Books & Reading

Notable Books

These books, although not selected as top picks, are ones worth reading.

F  indicates fiction.

Acequia: Water-Sharing, Sanctity, and Place
By Sylvia Rodriguez. School for Advanced Research Press. 187pp. Index. . $27.95.
With increasing stories of water shortages and near-drought conditions in parts of the United States, this book about water sharing and conservation through the Acequia program in northern New Mexico, offers one alternative that water users should take seriously. The author provides a detailed history along with color plates and maps. [Patricia Etter]
Arizona Water Policy: Management Innovations in an Urbanizing, Arid Region
By Bonnie G. Colby, Katharine L. Jacobs. Resources for the Future. 247pp. Index. $75.00.
Challenged by insuring a sustainable water supply for Arizona, some 30 experts have combined to write of Arizona Water Policy and its implications for the future. Are Arizona's water supplies enough to sustain the enormous population growth over the past 50 years? The challenges are numerous in a state that is experiencing drought conditions. The authors provide graphs, maps, statistics, and photographs to illustrate the various problems. Every lawmaker in the state should be reading this book. [Patricia Etter]
Arizona: Real Photo Postcards: History & Portfolio
By Jeremy Rowe. Carl Mautz Pub. 182pp. Index. $25.00.
These photo postcards of Arizona scenes, people, and activities between 1890 and 1920 are clearly reproduced and give interesting glimpses of the state’s history. My favorites are Chuckwalla Slim and his truck in Papago Park, the fire at C. S. Fly’s Tombstone studio, and a sunken car that tried to drive across a swollen creek in Globe—careless drivers are still doing that. The written commentary helps explain our fascination with postcards and provides guidelines for collectors. [Bill Broyles]
Basic Texas Birds: A Field Guide
By Mark W. Lockwood. University of Texas Press. 416pp. Index. $22.95.
This excellent effort joins a growing list of useful and interesting books on Texas birds. The plot is as predictable as any standard guide, but the story is well done, and Southwestern species are represented. This volume takes a close look at 184 common or specialty birds of the 629 species known to visit Texas. Most of the photos are helpful, the maps are indicative, and the information sufficient to inspire early morning outings. With luck, we’ll eventually have such guides for each state and province. [Bill Broyles]
Between Two Countries: a History of Coronado Memorial
By Bruce A. Erickson, Jerry L. Gurule, Joseph P. Sanchez. Rio Grande Books. 360pp. Index. $19.95.
Though this concerns the history of the creation of a National Monument, this could be about the wondrous ways in which the United States Congress gets things done. The creation of a Coronado International Memorial was first conceived in 1939. Congress established the Coronado National Memorial in 1952. The original idea was to have a really international site on both sides of the border, but that stalled for a number of reasons. Next, where should it be? There was not agreement on where Coronado crossed the border. Problems appeared in obtaining property; landowners wanted to retain grazing rights, developers worried about mineral rights, the local population worried about environmental aspects,and then bureaucrats were added to the stew of indecision. Senator Carl Hayden was a major player in all this, which he brought to a satisfactory conclusion. [Patricia Etter]
Billy the Kid Reader, The
By Frederick Nolan. University of Oklahoma Press. 400pp. Index. Criminals and Outlaws Series. $29.95 cloth.
Twenty-six articles, many of them obscure or hard to find, chart the rise of the Kid's legend from the earliest dime novel and then chronicle high points in grass-roots research, providing glimpses of the person behind the myth. Nolan, a leading authority on Billy the Kid and New Mexico's Lincoln County War, has produced a provocative and entertaining look at one of the Old West's enduring icons, while pointing the way toward new scholarly inquiry. [Bruce Dinges]
Billy the Kid: the Endless Ride
By Michael Wallis. W.W.Norton & Co.. 288pp. Index. $25.95.
Like creasing a new cowboy hat, fans of Billie the Kid fashion the Kid’s legend to suit themselves. In this amazingly thorough biography, Michael Wallis rounds up every stray bit of information he can corral and spins the bits into a saleable, readable herd. For most subjects, this book would be ample, summary recognition, but Western readers will keep legends alive long after the man and facts have died. For newcomers wishing to learn what the commotion is about, Wallis’s book is the only horse they’ll need. [Bill Broyles]
Brave New West: Morphing Moab at the Speed of Greed
By , Jim Stiles. University of Arizona Press. 260pp. $19.95.
Ed Abbey casts a long shadow in cartoonist, independent newspaper editor, and ex-park ranger Stiles's irreverent chronicle of this southern Utah community's trajectory from uranium-mining boom to bust, and back again as a recreational tourism mecca. Part memoir, part lampoon, and part jeremiad, Stiles's book offers serious lessons for Moab and other Western communities on the brink of being loved to death. [Bruce Dinges]
Here is a delightful read -- but there is much more to the story. Moab, Utah, a small town encased in Ed Abby's fabulous wilderness of red sandstone bluffs, buttes, and arches, was on the road to obscurity until it became a destination. Now, the tourist economy has changed the town forever, making one wonder if success was worth it all. [Patricia Etter]
Broken and Reset: Selected Poems 1966 to 2006
By V.B. Price. University of New Mexico Press. 388pp. . $29.95.
These poems represent 40-years of writing by Vincent Barrett Price, who resides in New Mexico. Settings spill beyond the Southwest and topics include death, landscapes, people and places. Especially effective are verses from the “Chaco Trilogy.” Sample lines include “…mind bones… / carcass stones / of how ideas / shape themselves through matter” (from “Traces,” page 238) and “Change / is divine / exercise” (from “Time’s Common Sense,” page 245). Another favorite is “Whitman I,” applying Walt’s style to irrigation ditches near Albuquerque with lines like “ditch walk, heart talk, / turtle water, water bark” (page 348). A satisfying collection by an author who carries an admirable secret that I’ll leave for you to discover. [Bill Broyles]
Burro's Tortillas
By Terri Fields. Sylvan Dell Publishing. pp. $15.95.
