presents an anthology of short stories of proposed states that never were made. Many neVer quite made it to the point of formally being proposed but many of those were the most amusing.

Having grown up in an era where most candidates were already settled (other than Puerto Rico). It is interesting to see some of the might have beens.

Given the nature of the book it is kind of hard to bring it all together. But maybe the suggestion and illustration for Yucatán were as good as you can get 😀

[Christy Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting information in a friendly format beside beautiful maps. A great choice for a coffee table book.

I was hoping for more information and less commentary but beggers can't be choosers.

I wish Yazoo had become a state...

[Joelle McNulty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just finished this not very inspiring book about state proposals that didn't make the cut. Some of the stories are actually interesting, leading me to look at the bibliography for more info, and some of the stories/ proposals of states are so negligible that I can't believe the author included this in the book. 🙄 The author also includes a number of countries that would like to become states. I would not recommend this book; not very good. 2.5 stars.

[Nathaniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A poor book about a fascinating subject.

I give the author credit for his maps, which are mostly lovely, and for a handful of interesting "local knowledge" facts; I had no idea, for example, that Chicago and downstate Illinois were joined together on purpose by Congress to keep downstate from seceding during the Civil War. This makes the book worth checking out of the library once.

Unfortunately, the writing is otherwise awful, thanks to the author's lack of objectivity, flippant attitude toward his presentation, and lazy approach to both history and proofreading. Trinkelin is a standard-issue smug liberal Baby Boomer of the "I have a two-page bibliography and a bachelor's degree from the 70's and my books get publicity, ergo I am an Infallible Expert" school. As a result, most of the text is a mix of glibly inappropriate opinions, unfunny jokes, and general condescension. The number of insufferable asides about "students of history know x" is especially grating because Trinkelin makes it obvious early on that he has no actual understanding of historical methodology or objective tone, and his fact-checking is sloppy and riddled with errors.
Proofreading errors include referring to President William McKinley as "James McKinley", referring to Sioux Falls, South Dakota as "Sioux City" (which is in Iowa); and misspelling Decatur, Illinois with an "o". A more obscure historical mistake is constantly referring to Theodore Roosevelt as "Teddy", despite the well-documented fact that TR hated that name, and so forth. Nearly every page contains an error of one of these two types, and I can't respect the lack of effort Trinkelin put into the text - he obviously just dashed something off off of the top of his head and submitted it for publication without even bothering to proofread it first.

There's also the issue that Trinkelin shares with pretty much every other insecure liberal of his generation who ever wrote a nonfiction book on an unrelated topic, and that's the very likely pathological need to insert his political opinions where they don't belong. In this case, it's his opinion that George W. Bush was an awful president, which he beats to death on every third page despite the fact that this is supposed to be an objective work of historical fact and, in this case, is neither a unique nor relevant opinion given the circumstances. It just makes Trinkelin look like an undisciplined, unprofessional hack, as much as the lazy proofing does.

Ultimately, this is a book that should have been a lot better than it was, had they gotten someone with a more professional attitude to write it. Instead, it comes off more as "somebody's clueless dad's version of history". It's a book I'd recommend checking out of the library once if you're into esoteric US history, but don't expect to get more than a couple of factoids out of it, and don't waste money on it yourself.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The boundaries we see on maps of the United States are so familiar and stable that they might as well be carved into the very bedrock of North America... right? Well, that turns out not to be the case. The shapes of the fifty states, their number, and even the physical extent of the U.S. as a whole could have turned out very differently indeed, had various historical tipping points gone the other way.

This slim large-format book starts out as a fascinating A-to-Z compendium of those might-have-beens—alternative maps of the U.S. with brief historical commentary—and on that level it succeeds mightily. Trinklein's maps are clear and entertaining, often constructed with an artificially-aged appearance to match the period in which the change was originally proposed. And the historical tidbits and incidental illustrations he shares are varied and entertaining.

