The Great Plains, known for grasslands that stretch to the horizon, is a difficult region to define. In The Big Empty, R. Douglas Hurt defines this region using the towns and cities - Denver, Lincoln, and Fort Worth - that made a difference in the history of the environment, politics, and agriculture of the Great Plains.

This narrative shows that even though Great Plains history is fraught with personal and group tensions, violence, and distress, the twentieth century also brought about compelling social, economic, and political change.