Now in its fourth edition, the singular text of Kansas history for the last twenty-four years, Dr. Robert W. Richmond's Kansas: A Land of Contrast remains the classic survey of the Kansas story. The political and economic aspects of the state's development are fully covered, but in this latest revision there is a greater emphasis on social history, with artists, writers, and athletes sharing the stage with politicians, industrialists, and explorers. As in previous editions, Richmond includes ample quotations from documents of the period to convey a first-hand impression of the times. These colorful and often humorous anecdotes pepper the text with distinctive detail and make it a true pleasure to read. The bibliographic readings at the end of each chapter have been extensively updated. The text is also profusely illustrated, with many images new to this edition.