However, the book was significantly marred for me by the jarring and wholly unnecessary intrusions of now rather dated-sounding political opinion. Even though I agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiments being expressed, I prefer my history lessons (even alternate history) to be at least a little more objective—I can't imagine what someone of a less-enlightened political bent (heh) would make of Trinklein's self-indulgent interjections.

If you're the kind of person who can keep grinning through an occasional brief rant (like ignoring that tipsy relative you got seated next to at Thanksgiving dinner), though, there's a lot of good stuff here. Recommended—with caveats.

[Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other State That Never Made It By: Michael J. Trinklein, is a historical novel that goes through time to introduce you to many of the territories that were quite nearly made into states, and some that weren't close at all, but still had a very unique story to tell. Trinklein delves into the fun side of history, from CIA maps of Panama, to facts that could impress your history teacher, Trinklein makes sure to keep history enjoyable all while maintaining a factual basis. Not only does he make the history fun, but he also uses select word choice to connect with his "Young Adult" audience, making him the "cool dad" of history. In conclusion The Lost States by Michael J. Trinklein, is a very interesting historical novel that shows the fun side of history, while connecting with the young adult genre, making this the perfect book for not just history lovers, but anyone that wants to have a fun time while learning the history of this spectacular country.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books with this kind of historical trivia, but some of the glaring factual mistakes/typos in it detracted from my enjoyment. It refers to President William McKinley as "James McKinley" (p. 101), and refers to President Buchanan in 1853 (p. 68), when President Buchanan didn't take office until 1857. The event the book referred to did take place in 1853 under President Pierce. These and minor typos such as misspelling the town of Decatur, IL as "Decator", made me wonder whether the other things I read in the book that I didn't know about were completely accurate.

Overall Lost States was still very enjoyable, and contained very interesting, entertaining, and humorous stories and tales about various groups and failed statehood plans, but apparently this book was not very thoroughly checked.

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't researched the legitimacy of a lot of Trinklein's "almost statehood" stories, but nonetheless, this was entertaining, and sometimes hilarious, reading. Who knows what really transpired in the past and how state lines were REALLY drawn. He says in his introduction that he's been collecting "these long-forgotten stories" for decades, and there are naysayers who nitpick at errors in his facts and geography. (I have heard the stories about how Arizona and New Mexico could have been horizontally stacked rather than vertical, how my part of the Florida panhandle might have become the separate state of West Florida encompassing most of the northern Gulf Coast, and how the Big Bend area of Florida could have become the state of Muskogee.) I was humorously entertained by this book. It's also a lite, easy read, with each state story being only 1 page long with an accompanying map.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What could have been had politicians been swayed somewhat differently from how things turned out.... Lots of western states would be different, but some of the things that are covered are about weird and recent proposals on the east coast and frankly all over the world. Sicily??

One map, though, that explains something about the southwest and Texas, has Colorado labeled as Wyoming. That was annoying.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing read and good fun for fans of “what if” scenarios and alternate history. Though I really have to ding the author for referring to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and somehow adding a picture of not just the wrong Jefferson Davis, but an obscure one. (Granted any but THE JD is obscure.)

[Denny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost States is a fun, informative, entertaining, and quirky history of American states that never were. I really enjoyed Michael Trinklein's sense of humor and often found myself laughing aloud. With its quick-reading, 2-page entries, this would make a great coffee table or bathroom book. If I had a coffee table, I'd add it to my Amazon wish list.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best classified as a coffee table book, but it so interested me once I opened it to a random page that I started to read it front to back. I recommend that you do the same. Numerous historical and geographical ancecdotes and a map lover's delight. Read it thoroughly and keep it out where you refresh yourself frequently.

[david warnke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
This book was an enjoyable read, it just needed a bit more editing as there are a few errors in it.
A new edition would be great including some of the more likely current secessionist/state realignment efforts, Cascadia etc.

[Wdmoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that a clause in the document annexing Texas to the United States allowed for Texas to be divided into five different states?

This is a fun book, half serious, half goofy. Recommended for adults and teens