"...a little burro saw that the corn had grown very tall. And right away, he thought, TORTILLAS!" So begins Burro's quest to make a batch of warm, delicious tortillas, and to coax his reluctant friends to help out. Author Terri Fields serves up a clever version of the traditional "Little Red Hen" tale, with a southwestern twist. She and illustrator Sherry Rogers humorously recount Burro's cooking efforts, as well as Bobcat, Coyote, and Jackrabbit's "reasons" for not pitching in. Will Burro share his tortillas? You'll have to read and find out! You can also match Burro's industriousness and make your own tortillas by following the recipe at the story's end. A history of corn, and a Spanish/English vocabulary list are also included. [Cathy Jacobus]
Captain J.A. Brooks: Texas Ranger
By Paul N. Spellman. University of North Texas Press. 272pp. Index. $24.95.
Texas Rangers were a tough breed, and Brooks was one of the best and considered one of the four great captains of the force. He was quick on the draw and could count his battles by scars and lost fingers. He ultimately was elected to a desk job as a county judge. Here is a good way to brush up on aspects of frontier history including the St. John murder trial in "Hanging Judge" Isaac Parker's Fort Smith court. [Patricia Etter]
Changing Light
By Nora Gallagher. Pantheon Books. 240pp. $$22.00. F.
Gallagher wrestles with eternal questions of love, faith, and moral responsibility in this elegantly written novel set in northern New Mexico in the final days of the Los Alamos project. In March of 1945, painter Eleanor Garrigue finds Leo Kavan, a Czech physicist, lying insensible in the outdoors and takes him home. Her action sets in motion a story of love and discovery that ultimately examines the ethical dilemma posed by America's use of the atomic bomb. Although Gallagher occasionally succumbs to the temptation to explain rather than show, she largely succeeds in framing a complex moral debate in eminently human terms. [Bruce Dinges]
Condors in Canyon Country: the Return of the California Condor to the Grand Canyon Region
By Sophie A. H. Osborn. Grand Canyon Association. 149pp. Index. $18.95.
Whoever said that rock singer Little Richard was so ugly that he was handsome had not yet met condors. At first glance only their mother could love them, but they have become the darlings of Grand Canyon tourists. This book is the ultimate campfire talk about condors by an ornithologist who spent 4 years feeding chicks, recording their soaring flights, and incubating eggs. She also had the sad duty of recovering carcasses of birds killed by bullets, coyotes, and dumb luck. The photos are outstanding and give a little ummph and personality to these unlikely but likeable birds. You’ll never think of condors the same. Nor ornithologists. [Bill Broyles]
Cortina: Defending the Mexican Name in Texas
By Jerry Thompson. Texas A&M University Press. 332pp. Index. $32.50.
In this first full-blooded biography, Thompson traces the violent and convoluted career of the illiterate border caudillo who launched a war against Anglo-Texan entrepreneurs in 1859, fought in the internicine wars of the Mexican republic, and briefly ruled the north as governor of Tamaulipas before his downfall under President Porfirio Diaz. Juan Nepomucino Cortina emerges as an adept infighter, opportunist, and political survivor who remains today a symbol of "resistance to oppression and intolerance." Thompson shows us why. [Bruce Dinges]
Damming Grand Canyon: the 1923 USGS Colorado River Expedition
By Diane E. Boyer, Robert H. Webb. Utah State University Press. 289pp. Index. . $34.95.
In 1924 National Geographic ran a vivid adventure story about a US Geological Survey crew boating the Grand Canyon. Their purpose was to survey new dam sites, and they were a strong-willed, independent bunch who thrived on hardship and natural beauty, and loved the challenge of the rapids. Needless to say, their churning personalities had more falls, undercurrents, and eddies than the river itself. Now, eight decades later, we can read the rest of the story, as told in their diaries, letters, and later interviews. This seamlessly told book is as rousing as the original trip and is a wonderful contribution to Southwest literature and river lore. [Bill Broyles]
Deadly Dozen: Forgotten Gunfighters of the Old West, Volume 2
By Robert K. DeArment. University of Oklahoma Press. 416pp. Index. . $29.95.
Some were outlaws, some lawmen, some just psychopaths, but they all were handy with their pistols and killed at will. These are the 12 baddest gunmen you never head of--- Jim Moon, Jack Jolly, and Joel Fowler, for example, but DeArment has devoted years to rounding up an enormous amount of information (he has 67 pages of endnotes and citations) about these Old West gunfighters who for whatever reasons never gained wide fame (ignominious bully Ed Scarborough was publicly humiliated by a bicycle rider who ran him over and then stomped on him to the applause of bystanders). Most would do well to remain buried. Still, each chapter would make a fascinating episode for a TV serial. Only a few of the men are Southwestern. [Bill Broyles]
Death and Dying in New Mexico
By Martina Will de Chaparro. University of New Mexico Press. 261pp. Index. $29.95.
Here we learn that the actual act of burying the dead during Colonial times in New Mexico was not as important as ritual preparations for death. Some prestigious individuals were buried under the floors of various churches, but many more were interred helter-skelter in unmarked plots. Ultimately concern for public health shifted responsibility for burial from parish churches to the state with the formation of cemeteries. An important book to help understand the religious culture of early New Mexico. [Patricia Etter]
Death in the West
By Chris Becker. Northland Publishing. 209pp. $16.95.
