Of the many and sometimes unflattering images the era of the American West conjures up, one of the most prominent is that of Indians drunk on liquor provided by whites. Unrau (emeritus, history, Wichita State U.) relates how roads from Missouri to New Mexico developed by the federal government made it much easier for spirits to be provided, along with excessive drinking. He explores how liquor, despite being outlawed as an item for trade with the Indians, easily found its way to them. He examines how those roads came about, the economic and cultural effects on Native Americans, and the link between politics and economics in U.S. borderlands. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)