What do you think?
Infinite West: Travels in South Dakota
An Englishman travels through South Dakota and offers his observations, thoughts, and musings
“Fraser Harrison is among the best truth-tellers. He has written a thoughtful, tender, and funny guide, a book that is an arresting journey at the center of a nation and goes deep into the human heart.” Tim Dee—Chief Producer, BBC Radio, and author of A Year on the Wing
In his homage to the infinite west that is South Dakota, both past and present, Englishman Fraser Harrison tours the state observing well-known locations such as the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, and Deadwood. But there is far more to South Dakota. He also spent time in less-traveled areas such as Wounded Knee, the southern portion of the Missouri River, and Harrison, his namesake town.
The author’s witty, conversational, and detailed commentaries are paired with brief historical accounts to form a travel memoir comparable to those of Bill Bryson, Dayton Duncan, and Paul Theroux. Harrison paints pictures with his prose that let the reader share his experiences on the roads, in the cities, and among the people of small communities that make up the Land of Infinite Variety.
Fraser Harrison, the author of nine books, contributed regularly to major newspapers in the United Kingdom and worked as a freelance broadcaster for the BBC. He holds an undergraduate degree from Cambridge University and a Masters in Human Rights from Essex University. His love of the West stems from his childhood and from his many works of nonfiction for radio and newspapers.
"Fraser Harrison has learned well the error in overlooking the history under his nose. The Englishman's connection to the Harrisons who died at the Alamo led him on a powerful journey that pays homage to the frontier history of the Badlands, Wounded Knee, Hickok's Deadwood, and more."—True West Magazine
“Fraser Harrison is among the best truth-tellers. He has written a thoughtful, tender, and funny guide, a book that is an arresting journey at the center of a nation and goes deep into the human heart.” Tim Dee—Chief Producer, BBC Radio, and author of A Year on the Wing
In his homage to the infinite west that is South Dakota, both past and present, Englishman Fraser Harrison tours the state observing well-known locations such as the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, and Deadwood. But there is far more to South Dakota. He also spent time in less-traveled areas such as Wounded Knee, the southern portion of the Missouri River, and Harrison, his namesake town.
The author’s witty, conversational, and detailed commentaries are paired with brief historical accounts to form a travel memoir comparable to those of Bill Bryson, Dayton Duncan, and Paul Theroux. Harrison paints pictures with his prose that let the reader share his experiences on the roads, in the cities, and among the people of small communities that make up the Land of Infinite Variety.
Fraser Harrison, the author of nine books, contributed regularly to major newspapers in the United Kingdom and worked as a freelance broadcaster for the BBC. He holds an undergraduate degree from Cambridge University and a Masters in Human Rights from Essex University. His love of the West stems from his childhood and from his many works of nonfiction for radio and newspapers.
"Fraser Harrison has learned well the error in overlooking the history under his nose. The Englishman's connection to the Harrisons who died at the Alamo led him on a powerful journey that pays homage to the frontier history of the Badlands, Wounded Knee, Hickok's Deadwood, and more."—True West Magazine
- GenresTravel
252 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2012
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 31, 2014
I received this book in LibraryThing's Early Reviewers programme. In 2012. I appreciate that my review is not exactly 'early', but better late than never right?
I really enjoyed this interesting and entertaining exploration of a state that the author had first 'discovered' for himself while on a family holiday some twenty years earlier. That visit came at the end of an American sabbatical for the English academic. Fraser Harrison's writing has been described by some earlier reviewers as reminiscent of Bill Bryson's. As an admirer of Bryson's books, I wouldn't disagree, but would add that Harrison is often perhaps more charming, more laconic, and more willing to put more of himself into the book than Bryson is. ("I could tell the story of my youth in rivers.")
The book is split into seven lengthy chapters each focusing on the different main locations or aspects of South Dakota's story: 'Harrison' (a quirky self-indulgence in which the author explores the tiny township of his name - which in turn leads, among other things, to an unexpected exploration of the earliest pioneer settlers of the state), 'Lewis and Clark', 'The Badlands', 'Mount Rushmore', 'Deadwood', 'Wounded Knee', and a final chapter 'Sketches' which pulls together all sorts of diverting loose ends from his travels as a whole.
Harrison is not afraid to explore uncomfortable truths concerning the USA's historic westward expansion, and her relations with, and treatment of, the indigenous populations. The section on Wounded Knee is a case in point, and while it does not amount to what could reasonably be called 'enjoyable' reading; the all too tragic subject matter is very sensitively approached and covered in a way that I found profoundly moving.
