Crazily impressed at what Gamerman has managed to wrangle into her debut book, the various subject matters as vast as the Montana plains, extending from the prehistoric Clovis people to the year 2020, where we see the end of a contentious legal battle between the proverbial David and Goliath(s) of modern day Montana.

This book covers not only the history of Montana settlement, but land and ranching rights, utility and zoning regulation, environmental law, zoology of the native animals, history of the windmill - which I never knew was so integral to advancement in agriculture or railroad capabilities - and the continued encroachment upon, but also the resilience of, the Indigenous tribes of Montana, the biggest being the Crow Indians. You might think it difficult to string these topics one after the other, but Gamerman does so seamlessly, as they all relate to each other.

The only inclusions that felt superfluous were the frequent backstories into each character, no matter how peripheral they were to the story. You'd not only get a <b>very </b> thorough biography of each person, but also the biography of their spouse, and their grandparents, and their kids, and their great great grandparents, and their jobs, and hobbies, and idiosyncrasies. But the characters themselves would only appear a handful of times throughout the book. It was exhausting to read after awhile, so if I knew they weren't the main character, I honestly just skimmed over those parts. I don't know if this was an attempt to bolster the page count? But all those parts could've been edited out of the book.

Another thing to note, obviously no history book - or book, period - can be 100% objective, when it comes to narrative writing. This book definitely has a slant to it, there is no attempt to remain neutral. It's not a point against the book, just an observation. For instance, a judge's decision, unfavorable to our protagonists, isn't just left at that. Gamerman would follow up with a footnote on the judge's decision on a later case completely unrelated to this book's events, that is meant to make the reader dislike the judge. The character and actions of the Goliaths in this story speak for themselves (hypocrisy and unscrupulousness out the wazoo!), so I think if Gamerman reeled back a bit, the book would come off less biased.

Through this book, I see how regulation and laws are well meaning but don't always benefit the people or property it's trying to protect, and more than once, money and influence wins over common sense and justice. I also see the tenacity and pioneer spirit of the native Montanans, who refuse to go down without a fight, and always chooses to get back up. Very admirable, and I can feel Gamerman's passion in this case, for her having followed it for so many years. Reporting on big names is fine, but stories of everyday people are just as exciting and dramatic, and I'm so glad to have picked up Gamerman's book. Highly recommend!

There were the people who honor the land which should belong to no one and everyone.

The people who wanted to profit from the land and make their fortune.

The people who struggled to hold onto the land their ancestors had settled.

And the people whose wealth allows them to own land as a plaything for their own enjoyment.

All these special interests met in a decade long conflict. It started when a rancher decided to lease his land for a wind farm. The income would guarantee his family could hold onto the land where they had lived since the late 19th c. The state of Montana required the power company to expand into renewable energy. The Crazy Mountain Range was known for its wind. It seemed a perfect solution.

But the billionaires who had been buying failed ranches fought the wind farm. They may only spend weeks or a month a year at their ranch, but they wanted pristine beauty, to indulge their fantasies.

Rich in detail and with finely drawn portraits of all the players, this is a long read about a complicated story, particular and yet universal in the essentials. It is about class and wealth and the little man. And about power, the power of money and the sway of fake news and the impact of natural beauty. Is the cost of saving the planet from climate change a degradation of its beauty, a threat to the ecosystem?

In the end, for reasons we agree with or not, the court determined who controlled the land.

A fine piece of narrative nonfiction that touches on essential issues.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

A real life “Yellowstone” story follows a land war between generational ranchers and the wealthy in power who think money entitles them to do whatever they want, wherever they want. It also explores the down-on-their-luck realities of so many people in this country: just trying to make ends meet and desperate to do what it takes to get by. Climate change, renewable energy, Native American history, electrical power, oligarchy, and more all combine to make this a modern day Western that rivals most Hollywood screenplays. Check it out.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Crazies by Amy Gamerman is a nonfiction look into the modern Wild West—property rights and energy production in the relatively isolated wilds of Montana. Interspersed between the properties of some of the richest people in America are the small ranches and family owned farmers worked by the hardscrabble Montana natives.

