Arizona Books

THE KING DANCED IN THE MARKETPLACE. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1964.

REVIEW: A Doctoral Thesis written with an eye to becoming a book. The author's research into the ascension to the "Great Speaker" by Moctezuma I is the focal point of the story. The book is written like a historical novel and well noted chapter by chapter. Of particular interest is the author's attention to the details surrounding the formation of the triple alliance and the great war against the ruling Tepanac realm.

Relationships between the leading parties of the day are presented with a liberal dose of poetic license. This is a book where the author has researched an area and written a supposition of what probably happened and what people probably said to each other. Interesting reading from a well research project.

Although the ordinary copies of this book have been long out of print (2001), a special edition was prepared of 100 copies on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Kino's arrival in the Pimería Alta. These books, internally labelled "Rim Edition," include a parchment page with the official postal stamp issued in honor of Padre Kino and inaugurated on March 12, 1987. These special copies were numbered, signed by the author, and cancelled in Cucurpe, Sonora, on the day of first issue 3/12/1987. This edition also contains four photographs of events that took place in celebration of the anniversary. At this writing (July, 2001), forty copies are all that remain. The price of this extremely rare and special edition is $...(US). The edition was inscribed as the "Rim Edition" because Kino had reached Cucurpe on that very date, and the historian Herbert Eugene Bolton coined the phrase: The Rim of Christendom to describe the launching of Kino's great explorations and missionary apostolate.

Mr. Suran captures the history of the Kolb Brother's studio at the Grand Canyon through charming stories and wonderful photographs

Lalo's memoir tells of the musical genius who changed the face of Latin music, documenting a sixty-year period in which Latin music styles and creation saw unparalleled changes. The first-person account tells of his life and his involvement in the changing world of Latin music.

The collaborative effort of Ann Patterson (former editor of the Sun Living section in "The Arizona Republic" and Arizona architect and Historic Preservation enthusiast Mark Vinson, Landmark Buildings: Arizona's Architectural Heritage is part of the Arizona Highways "Travel Arizona Collection" of guidebooks. Showcasing distinctive landmark structures from the Hubbell Trading Post, the oldest continuously operated trading post in Navajoland, to the Orpheum Theatre, to the Copper Queen Hotel which preserves memories of the Old West, Landmark Buildings is enjoyable to page through especially for armchair travelers, vacationers, and everyone with a keen interest in the sites of Arizona history. Full-color photographs, extensive descriptions, visiting hours, and directions comprise this enchanting guide.

I'm a fan of Mr. Cummings's western novels, having several on my personal shelves while reading others from various libraries.

This particular book has it locale in Arizona Territory in the era of 1901 when the Arizona Rangers were formed, a single company of 26 men. Never intended to be a permanent force, the Rangers were the Territory's attempt to rid Arizona Territory of the 'rampant outlawry' taking place in the early part of the 20th century.

Some history is offered along the way, but also a fictional story of how two particular Rangers, Wes Barnes and Jake Kenyon, daily lives and activities are thrown together due to other's criminal behavior. With a background of dislike between these two men the fictional story has its moments of drama and suspense. These two Rangers are sent out to foil cattle rustling, gun running, bank robbing, train robbing, and any other mission their boss, Captain Ryerson, sees fit to hand them. Sometimes they work only in Arizona Territory while at other times they are sent a day's ride or so into Mexico to apprehend American criminals. They receive the lofty sum of $100.00 per month in pay, and their boss believes they need to either earn it or turn in their badges. Rangers are always on the move, and need to provide their own ammunition and horses. Train rides are free, though.

A great western story from the pen of a fine writer of westerns. Let er rip, pards. Great few hours entertainment.

Semper Fi.

How have Latin objectives been fostered in Los Angeles through labor organizing and political activism: LATINO L.A.: TRANSFORMATIONS, COMMUNITIES AND ACTIVISM isn't just a reader for California residents: the Latino population across the country is on the rise and while in Los Angeles County they comprise nearly half the population, their changes are impacting Latins of all backgrounds across the country. Most research on Latinos glosses over history and/or modern dynamics in this country and focuses on Latin America: LATINO L.A. blends statistics with history and participator research to provide a study holding broad implications for students of urban studies, from history and economics to sociology.

There is increasing interest in, and concern for, the status of water not only in the U.S.but throughout the world. Some scholars contend that water could well be the flash point for a world war in this century. A cascade of books are arriving in stores that del with the issue, but most discuss the current threat of dwindling water supplies and the impact such scarcity is having on various locales throught the world.
This book is different. Michael Logan, an Associate Professor of History at Oklahoma State University, has written an important book that is the first to review the history of a river with a focus on the place within which it runs. That is, he has written a history of the entire Santa Cruz River rather than focusing on any particular segment within which the river flows. To be sure there is much discussion on the Tucson Basin, which contains the greatest population in the river valley and where significant changes have occurred during modern times. But the emphasis is on the entire river and its watershed and the social, cultural and political history that have all contributed to making it a "Lessening Stream."
Using three eras-archaic, modern and postmodern-Logan combines hydrology, anthropology, geology, archaeology and history to argue the relationship between fresh water and humans that is applicable to this particular watershed also has significance to national and international water issues.
The lessons learned from diverting surface flow to pumping down aquifers and the never-ending quest for economic development in the Tucson Basin will be ignored at great risk by other locales similarly situated.
There is also an interesting discussion of the effects of the Central Arizona Project and the continuing efforts to divert more water from the Colorado River than is available.
This is an unusual book. It is a scholarly, meticulously researched environmental history that is highly readable and will be of interest to readers regardless of scientific backgroung or training.
Highly recommended for those interested in what some consider to be "blue gold."

