New Mexico Books

Quite useful as a refference for writing papers of post-graduate level. Compact book, but amount of information contained is enough to surprise you. Easy to read, especially if you have some background of knowledge related to this field.

If you grew up gobbling down books about inspiring, independent women with pioneer spirit, you will enjoy reading this loving and learned biography of the author's grandmother born in 1865. Ms. Litz' research fleshes out the economic and social circumstances only slightly apparent in the books of our youth. Lillian Weston Hazen was a successful syndicated columnist in New York City in the late 1900s when she married a promising, rich Dartmouth graduate. The Depression of 1893 bankrupted them and dried up job prospects in the East. The only position her husband could find was bookkeeper for a mining company in a rough frontier town called Gilt Edge near Lewistown, Montana. Despite tremendous physical hardships and economic setbacks, they made a life for themselves and a surviving son where many were ground down and dropped out. Despite heavy ranch labor, Lillian carved out time to write and published in Scribners and some farming journals. Her lasting legacy will turn out to be the trunk of diaries and clippings that Joyce Litz found in 1949 following her death.

This is a fine collection of 86 black-and-white photographs taken by photographer Joanne Berghold at small town rodeos around Montana in the 1990s and early 2000s. Unlike the commercialized rodeo to be seen in today's PRCA circuit, these local rodeos capture the spirit of the sport as it emerged in the early 20th century -- a family-oriented affair that brought the whole rural community together for a once-a-year celebration. Look at these pictures, and what you often see instead of covered bleachers and flashy corporate sponsor billboards is a wire arena fence with trucks and cars pulled up to it and open prairie or hills beyond. The parking lot is grass-covered, and horse trailers are parked under the trees.

The opening images set the tone of the book -- gravel roads with grass and weeds right to the edges, leading to a low horizon, where clouds drift in a big sky, a veil of rain falling into a distant mountain ridge. Then in the photographs that follow there's the contrasting activity of small town life, strung out along a treeless main street, and the gathering of people at the rodeo grounds.

A cowboy in black hat, wranglers and spurs checks out the draw for the events posted on the side of a trailer, a young girl practices roping a hay bale, hats are placed over hearts in the grandstands and in the crow's nest for the Pledge of Allegiance, horses in the dusty light move into a holding pen, a cowboy bows his head in prayer on the top rail of a chute over a saddled bronc, riders one after another take spills off bucking rough stock. The arena itself may be dusty dirt or waterlogged mud. A roper waits, eyes set in concentration, a piggin string clamped in his mouth under a full mustache; a young bulldogger skids boots first in the dirt, his arms locked around the horns of a calf. There are team ropers, barrel racers, young bull riders taping up, and bullfighters in clown makeup. In the end, buckles are awarded to the winners, cowboys head out with war bags over their shoulders, and horses move up loading chutes into a trailer.

The book is a tribute to a western tradition and way of life, still close to its roots in the workaday world of ranchers and cowboys. It includes an essay by Kim Zupan, a gifted writer and former rough-stock rider. All photos were taken in Montana in rural small towns like Boulder, Belt, Wilsall, and Roundup.

Absolutely love this book. I have been searching for this book for about a year. Though it is out of print, I now own a beautiful piece of history. Looking forward to reading more about it.

Consider the following:
--In the 1990s, my mother was an Earthwatch volunteer on three different Incan projects. On the recommended reading list for each was this book.
--In 2006, my Peruvian guide said she had been tempted to give me a nudge as I leaned over a Machu Picchu guardrail to snap a picture. "Hand me this book again only when we're on flat ground," she advised, only partly in jest.
--In the two years I've been tracking it, rarely have I seen a used copy of the paperback for under $65.

Anyone who tries to find in-depth information about most of the 14 monuments covered in this book--originally published in 1982, reprinted in 1990--will quickly discover why it is still so sought after. (See the first comment for brief descriptions of the 14.)

Nor does one have to get too far into the text for other reasons to become immediately apparent, for included in each chapter are descriptions of the site/monument and the specifics about its construction that are so clear that I do not even have to look at the photographs to recall all I saw. Equally well explained is what is known/unknown as well as theories now discredited.

What makes this book so special, however, is the historical background Hemming weaves into his discussion of each site/monument, for it includes an avalanche of detail not found in guidebooks. Until I read this book, for example, I had not understood why flooding the plain at Ollantaytambo had helped repel the Spanish, for I'd never imagined that "the Spanish horsemen found themselves trying to maneuver in rising water that eventually reached the horses' girths." Likewise, neither my guide nor guidebooks mentioned that the condors on the coat of arms of the city of Cuzco were there "in memory of the fact that when [Sacsahuaman] was finally taken [by the Spaniards], these birds descended to eat the natives who had died in it."

