Southwest Books of the Year
Patricia Etter Picks
Civil War in Arizona, The: The Story of the California Volunteers, 1861-1865
Andrew Masich gives us a fine history of the California Column in Arizona during the Civil War, including details of the westernmost battle against soldiers from the Confederate stronghold in Tucson. That battle, mainly a skirmish, took place on April 15, 1862, with troops trained for survival in the harsh environs of the Arizona desert by the no-nonsense Brig. Gen. James H. Carlton. Also included are the volunteer soldiers' letters published in the San Francisco Daily Alta between 1862 and 1865. Masich has further enhanced the content with carefully-researched annotations. The book is well illustrated with numerous rare photographs.
Cook West (series)
Here is a trio of taste treats for every southwestern kitchen. Chile Aphrodisia demonstrates that there are uncounted ways to prepare the hundreds of varieties of chiles, and offers tidbits of little-known chile lore: chiles have, for centuries, been a curative for many ailments, as well as an aphrodisiac for water fleas! The Brie Apple Quesadilla is the winner here. From Cilantro Secrets we learn that cilantro traveled from the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon to New Mexico, and we should all be grateful it made the trip: is there a good salsa without it? Try Cilantro Corn Bread for a yum-in-tum experience. The earliest reference to citrus has been traced to 2200 B.C. and the Chinese Emperor, Ta Yu. Now citrus is enjoyed the world over, and Citrus Essentials tempts and tantalizes with treats that use lemons, limes, oranges, and tangerines. A favorite is Seared Scallops with Jalapeno Lime Aioli.
Three books in the series--Cilantro Secrets, by Gwyenth Doland, Citrus Essentials, by Marilyn Noble, and Chile Aphrodisia, by Amy Reiley--are reviewed here. A fourth volume in the series, The Elegant Olive, by Teresa Kennedy, was also published in 2006
Landscapes of Fraud: Mission Tumacacori, the Baca Float, and the Betrayal of the O'odham
Tom Sheridan looks at three centuries of history in Arizona's Santa Cruz Valley as it evolved from a community of Native farmers through the colonial period, as a commodity to be bought and sold. The Tohono O'odham were the losers as speculators playing with fictitious capital, filing numerous law suits over many years, and evicting farmers from what was known as Baca Float #3. The shady developers moved in during the 60s and 70s promising a fabulous community at Rio Rico. And throughout, extractive industries played with the landscape. The losers were the Native peoples, when the land "was transformed from a communal resource into a commodity, bought and sold for its future value."
Life in the Past Lane: The Route 66 Experience; Historic Management Contexts for the Route 66 Corridor in California
With this report from the Bureau of Land Management, Route 66--a corridor once crowded with Dust Bowl emigrants and early tourists--is placed within the larger context of U.S. history. Numerous maps and photographs offer glimpses of segments of the early road, making it easy to understand why it took 63 days to drive from San Francisco to New York in 1903, averaging 90 miles a day on gasoline in pre-filled canisters. Travelers camped out beside their cars before creative entrepreneurs set up motels, eateries, gas stations and curio shops, and small towns appeared and just as often disappeared with the advent of Interstate highways. Don't let the title mislead: this is a really good read.
Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico: Including His Photographs and Tales of Mountain Exploration
New Mexico is the "Volcano State" where one can see almost all of the many types of volcanic land forms. This is more than just an easy-to-understand geologic history. Butterfield has mapped five areas (the Northeast, Northwest, Central, Southwest, and the bootheel) and provides location and access, elevation of major peaks, and attractions like hiking and skiing. Also included is information about flora and fauna, area history, and responsibility for administration. Glossaries rank each peak by height (there are 125 peaks over 11,000 feet) and by name. Outstanding photographs.
Puebloan Ruins of the Southwest
This spectacular revision of Anasazi Ruins of the Southwest reflects new terminology for the ancient southwestern puebloans. The term Anasazi is out; now we talk about the ancient puebloans, a designation that nicely covers the linguistically-diverse people who inhabited the Four Corners area for more than 2000 years, thought to be ancestors of the modern pueblo people. Following a detailed introduction, the authors discuss ruins that can be visited by region: Northern San Juan, Kayenta, Chaco Canyon, Little Colorado River, and Northern Rio Grande Valley. Floor plans of individual ruins are presented along with colored maps, aerial photographs, and hundreds of illustrations. This is a good one for the car library.
Shape Shifter, The
It all started with a photograph of a rare Navajo rug and an obituary of a man who was not dead. Here was a case that the legendary and now retired Joe Leaphorn had failed to solve. Since his usual sidekicks Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito were on their honeymoon, it was fortunate that Leaphorn was able to enlist help from an unlikely source -- a Hmong immigrant with the name of Vang. This is billed as Leaphorn's "last case." We certainly hope not. To those of us who have followed him over the years, Leaphorn has become a living person, and is no longer a fictional character.
Sunshot: Peril and Wonder in the Gran Desierto
It is easy to say that this is the best book I have read during 2006, and it is just about time that Bill Broyle's adventures in the Pinacate region of northern Mexico and Southwestern Arizona were in print for everyone's enjoyment. He has trod almost every inch of the gran desierto, a land he says that was "got up in torment" where there is mostly sand, rock and hardly any water. Most don't go there. But Bill Broyles enjoys this environment in spite "of the heat, the fangs, and the blisters." "Out here," he says, "even the perils become wonders." His reminiscences are so vivid we can feel the heat, shiver in a rainstorm, be grateful for a rain shower, or revel in a blue sky as he follows the footsteps of early explorers. Nor is he one to retreat in the presence of a snake. More likely, he'll get as close as he can for study and a photo. In addition to his own photographs are 103 spectacular prints by Michael Berman along with a fine map.
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