First edition. This weighty volume, compiled by Sterling Professor Emeritus of History at Yale University Howard R. Lamar, contains over 2,400 entries by more than 300 contributors on all aspects of the American West, from prehistory to the present. Types of entries include brief biographical sketches of important men and women, extensive descriptions of the physiogeography of the continent, pieces on art and literature of the West, and histories of the area's transportation systems. Over 600 illustrations and maps complement the text and help make this book a joy to read. Lamar provides a brief timeline of Western history to help put things in perspective, and the individual entries are extensively cross-referenced. A detailed index provides a comprehensive list of every person mentioned in the book, and most articles provide bibliographic citations to point the interested reader to further sources.