I was usually pleased by his frequent tangents and interesting distractions as he floats smoothly from one subject area to the next. All in all a book I found well worthwhile my time. I'll certainly keep an eye out for other titles by the same author. My 'uncorrected proof' copy was devoid of photographs or maps, and I hope that the final edition included some, as that would probably elevate the book to a more complete publication of the South Dakota State Historical Society Press.
I really enjoyed this interesting and entertaining exploration of a state that the author had first 'discovered' for himself while on a family holiday some twenty years earlier. That visit came at the end of an American sabbatical for the English academic. Fraser Harrison's writing has been described by some earlier reviewers as reminiscent of Bill Bryson's. As an admirer of Bryson's books, I wouldn't disagree, but would add that Harrison is often perhaps more charming, more laconic, and more willing to put more of himself into the book than Bryson is. ("I could tell the story of my youth in rivers.")
The book is split into seven lengthy chapters each focusing on the different main locations or aspects of South Dakota's story: 'Harrison' (a quirky self-indulgence in which the author explores the tiny township of his name - which in turn leads, among other things, to an unexpected exploration of the earliest pioneer settlers of the state), 'Lewis and Clark', 'The Badlands', 'Mount Rushmore', 'Deadwood', 'Wounded Knee', and a final chapter 'Sketches' which pulls together all sorts of diverting loose ends from his travels as a whole.
Harrison is not afraid to explore uncomfortable truths concerning the USA's historic westward expansion, and her relations with, and treatment of, the indigenous populations. The section on Wounded Knee is a case in point, and while it does not amount to what could reasonably be called 'enjoyable' reading; the all too tragic subject matter is very sensitively approached and covered in a way that I found profoundly moving.
I was usually pleased by his frequent tangents and interesting distractions as he floats smoothly from one subject area to the next. All in all a book I found well worthwhile my time. I'll certainly keep an eye out for other titles by the same author. My 'uncorrected proof' copy was devoid of photographs or maps, and I hope that the final edition included some, as that would probably elevate the book to a more complete publication of the South Dakota State Historical Society Press.
November 19, 2022
Bought this with some other books from the SDHS. As other reviewers have said, it's an Englishman's review of his exploration of the Mythical American West. His disdain for the residents of South Dakota is clear, which makes the book a rather long read.
October 22, 2012
British travel writer Fraser Harrison knows most travelogues are written with the writer's home country in mind. He admits, though, that he didn't necessarily aim
Infinite West: Travels in South Dakota
at British or other readers. He also is addressing "the people who inhabit the exotic land through which I journeyed." Although writing as a tourist, he intends to describe the face of South Dakota to those who live here.
The extent to which Harrison succeeds may be in the willingness of the reader to accept Harrison's outsider and more objective view of the state and its history. Don't be mistaken. Fraser is infatuated, if not in love with South Dakota. It's just that he occasionally makes factual and historical observations perhaps no longer apparent to many of us who live here may be somewhat immune. This recurs throughout the book, whether from his visit to a town named Harrison (simply because he has the same name) to exploring part of the Lewis and Clark trail to the Badlands to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. What these things have in common for Fraser seems to be how they reflect the state and its people.
Another theme running through Infinite West is Fraser's use of his travels and experiences in South Dakota to recall episodes of is own life. He not only tells us of his fascination with the American West growing up, but it is not uncommon for his geographic tales and descriptions to inspire reminiscing that isn't directly connected to the state.
Still, it is the face that South Dakota presents the world that comes through. Take the town of Harrison, for example. Located west of Corsica, it is representative of many small towns in South Dakota -- and many that have already disappeared. With a population of less than 50 in 2010, it is "an old person's town." In 2000, more than half its residents were age 65 or older. Although it has a variety of well-kept homes and two churches, there are no businesses. And what struck Harrison in visiting with the town's residents was their tendency toward certitude. "They had been taught by their church and their parents that the Bible contained answers to all the philosophical questions that might otherwise have disturbed them," Fraser says, "and I felt I was confronting a mind-set that, for all its friendliness, had not changed since 1884, when the original settlers had founded their church."
While many South Dakotans may not say so out loud, few of us who have spent any time in the state's small, aging and declining communities can deny this. Whether pioneer spirit, a strong streak of conservatism or, as Fraser says, "the product of a particular set of historical circumstances that was no longer available to South Dakotans," this is often the face the state's smaller communities may present.
It isn't as though South Dakotans are blind to change. In fact, his journey to Deadwood recalls the reaction of many of the state's residents to its conversion to a "town-sized casino." Although Fraser believes the town gained some "probity" since his first visit there in 1992, there still is evidence of how we tend to disguise aspects of our history. For example, a tourism brochure describes Dakota Territory as having been "fairly uninhabited" before gold was discovered by the Custer expedition in 1874. How many of us have asked the question that struck Frasier: "why did a simple reconnaissance expedition require the protection of a thousand soldiers, three Gatling guns and a cannon?"
