The Oklahomans Vol 2:
Stories & People
The subtitles for both Oklahomans 1 and Oklahomans 2 are “The Story of Oklahoma and Its People.” John, descendant of both a teenaged Irish immigrant and a Revolutionary War hero, is a born and trained storyteller. Unlike typical Oklahoma history books that are written by academicians and freighted with facts and figures to memorize, these books are written by a storyteller whose historical novels have built him a large following over a quarter of a century because they indeed tell stories about people. Yet, they are girded with authenticity and accuracy by a passionate educator whose career included 16 years teaching history and ethics courses at Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City.
John’s historical narratives, including both Oklahomans books and his acclaimed Civil War epic, The War Between the States, are teeming with remarkable, often inspiring men and women who overcame the odds to build a great state. These characters, the themes running through their stories, and the movements and events they impacted, are delivered in a blazing, page-turning fashion very different from the typical Oklahoma History book and which one honored Oklahoma historian calls “hypnotically readable.”
Another leading Oklahoma historian concurred, citing the engaging way in which John not only chronicles the historical events that happened, he colorfully depicts why people did what they did. Thousands of adult readers and youthful students alike have been inspired by this unique style and have raced through John’s books, then on to others, motivated to learn more about the people and events John explores.