This is an entertaining action book, filled with a series of well-told narratives of disasters, murders, outdoor adventures, dumb ideas, and pratfalls, some of them in the Southwest. Most of the stories take place on the Western frontier or contemporary wildlands. It all makes for riveting reading, much like the morning newspaper or driving past a car wreck. But as even the author recognizes in the book’s thoughtful afterword, so what? People die in a variety of ways, even in modern times and even in cities. Do we as a species learn from our mistakes? Apparently not. As individuals? Maybe. It is in the genre of Butch Farabee’s Death, Daring and Disaster or Michael Ghigleri and Tom Myers’ Death in Grand Canyon. To paraphrase Henny Youngman, “’Doctor, doctor, I get hurt when I do that.’ ‘Well don’t do that.’” An excellent book to read on the airplane, but not before your first skydiving jump. [Bill Broyles]
Descansos: the Sacred Landscape of New Mexico
By Joan E. Alessi. Fresco Fine Art Publications. 79pp. $45.00.
The author brings us color photos of roadside descansos in New Mexico. Descansos, called memorial crosses or cruzes de memorias in other parts of the Southwest, are in turns grim, defiant, and serene. Short essays by Art Gómez, Douglas A. Fairfield, and Sylvia Ann Grider are in both English and Spanish. Explaining these reminders of death as objects of art is interesting, but I’d rather know about the people they represent. Some of the descansos show remarkable personality with photos of the deceased, metal cutouts of motorcycles, and other tributes. And what about those saddened families and friends who maintain the sites and vigils? [Bill Broyles]
Dictionary of Jicarilla Apache=Abaachi Mizaa Ilkee Siijai
By Melissa Axelrod, Matilda Martinez, Maureen Olson, Wilma Phone. University of New Mexico Press. 492pp. $75.00.
The first edition of the Jicarilla Apache language, thirty years in the making, is a monumental work. It is a big step toward preserving a language that the tribe continues to speak during its ceremonies, but like other Native languages could have been on the brink of extinction. An introductory grammatical sketch contains sections on sounds and sound systems, parts of speech, verb structures, and more. Following sections are the Jicarilla Apache-to-English dictionary; the English-to-Jicarilla index; and the thematic lexicon. [Patricia Etter]
The Jicarilla Apache Nation is centered in Dulce, New Mexico, and tribal members speak Jicarilla, an Eastern Apache branch of Athabaskan. This wonderful contribution to language incorporates four sections: a grammatical sketch, phrase and texts discussion, Jicarilla Apache-to-English dictionary, and English-to-Jicarilla Apache index. Users and students may find the usage examples drawn from traditional Apache stories especially helpful and relevant. A sample entry is this: “ha’díbá’ts’iizee’í (n.). English: those who were thirsty. Examples: Ánhaskiyíí ha’díbá’ts’iizee’í kógaada’hizííná. : That old man gave water to those who were thirsty (Hoijer text 10).” This edition, written for and by the tribe, is admirable and significant. [Bill Broyles]
Dividing Western Waters: Mark Wilmer and Arizona v. California
By Jack L. August, Jr.. TCU Press. 172pp. Index. . $32.95 cloth.
A timely review of the Colorado River water compact and subsequent legal battles affecting millions of Southwest residents and their access to water. Jack August is a masterful researcher and makes a dull story come alive by focusing on negotiator Mark Wilmer. The book is a warning for our future: we have much to worry about, especially the plots and subplots behind water policy. The cover photo of Lower Fall of the Yellowstone River puzzles me, since the Yellowstone is not part of the Colorado watershed. [Bill Broyles]
Edward P. Dozier: the Paradox of the American Indian Anthropologist
By Marilyn Norcini. University of Arizona Press. 179pp. Index. . $45.00.
Edward Dozier, born in the Tewa Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico, was the first American Indian anthropologist, and the only American Indian professor until 1967. He mentored many students, one being Alfonso Ortiz of San Juan Pueblo, during his 20 year career. His early field work was among the headhunting Kalingas in the Philippines, published as the Kalinga of Norther Luzon, Philippines. He is mainly noted however, for his study of Pueblo Indian languages, which culminated in the comparative ethnology, The Pueblo Indians of North America. [Patricia Etter]
Frequently Asked Questions About Hummingbirds
By Rose Houk. Western National Parks Association. 20pp. 8.5" x 11" Saddle-stitched. $4.95.
Who doesn’t like hummingbirds? This energetic book brings quick answers to our basic questions about hummers, as well as gorgeous photos to our eyes. A fun book for young and old alike. [Bill Broyles]
Freshwater Fishes of Texas: a Field Guide
By Timothy H. Bonner, Chad Thomas, Bobby G. Whiteside. Texas A & M University Press. 202pp. Index. $23.00 .
As you might expect, relatively few of the Texas fish species are in the arid Southwest, but this dandy guide will help you either identify them by sight or by keying them out. Each species is portrayed for its range, habitat, characteristics, fin (ray and spine) counts, coloration, and special information such as abundance or special status. The illustrated glossary in the back is especially interesting. Although pitched to adults, it could also be used by kids to identify and understand what they see down at the swimming hole. [Bill Broyles]
From Texas to San Diego in 1851: the Overland Journal of Dr. S.W. Woodhouse, Surgeon-Naturalist of the Sitgreaves Expedition
By S. W. Woodhouse. Texas Tech University Press. 357pp. Index. $45.00.
In these previously unpublished diaries, Woodhouse records events and observations during the government-sponsored exploration of a southwestern wagon route from Texas to the Pacific Coast. Although his emphasis is on plants and animals, the Philadelphia physician also provides vivid portraits of frontiersmen, army officers, and native people and customs. Thanks to Wallace and Heavly's engaging narrative and detailed annotations, this important firsthand account of overland travel and scientific adventure will equally enlighten and entertain scholars and lay readers. Photos and lithographs, many in color, enhance the book's appeal. [Bruce Dinges]
Grand Obsession: Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of Grand Canyon
By Harvey Butchart, Elias Butler, Thomas M. Myers. Puma Press. 455pp. Index. $19.95.