This also is seen in Fraser's visit to the site of the Wounded Knee massacre, one of several he's made on his various journeys to the site. It is a place he believes everyone should visit. To him, Wounded Knee "is the quintessential locus of the Sioux's subjugation," and historically crucial.
It would be wrong to conclude that Fraser doesn't see beauty and good in South Dakota and is people. In fact, Infinite West often seems a paean to the state. Still, one of his goals was to perhaps those of us who live here to see it from an outsider's perspective. Although some may take offense at them, views such as those set out above are necessary for that goal. After all, looking at ourselves in a mirror does not always reveal what others see.
(Originally posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.)
The extent to which Harrison succeeds may be in the willingness of the reader to accept Harrison's outsider and more objective view of the state and its history. Don't be mistaken. Fraser is infatuated, if not in love with South Dakota. It's just that he occasionally makes factual and historical observations perhaps no longer apparent to many of us who live here may be somewhat immune. This recurs throughout the book, whether from his visit to a town named Harrison (simply because he has the same name) to exploring part of the Lewis and Clark trail to the Badlands to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. What these things have in common for Fraser seems to be how they reflect the state and its people.
Another theme running through Infinite West is Fraser's use of his travels and experiences in South Dakota to recall episodes of is own life. He not only tells us of his fascination with the American West growing up, but it is not uncommon for his geographic tales and descriptions to inspire reminiscing that isn't directly connected to the state.
Still, it is the face that South Dakota presents the world that comes through. Take the town of Harrison, for example. Located west of Corsica, it is representative of many small towns in South Dakota -- and many that have already disappeared. With a population of less than 50 in 2010, it is "an old person's town." In 2000, more than half its residents were age 65 or older. Although it has a variety of well-kept homes and two churches, there are no businesses. And what struck Harrison in visiting with the town's residents was their tendency toward certitude. "They had been taught by their church and their parents that the Bible contained answers to all the philosophical questions that might otherwise have disturbed them," Fraser says, "and I felt I was confronting a mind-set that, for all its friendliness, had not changed since 1884, when the original settlers had founded their church."
While many South Dakotans may not say so out loud, few of us who have spent any time in the state's small, aging and declining communities can deny this. Whether pioneer spirit, a strong streak of conservatism or, as Fraser says, "the product of a particular set of historical circumstances that was no longer available to South Dakotans," this is often the face the state's smaller communities may present.
It isn't as though South Dakotans are blind to change. In fact, his journey to Deadwood recalls the reaction of many of the state's residents to its conversion to a "town-sized casino." Although Fraser believes the town gained some "probity" since his first visit there in 1992, there still is evidence of how we tend to disguise aspects of our history. For example, a tourism brochure describes Dakota Territory as having been "fairly uninhabited" before gold was discovered by the Custer expedition in 1874. How many of us have asked the question that struck Frasier: "why did a simple reconnaissance expedition require the protection of a thousand soldiers, three Gatling guns and a cannon?"
This also is seen in Fraser's visit to the site of the Wounded Knee massacre, one of several he's made on his various journeys to the site. It is a place he believes everyone should visit. To him, Wounded Knee "is the quintessential locus of the Sioux's subjugation," and historically crucial.
[Wounded Knee] represents a symbol not only of the Sioux's final, conclusive defeat, but of the last perceived challenge to the white population's acquisition of the Sioux's traditional lands. The latter aspect of its symbolism is not often acknowledged... South Dakota was wrested from its American Indian occupants, a fact that does not deserve to be erased by tourism's need for an inoffensive account of history. Among other things, Wounded Knee is a monument to the country's completed transition to white authority, and it is therefore worth seeing because it quantifies the price of that transition and shows who paid it.
It would be wrong to conclude that Fraser doesn't see beauty and good in South Dakota and is people. In fact, Infinite West often seems a paean to the state. Still, one of his goals was to perhaps those of us who live here to see it from an outsider's perspective. Although some may take offense at them, views such as those set out above are necessary for that goal. After all, looking at ourselves in a mirror does not always reveal what others see.
(Originally posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.)