Also skillfully woven throughout the entire text are the observations of a) of those who were among the first Europeans to see the Incan works and talk to the Indians who remembered them being built, b) of 19th century adventurers who came upon them and c) archaeologists who have studied them. For instance, Hemming writes that "The beautiful buildings [of Sacsahuanman] ...did not long survive the conquest....The soldier-chronicler Cieza de Leon, who reached Cuzco at the end of [the 1540s], exploded with fury over the wanton destruction: 'The Spaniards have already done so much damage and left it in such a state that I hate to think of the responsibility of those governors who allowed so extraordinary thing to have been destroyed and cast down without giving a thought to the future....The remains of this fortress...should be preserved in memory of the greatness of this land!' "

Equally interesting is the 53-page introduction to Inca architecture--yet another reason this is so prized, especially as it, too, is written as a narrative that weaves in history, religious beliefs, and observations. Naturally much space is devoted to the "technically and aesthetically astounding" stonework. Yet explained as well are the other types of wall construction, the thatching of the roofs, the reason for rejection of elaborate decoration, the reasons monuments were sited where they were, the role the storehouses played in the military success of the Incas, and so on. Suffice to say that not only did this section answer every question I had but also many I would never have thought to ask.

That the text is so well written that it is an absolute pleasure to read seems almost to be icing on the cake. There are also end notes documenting sources, bibliographies of both early and modern works, a glossary of Quechan words and alternative spellings of Inca names and an index.

As for the illustrations-- Though in black and white, Edward Ranney's 157 photographs are so revealing that it did not even occur to me to wish they'd been in color. Also accompanying the text are 15 site plans, occasional sketches of buildings as they would have originally appeared, a map of the Inca empire and another of the Inca sites around Cuzco.

Given all that is in MONUMENTS OF THE INCAS, it did not surprise me that when we returned to Lima, my Peruvian guide (also an archaeologist who has worked on the tunnel between Sacsahuanman and Coricancha) asked to borrow it again and photocopied it in its entirety. --B. Evans, 1/12/08

See the comments for 1) brief descriptions/locations of the 14 monuments discussed, 2) the 1982 NY Times' review of this book, and 3) information about its author and photographer.

A story of a unique time and place where colorful cultures blended to create a magical display of public art that is unique to the New Mexico region. As a big fan of the New Deal projects that include much of the rustic lodge-type architecture in our National Parks, this book has expanded my understanding of these projects to include the fine arts and the culture of those who created it. The New Mexico region, under the direction of an artist with a good spirit, was able to thrive in a unique and spectacular manner unlike any other.
Read the book and enjoy the excellent color plates.

More Than Petticoats: Remarkable New Mexico Women is an excellent sampling of women in New Mexico history. This book offers brief biographies of women, crossing ethnic and cultural barriers and spanning several hundred years of herstory. Some of the women included in this volume are Mabel Dodge Luhan (patron of early Southwest Arts), Mary Colter (Fred Harvey/Santa Fe Railroad architect), Georgia O'Keefe (aritist), Maria Martinez (potter),and Elsie Clews Parsons (anthropolgist). Seven other women or groups of women (like the Harvey Girls) are also included. This enjoyable book of significant women is a wonderful volume for those who would like to know a little about a lot of people from one book. I particularly appreciated the regional/state focus because I was familiar with most of the women written about. "More Than Petticoats" is a series focusing on the women who were influential in individual states, and I would definately read more from this series!

It is with envy that we European botanists see the publication of bryological books in the United States. The two volumes about the moss flora of Mexico are a superb example of how well written bryological books can be. The Flora is beautifully illustrated, the keys work and the descriptions are excellent. Everybody only remotely interested in this group of plants will gladly welcome it as an addition to their collection.

From cover to cover this guide allows you to follow it's contents easily and affectively. You won't be wasting your ride time figuring out where to go. The maps are easy to read, giving you just the right information. There are graphs that show you distance in relation to elevation, a real helpful tool in guaging if this ride will be what you want. It also discribes terrain and gives a scale of difficulty to aide in the decision making. I enjoy carring this book with me when I ride because it is so easy to use. I would highly recomend this and other Falcon guides to any avid mountain biker like myself.

Mountain Wildflowers Of The Southern Rockies: Revealing Their Natural History" is the work of retired academician Carolyn Dodson (University of New Mexico General Library) and William W. Dunmire (Associate in Biology at the University of New Mexico). The result of this impressive collaboration is a superbly illustrated and enthusiastically recommended field guide to the principle wildflowers most commonly associated with Southern Rocky Mountain landscapes during the high country seasons ranging spring through to the end of fall. This mountain range runs from Taos, New Mexico to Casper Wyoming, and from Colorado Springs to Boulder on the east and west, to Grand Junction. Featuring 201 color photos, 58 line drawings, and a map, "Mountain Wildflowers Of The Southern Rockies" offers 192 pages of informed and informative information including each featured plant's physical description as a wildflower, the plants individual roles in human history, their relationship with birds and insects, their origins and family characteristics, as well as their evolutionary details. From western wallflower, columbine, larkspur, shooting star, and lupine, to water hemlock, primrose, flax, scarlet penstemon, and bluebells, the flowers showcased in this very highly recommended reference include the individual flower's Latin name. Featuring a glossary, suggested references, a selected bibliography, and an index, "Mountain Wildflowers Of The Southern Rockies" could well serve as a template for similar field guides for wildflowers in other sections of the country.