Eve Paludan is a busy woman: writer, photographer, editor, web designer, and artist. Just check out her CV on her MySpace page. It's a hefty list of accomplishments of which anyone should be proud of. She should also be quite proud of a lil Ebook she's written and made available through Lulu called Letters from David.

Thanks to email and the rising price of stamps, I've often wondered if the art of letter writing is dead. We've even given it the sluggish nickname "Snail Mail," adopting our eager fascination with having things so immediate thanks to our ever growing lack of patience. And yet the ending highlight of each of my workdays is coming home and checking the mailbox.

On birthdays as a child, my eyes bulged with excitement over bright colored envelopes addressed to me with a funny Hallmark card and a crisp one dollar bill on the inside. My mother, with her "chicken scratch" cursive, penned letters on notepad paper to me while I was in college. Christmas cards with a quick signature still adorn my doorway in December. What would we have to say without sentiments printed by the greeting card company? Eve Paludan's book says plenty.

Here's the blurb from her Lulu page, which also happens to be the first paragraph of the story:

"Claire Mead didn't have her husband anymore, her children lived abroad, her income was shrinking and she hadn't shaved her legs all winter. She hadn't had recreational sex with herself, or laughed, truly laughed, for months. She was going broke and still cried much too easily since David, a.k.a. "The Saint," had died, but suddenly, she realized she had something she had never once had before in her life -- her freedom."

You have to admire the preservation of someone's old journal or diary found behind glass in a museum somewhere for you to learn history or study their penmanship, or perhaps it's passed down from generation to generation amongst family members. I tried for years to keep a journal of my personal thoughts, but writing it down went down the drain once I learned to type. Literature and Theatre has celebrated the power of the written word for a long time. I immediately think of James Patterson's recent book about letters, and a play I saw once called "Love Letters." It was just two chairs on the stage, back to back, with a guy and a girl sitting there and recalling letters they'd written to each other. They were miles apart now in life, but their letters always brought them back together. It was so powerful and captivating.

Eve Paludan's book is NOT another collection of letters allowing us that glimpse into someone else's life for a while. Yes, Dear _____, letters in italic are placed throughout the manuscript, but it is what comes between them that makes up the essence of her story. Her central character, Clare Mead, is a widow with a son away at war and a daughter in Paris, but she's determined not to let loneliness be an illness. She refuses to succumb to it and is trying to adapt to the new emptiness in her life - this freedom. She seeks out the advice of other women like her, but soon ends up in a bit of an odd situation with her husband's best friend, Tucker, who was also responsible for his death. A tornado is coming and the two end up taking cover in her basement, and begin to reminisce of the old days and the way it could have been.

Secrets begin to unravel as you discover Tucker was once her lover and they had a child together, but their roads in life went in opposite directions. Tucker beats himself up over the death of his friend, while Clare refuses to mourn anymore. Together, they relive the memories they shared with David, a best friend and a husband. Just as you think Tucker and Clare's time together is building to the climactic arrival of the tornado, no weather alarm will prepare you for the secrets that are revealed in the letter than begins the next chapter! It's a letter from David, Clare's husband, which Tucker had been saving to give to her at a later time.

My only criticism of the story comes into play in the letters themselves. Although Paludan has used them sparingly to push the story forward, be warned that they are heavy in content that is crucial to the plot and backbone of her characters. Therefore, they can seem a bit melodramatic and even soap opera-ish at times, but they do not distract from the overall point the author wants to make.

Letters from David turned out to be a "whirl wind" of a story that I totally was not expecting. At first, based on the author's previous work, I predicted a much heavier romance and cliche collection of predictable love letters. Not so! The story continues to build with David, the son, writing to his half sister in Paris. Although their story is told completely in letters, reading it as if you were a person in another room over hearing a conversation is quite intriguing. Paludan has written a magnificent tale of love and loss which anyone can enjoy. So, grab a box of tissues and your high school yearbooks, because this book will take you down a path off memory lane where you never expected to go!

Regarding the LIBELLUS DE ARTE COQUINARIA AN EARLY NORTHERN COOKBOOK, I can report as to exactly what this volume is all about. The LIBELLUS is among the oldest of culinary recipe collections & dates from the early thirteenth century. It survives in 4 versions in three languages... Danish, Icelandic, & Low German. It is thought to date back to possibly even the 12th century. It's a small collection of only 35 recipes and was published as part of the Collection included in AN OLD ICELANDIC MEDICAL MISCELLANY [Ms. Royal Irish Academy 23D 43.]in 1931 by Henning Larsen.

What this new 158 page book does is to bring together the four versions, translate them, add textual notes, commentary indices, glossaries, and bibliographies. As such, it offers a rare glimpse into the world of early culinary manuscripts in Northern Europe. I should mention that it's the work of the late Rudolf Grewe (who provided us with the LIBRE DE SENT SOVI in 1979) and Constance B. Hieatt who is of course the scholar behind PLEYN DELIT, CURYE ON INGLYSCH, and AN ORDINANCE OF POTTAGE. The scholarship is as expected excellent.

So, if you collect medieval culinary texts, this is one for your shelves. Unlike PLEYN DELIT, it does not contain modernized versions of the medieval recipes, but the composite translations offer many details and much commentary for any cook wishing to create their own working versions of these early recipes.