Despite countless past attempts to describe and analyze it, the American West retains an enigmatic quality that continues to attract and intrigue us. The essays in "Western Places, American Myths" are the work of a dozen scholars from several disciplines, all examining the West as both an actual region and as an enduring element of American culture, demonstrating how today"s West is the result of a long and continuous process, a constant reinvention and redefining of place. The book rewards its reader with exciting new perspectives and insights, reminding us that the West still contains "mythic places that help us come to grips with our national identity and who we are as a people."