Wyman relates these oft-told stories with relish and color, and illustrates how the needs and beliefs of the people who participated [in the exploitation of natural resources] often precluded careful thought about the resulting depletion of flora, fauna, and minerals. . . .Wyman presents the frontier as a series of novel challenges for those who sought opportunities there [and] how those experiences changed them.
Journal of the Early Republic
Wyman has a smooth style, with an eye for informative yet catchy quotations. He has compressed volumes of material without losing the 'you-are-there' dynamic that characterizes all good history. This is a book for the general public to which professional historians might well turn to discover an original interpretation. . . . A well-told, well-documented tale.
Wisconsin Academy Review
A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoroughly accessible history, highly recommended especially for Wisconsin history shelves and public library collections. April 2011
Midwest Book Review
An informative and readable overview. . . . [Wyman's] integration of Indian history into the work is well done and commendable.
Journal of Illinois History
A highly readable, balanced account of the area that became the state of Wisconsin in 1848 . . . [Wyman] elevates his narrative from a limited state history to a fascinating story of the gains and perils, ebbs and flows that characterize the American frontier saga.
Western Historical Quarterly
A superb history.
Midwest Book Review