The best elements of this book are the beautifully written vignettes that are careful and detailed. The author clearly takes great care to craft detailed pictures of all the involved parties, from the renegade wind farm investors to the geriatric cattle ranchers and their families. It’s frankly a little surprising that some of the actors involved in this lawsuit and story were willing to open up to an outside writer, and yet, the author was able to somehow capture very nuanced and somewhat kind portraits of so many.

This book is long. While the title does give a sort of “Yellowstone” meets the green revolution vibe, it’s actually much more mundane. This is a book about a property rights lawsuit framed around sustainable energy, and a lengthy one at that. At times, despite the lovely tableaus of the scenery the lengthy description of local zoning laws, Montana statutes, and descriptions of the minutiae of wind energy production can become a slog. There are hundreds of pages of exposition before the actual court case coverage begins, and at times, without the scaffolding of the prosecutor-defense dynamic all of the information can be muddled. For a reader without a background in property and land usage dispute or energy production rights, this can get somewhat dense. Additionally, there were sections about a local Crow activist, that while valuable, didn’t fully seem to tie into the narrative in a way that didn’t make them seem like detours.

Overall, it is a very vivid and evocative story of a small and yet so coveted section of the American landscape. It’s a long, albeit very compelling David and Goliath-esque story. 4/5 stars.

Not just for fans of the "Yellowstone" TV series. Even if you watched it mainly for the views (like I did), you should love this book. You will find similarly impressive vistas, but a much better plot.

It is an example of my favorite kind of nonfiction, where the author starts with an interesting story and uses it as a canvas for a much broader, complex, and surprising story. At the heart of the book is a conflict between two rather extreme characters: Rick Jarrett, a "salt-of-the-earth rancher" whose family has owned a piece of Montana land for generations, and who now wants to build a wind farm on his property to make ends meet; and Russell Gordy, a Texas gas and oil billionaire, owner of a sprawling trophy ranch (one of many), who wants to stop his neighbor from spoiling his view with wind turbines.

I think the best screenwriters would have trouble coming up with more colorful protagonists, but this is just a start. Both men are just representatives of two parallel communities - hard-working, ordinary local people and very rich owners of most of the land in the beautiful Crazy Mountains, sometimes called "the oligarchs". As we read in the preface, “it was a modern-day range war in a warming West–a fight for power in its most elemental form”. Although it was very easy for me to choose sides in this conflict, I have to admit that the author tries very hard to keep the balance and not to portray the billionaires as heartless villains.

The story of this war is worth reading in itself, but we get so much more. Providing a very broad background, the author delves into such topics as homesteading, the history of the native inhabitants of this land, a brief introduction to the workings of the American electricity market, and nature conservation, just to name a few. And despite so many details and twists, Amy Gamerman's writing is always witty and engaging.

Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This book is an epic story that takes place over several decades. its about what you can and can't do on your own land and how it would affect others.

Mr Jarrett and Marty wanted to start a wind farm on Jarretts land. However, Mr Jarretts neighbors are all extremely wealthy and oppose that idea.
So they take Mr Jarrett and his wind power partner to court to block the wind farm because it would block their view of the Crazy Mountains.

Its about poor versus wealthy. Its about the little guy versus the big guy.

The author takes over 400 pages to give you that story that I just summarized in 3 sentences.

This book is too long, too many characters, too many asides and really got quite boring by the time the trial happened. It really began to drag when Marty died.

The author went on too many side roads, with the Facebook page, minor characters, and just out and out verbosity.

Overall this book needs to be cut in half, then cut in half again to be fully appreciated.

Rick Jarrett wants to build a wind farm on his land in Big Timber, Montana, and Rick Jarrett's neighbors don't want him to build one. What ensues is an expanding legal battle fought both in the courthouse and the court of public opinion.

THE CRAZIES is a modern epic that uses the most fascinating elements of Americana to craft a wild, at times absurd, at times moving, extravagant tale of land and land ownership.

Gamerman zooms in and out, introducing characters documentary style, knowing exactly when to focus on the details and when to return to the broader sweeping landscape of the American West.

Full of big personalities and packed with stimulating questions about what it means to own land - and the air above it - this book is complex and entertaining from start to finish.

A stunning work. Sweeping yet intimate, gripping and informative....it's just a master stroke in nearly every way. Exploring a pocket of history I've never looked deeply into, I came away having learned so much.