By all accounts professor Harvey Butchart was a legendary hiking machine who explored remote reaches of the Grand Canyon, but apparently he had all the warmth and charm of a conveyor belt endlessly and mindlessly going from here to there, occasionally abandoning friends and students along the way. He had many adventures in his obsessive quests. The book itself is very well told, an exceptional piece of research. Judge for yourself. [Bill Broyles]
Great Houses of Chaco, The
By John Martin Campbell, Katherine Kallestad, David E. Stuart, Thomas C . Windes. University of New Mexico Press. 150pp. Index. $27.95.
These are not only great houses, but 13 monumental works of art built at the bottom of Chaco Canyon beginning about AD 860. Best known is Pueblo Bonito with its precise stone masonry. A study of the architecture however, shows change over time and archaeologists have defined several types of masonry employed by the builders. One chapter is devoted to the Great House Society. Photographer John Campbell provides 55 outstanding black and white plates with a personal goal that every part of the photograph will be in focus. One can only stand in wonderment at these grand works built so long ago with the most primitive of tools. [Patricia Etter]
Healthy Southwest Table, The
By Janet E. Taylor. Rio Nuevo Publishers. 223pp. Index. $24.95.
This is for those who enjoy the flavor of the Southwest without the calories and the cholesterol. Here are smoothies, quesadillas created from whole-grained tortillas; enchiladas filled with salmon/asparagus topped with sauce and a sprinkle of goat cheese;a variety of salads; and guilt-free desserts. [Patricia Etter]
Hip to the Trip: a Cultural History of Route 66
By Peter B Dedek. University of New Mexico Press. 169pp. $19.95.
Can't get away from it; Route 66 is a cultural icon. And from 1926 until 1985, when it officially closed, it carried thousands from Chicago to Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Each state has its own story. Though segments of the road remain, this book is the best way to relive the history of the route as a transportation corridor along with the people who used it for recreation and for migration. It also packs in information on the architecture, cafes, Indians and the promotion of the west. [Patricia Etter]
Home Land: Ranching and a West that Works
By Richard L Knight, Jeff Lee, Laura Pritchett. Rocky Mountain Land Library/Johnson Books. 217pp. $17.00.
Some 18 authors have contributed essays, poetry, and fiction, which focuses on the sustainability of ranch land, mainly in the Northwest, and particularly Colorado. The Southwest is represented by rancher and poet Drum Hadley. One wishes however, that he had contributed notes about the success of the Animas Foundation in southwest New Mexico, that tries to balance preservation of the environment with working ranches of the area. [Patricia Etter]
Hopi and Pueblo Tiles: an Illustrated History
By Kim Messier, Pat Messier. Rio Nuevo Publishers. 88pp. Index. $14.95.
It is believed that artisans in the New Mexico and Hopi pueblos have been producing tiles or plaques out of slabs of clay since the 1890s. These can take the shape of a bird, a pot, a square or rectangle, only limited to the creativity of the maker. Nampeyo was one who painted and fired decorative tiles and the tradition is carried on by a great-great-granddaughter. This little volume is liberally illustrated with examples of this decorative art. [Patricia Etter]
Hopi Summer: Letters from Ethel to Maud
By Carolyn O'Bagy Davis. Rio Nuevo Publishers. 160pp. $15.95.
Cary and Maude Melville took a memorable nine-month automobile trip in 1927, and encamped for a time on First Mesa. During this time, Maude in particular, formed a close friendship with Hopi Ethel Muchvo, and the two women corresponded for years until trachoma caused Ethel's blindness. This is a lovely and moving story of a Pueblo woman in transition that reflects life on the mesa during the 1930s. Included are rare photographs, which author, Davis, recently identified with the help of Hopi descendents. [Patricia Etter]
I am the Grand Canyon: the Story of the Havasupai People
By Stephen Hirst. Grand Canyon Association. 276pp. Index. $18.95.
Here is a third edition, formerly published as Life in a Narrow Place (1976) and People of the Blue Green Water (1985). There is a new Preface and Acknowledgment section and chapter contents appear to be reprinted from earlier editions. Eighteen very nice color photographs, taken by the author's wife in the mid-70s enhance this edition. One might wish, however, that the author had updated the Havasupai story to 2007. [Patricia Etter]
Imaginary Line, The: a History of the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, 1848-1857
By Joseph Richard Werne. Texas A&M University Press. 255pp. Index. $34.95.
Historian Werne taps previously unavailable achival records to produce the most complete and detailed account to date of the survey parties that established the U.S.-Mexico boundary. Readers share the tedium of negotiations between the two countries, while marveling at the penury, incompetence, petty bickering, and occasional heroism that produced the "imaginary line" both nations still agonize over in the twenty-first century. [Bruce Dinges]
Today the US border with Mexico is contentious, unsafe, and much-discussed, a sore point between two neighbors. A wall is being built between two supposedly friendly countries. That same border, la linea, was surveyed a century and a half ago and marked by tall steel or masonry cairns. This book does an admirable job of bringing together the personal and technical stories of both the American and Mexican teams of surveyors who endured extreme heat, swarms of insects, political intrigue, diverted budgets, and fatiguing distances. It is the most readable account to date and brings fresh material from Mexican archives and personal papers. [Bill Broyles]
In the Sierra Madre
By Jeff Biggers. University of Illinois Press. 184pp. Index. $25.95.
