" . . . an impressive collection of essays . . . gives as clear a picture of the Midwest as a whole as one is likely to get." —Journal of American History

" . . . excellent insight into how and why the midwest ticks so well in a unique beat of its own." —South Bend Tribune

"[Madison] can take a bow for a job well done." —Indianapolis News

"I found Heartland to be a treasure. Had I turned a dog-ear each time I read something worth remembering, the book would be in tatters. . . . a wonderful companion." —Myron A. Marty, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"An ambitious book, full of insight, which provides a useful first step in trying to understand that elusive entity—the Midwest." —Clifford E. Clark, Jr., Minnesota History

" . . . strong and interestingly written . . . " —Indianapolis Star

" . . . should be of interest to the serious reader of history who is curious about the Midwest, its origins, its development and its constituent states." —Northwest Ohio Quarterly

" . . . these essays are the stuff of excellent and readable intellectual history . . . " —History

" . . . a successful achievement. Heartland is an enjoyable book . . . " —Great Plains Quarterly

"Because this book has the capacity to affect one's thinking, it deserves to be read. It may even persuade some readers to discard the term Middle West." —Richard S. Kirkendall, Gateway Heritage

"Heartland is an excellent presentation, in summary, of the history and background of the 12 Midwestern states." —Journal of the West

To the cultural czars of the two coasts, America's heartland is frequently depicted as an amorphous, undifferentiated mass of land and people. Twelve experts examine individual states of the Midwest, examining the origins and nature of the unique midwestern cultural phenomena: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.