Colorado Books

Enjoyable reading; especially if you are interested in past history of silver mines.

"The cranes called to me one windy autumn night. I lay on the couch, absorbed in a novel when a distant sound--compelling, familiar--propelled me upright to listen. There it was again, faint but unmistakable: 'khrrrrr, khrrrrr,' the throaty cry of sandhill cranes."

In "The San Luis Valley: Sand Dunes and Sandhill Cranes," as in her earlier books, Tweit is a poet. Her opening paragraph, quoted above, compels the reader to listen and read on. Luminous reflective passages occur throughout the book, passages in which Tweit explores such subjects as the meaning of "home" (25) or where our "profound and courageous" visions may come from (43).

These exquisitely wrought personal responses to some of the mysteries we share with our fellow creatures, as well as with one another, are woven into beautiful descriptions of the birds and the landscapes they inhabit, along with a lively and detailed history of the San Luis Valley--a stunning tapestry.

This book is no. 23 in the prestigious annual publications of the Colorado Railroad Museum. It details the arrival of the AT&SF Railroad in Colorado with the major portion of the book being dedicated to the history of the Raton Pass section of the line. It is heavily illustrated with excellent black and white photography, including a section on the steam engines that worked the area. Photography is almost exclusively of the steam era. No history of the Santa Fe and specifically Raton Pass is complete without this volume. Hardback, 296 pages.

Deborah Hammond has done a masterful job with this book. If you are a practicing systems engineer or academic that believes in "holistic" systems engineering then this is a book to read.

She handles a complicated topic extremely well. Understanding the history of the underlying foundations for work in systems is a must. If you are working in Systems of Systems this book is even more powerful and may provide important insights.

Kevin MacG. Adams, Ph.D.

This imaginative book is a lovely introduction to the variety of opportunities in the southwest. Well organized and cross-indexed, it presents an inviting description of not only where, but also when, to find spectacular natural events. The well-written Seasonal Guide is a pleasure to read and indispensable for planning an itinerary.

It seems difficult to find good, solid, archaeological literature that is also easy to read. Seeking Center Place does both very well. The collected articles are highly informative without being weighed down by complicated writing. I recommend this book for both scholars and the general public. The Crow Canyon Center has come a very long way in their research and their publications are really a must for anyone studying or those curious about the Anasazi of Southwestern Colroado.

I used this book extensively in my PhD research and found that all of the articles had something of use, either by direct correlation or by broader generalizations. Add this book to your library, I don't think you will be displeased.

Burns picked a great selection of routes for this book. Not just the old classics, but the newer, unknown gems that will become classics in the future as well. He really knows his stuff.

Ruth Y. Okimoto, Ph.D, researched and uncovered the evidence which lead to the Office of Indian Affairs' decision to offer Poston, Arizona as one of 10 desolate relocation campsites for over 18,000 West coast Japanese and Japanese-Americans during World War II following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942.

You will not read this type of factual information in any textbook. Learn about the uniqueness of the intermingled history between the Japanese and Japanese-Americans and the Colorado River Indian Tribes, who were forceable relocated from their homes to this Arizona desert. Learn how their desert home was pre-destined to become today's prime agricultural land.

This report was the driving force behind the creation of the Poston Restoration Project, sponsored by the non-profit organization, Poston Alliance, Inc.

This is a great book of the Short Line to Cripple Creek. It is slick paper, hardback, and has many wonderful photos of the railroad and Cripple Creek. Much Cripple Creek history is included by this author, who also wrote Florence and Cripple Creek. Both are outstanding books.

If you like mountain railroading and are going to the Colorado Springs-Cripple Creek area, buy this book and drive the Gold Camp Road, accessed by the Old Stage Road near the Broadmoor. It is so fascinating to see what was and, now, what is. Many photos of scenes now extinct because of new strip mining technology.

Great book.

Benedict draws from countless sources and personal experience in this book to assemble the most complete handheld book on the Southern Rockies. If you live in Colorado and consider yourself a naturalist, this should already be on your shelf, and in your backpack as you trek around. I use mine so much I had to tape the cover to protect it. The writing is crisp and factual, yet engrossing. Coverage is complete: from geology to ornithology, botany to meteorology, it's all here in ample detail for the interested lay person. Highly recommended... one of the best in class.