Journalist Biggers chronicles a year spent among the Raramuri (Tarahumara) in the remote mountains of northern Mexico. A careful observer and an enthusiastic student of history, he provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of indigenous people dealing with the encroachment of the modern world, while also ruminating on the lure of the Sierra Madre for an international cast of characters from the novelist B. Traven to Geronimo, Henry O. Flipper, and Emilio Kosterlitsky. Biggers'story of his trip, with novelist Alfredo Vea Jr., to locate Upton Sinclair's McCarthy-era hideout in Buckeye, Arizona, is a classic. [Bruce Dinges]
It’s OK to think of this fine book as Treasure of the Sierra Madre Revisited, only this time we find the real treasures—people, scenery, life moments—instead of the corrosive gold that B. Traven warned us against. Jeff Biggers travels among the region’s Mexicans, Tarahumaras, and Mennonites, to reveal a wider cast of people than we imagined. The area is downright rich in activity and lore, and Biggers capably shares his keen observations and masterful scholarship, allowing us to keep the “gold.” [Bill Broyles]
Indian Country: Sacred Ground, Native Peoples
By John Annerino. Countryman Press. 127pp. Index. . $29.95.
This splendid book looks at the majestic Southwest homelands of the Apache, Seri, O’odham, Navajo and Hopi. These lands are “hallowed ground that, against all odds, still resonates with the mythical spirits of the people and the place” (page 21). Stirring portraits of shaman Melvin Deer, young Wanda Smith, and code talker Eddie Draper are contrasted with craggy sacred peaks, cryptic petroglyphs, ceremonies, and games. I find strength and inspiration on every page. [Bill Broyles]
Interred with their Bones
By Jennifer Lee Carrell. Dutton. 416pp. . $25.95. F.
Southern Arizona holds the key to this fast-paced thriller that leads Shakespearean scholar Kate Stanley from London's reconstructed Globe Theater to Harvard's Widener Library to the Cedar City, Utah, Shakespearean Festival, to Shakespeare, New Mexico, to Spain, and back again in pursuit of a diabolical killer who dispatches his victims in bard-like fashion. Tucsonan Carrell, herself a Shakespeare expert, weaves a thoroughly entertaining mystery around the enduring debate over Shakespeare's origins and the authorship of his plays. [Bruce Dinges]
Land So Strange, A: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca
By Andres Resendez. Basic Books. 314pp. Index. Extensive notes.. $26.95 .
This saga is North America’s version of Ulysses' epic voyage. Spaniards sailing the Caribbean in 1528 are shipwrecked. Four survivors, led by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, wander through the Southwest until being rescued in 1536. Sometimes they were slaves, sometimes medicine men, but their adventures and observations make sterling reading even today. The story never ages, and scholar Andrés Reséndez crisply recounts their remarkable tale. On television this would be a Shogun-length epic series. The book is time well-spent. [Bill Broyles]
Legend and Lore of the Guadalupe Mountains
By W. C. Jameson. University of New Mexico Press. 157pp. $16.95.
J. Frank Dobie's tales of lost mines and buried treasure in the Guadalupes of West Texas captivated this author, so he set out to learn everything he could about the area. He also spent hours in local cafes listening to the stories of residents, who often told of strange happenings mysterious graves and long lost mines. Here are 20 vignettes that should delight he recreational reader. [Patricia Etter]
Letters from Tucson, 1925-1927
By Ethel G. Stiffler. Roger E. Carpenter. 208pp. This volume is self-published--there is no publishing house of record.. $24.95.
A wonderful collection of letters and photographs describing life in and around Tucson through the wide-eyes of a twenty-six-year-old University of Arizona botony instructor during the tenure of controversial UA president Cloyd Heck Marvin. [Bruce Dinges]
Living Through the Generations: Continuity and Change in Navajo Women's Lives
By Joanne McCloskey. University of Arizona Press. 228pp. Index. $24.95.
The author interviewed some 77 Navajo women representing three generations at or near Crownpoint, New Mexico. She describes how these women were challenged to adapt to changes in a changing world yet retain important aspects of Navajo culture and world view. A good study. [Patricia Etter]
Lone Star Lawmen: the Second Century of the Texas Rangers
By Robert M. Utley. Oxford University Press. 400pp. Index. $30.00.
Utley's companion volume to Lone Star Justice, features Texas Ranger activities during the 20th century. The tradition began in the 1830s when they were known as citizen soldiers serving on the Texas frontier, later to become full-time lawmen, either idolized or abominated. The stories are every bit as exciting as a great mystery except that they are true. Hold on to the edge of your seat as you relive the capture of Bonnie and Clyde, follow the saga of the Branch Davidians, then track the rangers as they pursue bank robbers, track down smugglers, close gambling halls, and smash up illegal stills. Included in this winning read, are biographies of the lawmen. [Patricia Etter]
Lore and Legend: Adventure and History in the White Mountains of Arizona
By JoAnn F. Hatch. Kymera Publishing. 163pp. Index. $14.95.
The author states outright that this is for the general reader and not the scholar. Not true. Just about everyone can enjoy these vignettes, which the author has recorded over the years. There are indeed some interesting characters who have inhabited the White Mountains, both bad guys and good guys, with some tall tales thrown in. [Patricia Etter]
Massacre at Camp Grant: Forgetting and Remembering Apache History
By Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh. University of Arizona Press. 159pp. $17.95.