September 12, 2012
I went into this believing it would be a historical collection of all things South Dakota, and anything else would be tough for me to read. I felt, well they gave me a book to read for free (first-reads), and I will rate it poorly if I can't stand it halfway through. So immediately I was struck with the author giving his background story, and how he came to love the West which I respected as I generally think of foreigners thinking poorly of the US, but was far from the structured lesson of South Dakota I expected and usually enjoy. He goes on to discuss very intimately the many sites of South Dakota, and knowing him really helps you paint a better picture of the subject than a textbook could. I also took a lot away from a state I only visited briefly when I was 10, and I remember thinking at the time this state is awful. He really gives great historical context to places like Mt. Rushmore where I learned something as trivial as the sculptor being a white supremacist to the intricate travesty of Wounded Knee. I didn't particularly enjoy chapter on Harrison, SD or the obsession with his Harrison, namesake, as it really could have just been apart of the sketches, so if I could rate this 4.5 stars I would but since the math gods require you to round up I did so.I would imagine this being an extremely fun read for anyone who has lived or is living in the state, and I suggest it to anyone who would be inclined to read the experience of a reflective author, who while being a non-religious person seems to make his trip have the feel of a sort of spiritual journey.
September 4, 2012
This book is an Englishman's thoughts about the American West specifically South Dakota. He explores several of South Dakota's tourist attractions, Lewis & Clark trail, the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Wounded Knee, etc. The book is interesting when comparing the American West to his childhood TV shows and British history, but I didn't find it entertaining. The most entertaining part of the book is at the end when he gathers some short stories about the places he visited between the tourist attractions. In those stories you saw more of the small town South Dakota and rural life of the state. Plus the people he described seemed more interesting. And I realized the first part of the book dealing with the tourist sites dealt mostly with historic figures and history and didn't really say much about the people he met along the way. So, if I had to some up the book I would say it's historically interesting but not entertaining.
July 16, 2016
I really enjoyed Harrison's writing style. It's rare that I can finish a piece of non-fiction without being bored half of the time. I had quite the opposite experience with this book--possibly because his opinions were mixed in everywhere and it was a new genre for me.
I'm from the black hills and my husband from Montrose, SD. Currently, we live in Helena MT. It was fun to have an outsider perspective on all of the places we've lived and loved. I thought his honest perspective was fresh and welcomed (esp. About the gigantic concrete Mt Rushmore visitor center...I don't think it fits in with the landscape at all!). I only wish he would write a sequel because there are so many more stories!!
Thanks to the author for sharing your South Dakota travels with us South Dakota folk. It was a real treat.
I'm from the black hills and my husband from Montrose, SD. Currently, we live in Helena MT. It was fun to have an outsider perspective on all of the places we've lived and loved. I thought his honest perspective was fresh and welcomed (esp. About the gigantic concrete Mt Rushmore visitor center...I don't think it fits in with the landscape at all!). I only wish he would write a sequel because there are so many more stories!!
Thanks to the author for sharing your South Dakota travels with us South Dakota folk. It was a real treat.
September 2, 2012
This is a personal travel journal of an Englishman's visits to famous South Dakota sites such as the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Deadwood and Wounded Knee. The author has a genuine interest in the "West" of South Dakota and narrates his excitement and interest in visiting these sites that populated his imagination since first watching Westerns as a child. At times I felt little bored and trapped as if I was viewing an acquaintance's vacation photos. However, if the reader has an interest in these areas, this may be a very interesting and rewarding book.
Ire roved this book from a Goodreads Giveaway and would like to thank everyone involved.
Ire roved this book from a Goodreads Giveaway and would like to thank everyone involved.
August 30, 2012
I found it interesting that the author was from England so wrote it from that perspective. I have recently spent some time in South Dakota for the first time and found the book really didn't have any new spins. I suppose if you have never been and are interested in how the English have sometime like whatever attraction or not, have a connection of some sort or not, you will find it more interesting than I did. I do want to say I got this as a first reads winner and this is a proof, not final copy so the final copy might have some pictures that will make the narrative more alive.
August 16, 2012
This was a really informative & inspiring read,adding history, humor, & local color, from the fine state of South Dakota! Mr. Harrison delivers,
& leaves the reader wanting to visit so many of these destinations. Also,
the depth of Native American history,is respectfully stated,& certainly
deserved. This book was given to me by the folks at South Dakota State Historical Press, through Goodreads, & I thank you kindly!
& leaves the reader wanting to visit so many of these destinations. Also,
the depth of Native American history,is respectfully stated,& certainly
deserved. This book was given to me by the folks at South Dakota State Historical Press, through Goodreads, & I thank you kindly!
July 24, 2013
An entertaining and enjoyable look at South Dakota by a perceptive and sometimes superior British author who has a love affair with the state. Reading Harrison is enough to remind me of what is wonderful about South Dakota and also what is not so pleasant about the state. His love of South Dakota comes through in every chapter.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews