▁expos és ▁of ▁what ▁Howard ▁saw ▁as ▁und ue ▁corpor ate ▁influence ▁in ▁Mont ana ▁econom ics ▁and ▁life , ▁particularly ▁by ▁the ▁Ana conda ▁Co pper ▁M ining ▁Company . ▁ ▁Though ▁primarily ▁an ▁author ▁of ▁non f iction , ▁Howard ▁also ▁wrote ▁book ▁reviews ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁and ▁short ▁stories ▁that ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁The ▁Saturday ▁Even ing ▁Post , ▁Es quire , ▁and ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁Howard ' s ▁first ▁book - length ▁effort ▁was ▁Mont ana : ▁High , ▁W ide , ▁and ▁H ands ome , ▁which ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁ ▁The ▁volume ▁was ▁both ▁a ▁thought ful ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁an ▁imp ass ioned ▁ind ict ment ▁of ▁the ▁corpor ate ▁and ▁ ▁b ureau cr atic ▁forces ▁that ▁had ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁much ▁of ▁that ▁history . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁book ' s ▁primary ▁targets ▁were ▁Ana conda ▁Co pper , ▁which ▁controlled ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁economic ▁and ▁political ▁activity ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁Northern ▁Railway , ▁which ▁had ▁l ured ▁thousands ▁of ▁hom est ead ers ▁onto ▁Mont ana ▁land ▁that ▁proved ▁wh olly ▁un su itable ▁for ▁far ming . ▁The ▁book ▁also ▁paid ▁particular ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁in app ropri ate ▁and ▁in equ itable ▁usage ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁scar ce ▁water ▁resources , ▁making ▁an ▁open ▁ple a ▁for ▁reform ▁of ▁the ▁system . ▁ ▁Mont ana : ▁ ▁High , ▁W ide ,