In this slender but passionately argued book, anthropologist Colwell-Chanthaphonh examines the uses and abuses of history through the prism of the 1871 massacre on the banks of Aravaipa Creek of Apache women and children by a party of Anglo-Americans, Hispanics, and Tohono O'odham. Scholars and college-level students, in particular, will appreciate his use of documentary sources and native oral tradition to shape an encompassing view of what happened that day, and his application of philosophical and historiographical theory in a plea for remembrance and "restorative justice" for past wrongs. [Bruce Dinges]
Memories of Cibola: Stories from New Mexico Villages
By Abe Pena. Rio Grande Books. 217pp. Index. $21.75.
Here are stories, many collected from oral recollections of Hispanic people in six locales in northern New Mexico: Seboyeta, San Mateo, San Rafael, Grants, Navajoland, and Cibola. Well told and readable, we learn about the social event around the slaughter of a pig; Casimiro, the goldsmith; the saga of Nicholas, who killed a bear to save his sheep; dance halls, the center of village life; Isadoro Solis, who repainted crosses in the San Rafael Cemetery--whenever he could afford a can of paint. [Patricia Etter]
Mexican Light: Healthy Cuisine for Today's Cook
By Kris Rudolph. University of North Texas Press. 223pp. Index. $17.95.
Here's a winner for those that love Mexican food but must keep a sharp eye out for fat and carbohydrates. They are all tasty and most can be prepared in minutes. Nicely laid out, and a bonus is that it is presented in both Spanish and English. [Patricia Etter]
Mimbres Society
By Patricia A. Gilman, Valli S. Powell-Marti. University of Arizona Press. 213pp. Index. $50.00.
Here is an interesting approach to analyzing artifacts from archaeological sites, in this case, the Mimbres people of New Mexico. Eight scholars have contributed theories of defining social structure through the study of sites and remains. One particularly creative approach is the study of the unique designs on the pottery with an attempt to recognize the work of individual artists. One only wishes they used a greater variety of designs to reach conclusions. [Patricia Etter]
Mosquitoes of New Mexico, The
By Lewis T. Nielsen, Theodore A. Wolff. University of New Mexico Press. 114pp. $49.95.
Few of us let a mosquito land on our arms long enough to let it bite, let alone put it under a microscope to identify the species. But if we did, we‘d see a host of differences and we’d pull this well-done manual off the shelf to key out the nomenclature. New Mexico has nine genera and 58 species, numbers probably similar to neighboring areas. Though written for serious entomologists, we all can learn from it: not all species bite humans; some can breed without standing water; some are newcomers and some are long-time residents; and some may even be beneficial. However, several species carry West Nile virus, Western equine encephalitis, or St. Louis encephalitis. The book’s 255 drawings will allow you to key out the minutia of species and subspecies, and a section of species accounts is of general interest, providing information on mosquito biology and distribution. Know thy enemy. [Bill Broyles]
Native American Life-history Narratives: Colonial and Postcolonial Navajo Ethnography
By Susan Berry, Brill de Ramírez. University of New Mexico Press. 257pp. Index. $34.95 .
This is not a book for the casual reader though it gives us plenty to think about when reading early ethnography and oral histories, not only from the Navajo but other cultures as well. The point being made is that early ethnographers let colonial views sneak into their work. The author uses Son of Old Man Hat as an example to show that once the story was translated it lost some of its accuracy and when the ethnographer rewrote or eliminated sections that he perceived were not important the biography was completely changed. [Patricia Etter]
Native Americans of Arizona
By Paul and Kathleen Nickens. Arcadia Publishing. 128pp. $19.99.
Some 225 postcard images from the authors' collection, early 1900s, were likely taken to promote Arizona's tourism by featuring the Navajo, Hopi, Western Apache, Yavapai, the Colorado River tribes and more. The authors include a list of 21 federally recognized tribes in Arizona (the state lists 22 - a tiny part of the Zuni reservation in northern Arizona), along with a brief sketch of each tribe. The photographs are pretty fabulous. [Patricia Etter]
While most of the postcard photos shot by early photographers are posed, touristy, and hokey, some actually give accurate or even sympathetic portrayals of real Indians doing real things. This book reproduces 225 archival postcards of Arizona’s diverse tribes. The captions are a bit mundane--- but postcards typically give editors little information to go on, and we could wish for information on the photographers themselves, but still this respectful little book reveals sides of Arizona’s Native Americans that many of us should know. It’s too bad that Indians didn’t have their own cameras. [Bill Broyles]
New Mexico: A Biographical Dictionary 1540-1980 Volume 1
By Don Bullis. Rio Gande Books. 295pp. Index. $32.95.
This first volume promises to be a great research tool and also fun to read. so far, Bullis has assembled an interesting cast of characters including the Spanish, Mexicans, Pueblo people, and the Americans who took over in 1846. Photographs are included when available. I've found numerous omissions; hopefully these will fill several more volumes. One goal should be to make this available online so that new additions can be made regularly without waiting for the next edition to come out. [Patricia Etter]
Not a Drop to Drink: America's Water Crisis (And What You Can Do)
By Kenneth Midkiff. New World Library. 212pp. Index. . $14.95.
In the East, once abundant water supplies are now falling below demand. In the West, where water has always been scarce, the fortunes spent on dams and aqueducts cannot keep up with population growth. Major groundwater sources that have sustained this growth are drying up all over the country. A top expert discusses our nation's looming water crisis, with considerable attention to the parched and highly vulnerable Southwest. This situation is clearly not sustainable. Midkiff's well-written book is an important wake-up call for anyone who cares about the future. [Paul Huddy]
Pulp Writer: Twenty Years in the American Grub Street
By Paul S. Powers. University of Nebraska Press. 274pp. Index. Booklist Starred Review. $19.95.
If this book had more than just a few pages on the Southwest, Pulp Writer would have made my top eight of the year, both for its insights into writing and for its riveting style. It is an exceptionally well-told story with universal appeal. [Bill Broyles]
Range of Light: Poems
By Catharine Savage Brosman. Louisiana State University Press. 62pp. . $17.95.
In these 45 poems about the West, Catherine Savage Brosman has some lovely descriptions and sensitive reflections. Titles range from “Cholla” to “Snow in Taos” to “Kachinas.” For example, from one titled “Dust Devil,” she writes “What is life? A moment’s / turbulence, a body borrowed by wind--- / or deep soil, pools where sun is sieved, and weirs / to hold the run-off, channeling its spirit / into grain and blades of grass and green ideas?” About half of the poems are about the Southwest. [Bill Broyles]
Sandhills Boy: The Winding Trail of a Texas Writer
By Elmer Kelton. Forge. 264pp. $23.95.
Kelton, the dean of western fiction writers, takes a gentle and nostalgic look back on his depression-era West Texas ranching childhood, WWII service, and newspaper career, leading to popular and critical acclaim as a prolific chronicler of frontier life. Readers will come away with a reminder of Kelton's considerable talent as a storyteller and an appreciation of the world that shaped him. [Bruce Dinges]
Savage Detectives, The
By Roberto Bolano, Natasha Wimmer. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 592pp. $27.00. F.
The late Chilean writer skewers pretension in this first English translation of his 1998 novel describing a 1970s' Mexico City guerrilla literary movement. Much of the story is told through the eyes of dozens of characters who come in contact with the movement's last survivors as they roam the globe. A pilgrimage to northern Sonora in seach of a mythic poetess provides the novel's Southwestern connection. It doesn't require a Ph.D. in Latin American literature to appreciate Bolanos' artistry and wicked sense of humor. [Bruce Dinges]
Savage Frontier: Rangers, Riflemen, and Indian Wars in Texas, 1840-1841
By Stephen L. Moore. University of North Texas Press. 448pp. Index. $19.95.
A main goal in 1840s Texas was to rid the state of its Indian population, and it pretty well succeeded, due in part to the state's Texas Rangers. This volume focuses on the evolution of the rangers and details their numerous battles and all-out wars with the Native people. The author has also included the names of hundreds of rangers along with their captains. The research is exhaustive, but if one likes happy endings, this one is not for you. [Patricia Etter]
Shaman and the Water Serpent, The
By Jennifer Dewey. University of New Mexico Press. 33pp. $16.95.
This satisfying picture book opens a window on Ancient Puebloan life. Read aloud, it has the power to turn the reader into a storyteller. With simple, evocative language, Jennifer Owings Dewey transports us to a time when hunters sing to the spirits of their prey, all members of society play a crucial role, the land is honored, and life-giving rain is the province of shamans and serpents. A fact-filled introduction highlights aspects of Ancient Puebloan culture crucial to the story. Black and white illustrations by Benton Yazzie complement the text well. His sinuous water serpent winds its way through the pages -- a reminder that, for desert dwellers then and now, the story is about rain. [Cathy Jacobus]
Signs of the Casas Grandes Shamans
By Christine S. VanPool, Todd L. VanPool. University of Utah Press. 164pp. Index. $35.00.
The authors have studied pottery from Paquime at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, and along with prodigious research of past literature, including that of DiPeso and Woolsey, to show the importance of shamanism to world view. It is well illustrated with pottery designs to show that various creatures bring supernatural powers, such as the horned serpents to bring rain, snakes that held vast powers, and the sacrifice and ritual burials of macaws to ensure fertility. A scholarly book. [Patricia Etter]
Sometimes the Blues: the Letters and Diaries of Frank Hammon, a Lonely Frontiersman in Globe and Phoenix, 1882-1889
By Susan Clardy, Frank Malcolm Hammon. Arizona Historical Society. 313pp. Index. $55.01.
Susan Clardy has indeed brought her great-great-grandfather to life as she reconstructs a history of Globe, Arizona between 1882 and 1889, and through his meagre diary entries and family correspondence. Frank Hammond was a very ordinary man who made a living as a miner, rancher, and assistant in the sheriffs office, and wherever else he could find work. But whether he knew it or not, Hammond was surrounded by and in touch with many who had their place in Arizona history such as the Apache Kid, the Tewksburys, George W. P. Hunt, and more. Clardy's prodigious research has resulted in a different kind of history book, and is a delight to read. [Patricia Etter]
Still Water Saints: a Novel
By Alex Espinoza. Random House. 242pp. $23.95. F.
Espinosa has fashioned a Latino "Our Town" in this first novel, set in a small Southern California community beseiged by the modern world. Curandera Perla Portillo is the lodestar for a cast of characters set adrift in society, who come to the Botanica Oshun for wisdom, guidance, and ancient potions to help them overcome problems large and small. Ultimately, Perla is too slightly drawn to hold together the sub-plots swirling around her. But, even so, Espinosa shows great promise as he deftly guides readers through an imaginative and engaging world. [Bruce Dinges]
Tascosa: Its Life and Gaudy Times
By Frederick W. Nolan. Texas Tech University Press. 361pp. Index. . $39.95.
English writer and researcher Nolan combines stories of colorful personalities (Charles Goodnight, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, etc.) with solid local history and dozens of rare photographs to recreate the rip-roaring heyday and sudden demise of the Texas town that was once known as "the cowboy capital of the Panhandle." This entertaining and informative book will satisfy scholars as well as general readers. [Bruce Dinges]
Tascosa is a town no more, but oh, what a history it has had. It grew up in the bluffs of the Canadian River in the Texas Panhandle. Known as the Cowboy Capital of the West, it was far from anywhere and soon became a favorite hiding place for killers, horse thieves, gamblers, shooters, the works. Billy the Kid was known to spend time there rustling cattle. Ultimately the town disappeared under the dust of the desert. Some time in 1915, Cal Farley built Boys' Ranch in the area and created a learning environment for underprivileged young people. The gaudy days of the past are now forgotten except for this very fine and well-researched book. A fine read. [Patricia Etter]
Tastes and Treasures: a Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona
By Historical League (Arizona) . Historical League. 207pp. Index. $24.95.
Whether one likes to cook or not, this elegantly produced book should be on the shelves of those who collect Arizoniana. Included are recipes from Arizona's historic inns -- the Hassayampa, El Tovar, La Posada, and the Arizona Inn. An added treat is the addition of recipes from some of Arizona's "Historymakers": Rose Mofford, Barry Goldwater Erma Bombeck, John Rhodes, and Polly Rosenbaum. [Patricia Etter]
Texas Towns and the Art of Architecture: a Photographer's Journey
By Richard Payne. Texas State HIstorical Association. 151pp. $49.95.
Without doubt, Texans are proud of their past and are concerned with preserving evidence of its history--in this case, a photographic survey of small Texas towns. Sadly, the images may be the only form of preservation for deteriorating buildings, which include the remains of structures that were once vital to the active life in the towns. [Patricia Etter]
Time of Grace: Thoughts on Nature, Family, and the Politics of Crime and Punishment
By Ken Lamberton. University of Arizona Press. 230pp. .
John Burroughs Medal winner Lamberton blends eloquent nature writing with personal observations of prison life in this third and final installment of his memoir of twelve years spent behind barbed wire. Covering the final four years of his incarceration (after being released and then returned to serve out his term), Lamberton's thoughtful and emotionally measured account chronicles the friendships and daily routines that make life bearable behind bars and describes the absurdities of prison administration. Most compelling is Lamberton's accounting of the heavy toll incarceration exacts from prisoners' families. [Bruce Dinges]
Tree of Smoke
By Denis Johnson. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 614pp. $27.50. F.
In this remarkable novel, Johnson explores the folly of the Vietnam War and the searing of the American soul through the experiences of a young psychological operations officer and two Phoenix brothers, all of whom are plunged into a world where reality and illusion are turned topsy-turvy. [Bruce Dinges]
Very Hard Way, The: Bert Loper and the Colorado River
By Brad Dimock. Fretwater Press. 456pp. Index. $17.95.
A must read for river runners, this full account of Bert Loper’s life and times between Green River and the Grand Canyon is more than an adventure tale. It portrays the back-breaking, spirit-whipping life lead by many Western settlers as they struggled from meal to meal and day to day. Dimock’s work is thoroughly researched and exceptionally well-presented. Loper was an interesting, honest man who died on his own terms, paddling his own boat—one he built with his own hands-- on the river he had lived near for most of his life. [Bill Broyles]
Walk, The
By William Eno DeBuys. Trinity University Press. 151pp. $22.95.
A beautiful story, straight from the heart. deBuys has walked along the same path for years, each time, a walk of discovery, growth and renewal. [Patricia Etter]
What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest
By Susan Wittig Albert. University of Texas Press. 316pp. Index. . $19.95.
I found this to be a very nice read from the Story Circle Network. Close to 100 women are writing about some of the meaningful experiences in their lives. Here are familiar voices such as Luci Tapahanso, Janice Emily Bowers, Barbara Kingsolver, Ann Zwinger, and more. The topics are as varied as the writers who explore their world through poetry, memoir and non-fiction. [Patricia Etter]
White Dove, The: A Celebration of Father Kino
By Jane Candia Coleman. High Plains Press. 96pp. Poetry of the American West Series. $12.95.
Coleman imagines in verse the inner life of 17th-century Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino. These elegantly crafted poems speak volumes about faith and curiosity, nature and religion, and man and woman's places in the cosmos. Once again, Coleman demonstrates her ability to make poetry accessible, even compelling, for general readers. [Bruce Dinges]
World in Pancho's Eye, The
By J.P.S. Brown. University of New Mexico Press. 286pp. $24.95. F.
Brown, whose classic novels Forests of the Night, Jim Kane, and The Outfit describe the world of the twentieth-century cowboy in southern Arizona and northern Mexico, turns inward in this autobiographical story of a boy growing up in the depression-era Southwest. Craving the affection of both his whiskey-drinking father and his high-strung mother fed up with her husband's careless lifestyle, Mikey learns to fend for himself on the range and in a Santa Fe boarding school, where he suffers abuse and finds liberation in boxing. Through it all he holds fast to a world he glimpsed in the eye of his favorite horse, Pancho. Brown's many fans will welcome an old friend, while newcomers will discover one of the borderlands' defining writers. [Bruce Dinges]
Yellowcake
By Ann Cummins. Houghton Mifflin Co.. 303pp. $24.00. F.
In this promising debut novel set on the Navajo reservation, a warmly drawn cast of characters deal with love, loss, forgiveness, and the lingering effects of uranium mining in the Four Corners region. What could have turned into a polemic in the hands of a lesser writer is instead a subtle, and much more devastating, portrait of Anglo and Native American men and women struggling to survive in the face of catastrophe. [Bruce Dinges]
Zion Canyon: A Storied Land
By Greer K. Chesher. University of Arizona Press. 79pp. $14.95 paper.
Former ranger and park naturalist, Greer Chester, has experienced Zion National Park as no other. There are many Zions in this "land that sings," the geographic Zion, the biotic Zion, the scientific Zion, the cultural Zion, and the geologic Zion. There are Zions we will never see because an adventurous spirit, rock climbing experience, and survival skills are a requirement. She passes on a spine-tingling story of a narrow escape from one of the notorious floods that seem to come from nowhere to take up everything in its path. This is one of the books in the Desert Series. [Patricia Etter]