Arizona Books

While on a recent trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park, I saw The Desert Cries: A season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land on the shelf in the visitor center. Since I knew a thing or two about flash floods, I flipped through a few pages. Yikes. I was in it, and it wasn't an entirely flattering depiction. But of course, I had to buy the book. That night, while camped in a desert wash, I read The Desert Cries by flashlight. "This is good!" I said to my husband who was waiting for me to stop reading so I would turn off the headlamp and he could get some sleep. The book was too suspenseful to put down.

In this harrowing tale of nature's beauty and wrath, Craig Childs vividly depicts the fates of people whose lives have been changed forever by five flash floods. Unfortunately, not all of them make it out alive. The illustrator, Regan Choi, provides grim and shadowy views that supplement the stories well. Even if you've never seen a flash flood, you will have "felt" one by the time you finish this book. The author's fine balance between detail and drama builds a cinematic tension that both satisfies and horrifies. Set in the stunning landscapes of the Southwest, these stories are outdoor adventure narrative at its best. And they are all true.

This is a superbly written page turner, and not just for those who are attracted to the power of the southwest. The book is thrilling without being sensationalist. Childs is a lyrical writer who immerses the reader in his environs. I bought this book after thoroughly enjoying The Secret Knowledge of Water, and was not disappointed.

Desert Digits: An Arizona Number Book is a counting picturebook for young people that covers numbers 1-15, then 20, 30, and every number divisible by 10 up through 100. Each number has a simple sentence featuring it, a color illustration featuring that countable number of things or people, and an in-depth text sidebar of fun Arizona facts. "Pincushion, hedgehog, organ pipe, and 15 kinds of prickly pear - desert cacti with odd names, even a cholla called teddy bear." A wonderful read-aloud, look-and-find book to help familiarize young children with counting.

Mrs. Gowan's second Arizona book is the perfect complement to her first book, G is for Grand Canyon. Both rhyming books include sidebars with facts about Arizona that would be useful for a report on the state of Arizona, and there is even a nice glossary in the back. Desert Digits could also be used to help younger students practice counting by 5's and 10's. Everyone will enjoy the rhymes and illustrations. This book would be a great addition to school, classroom, or home libraries and I highly recommend it!

This wonderful book - the best I've ever seen on this topic - is also available directly from the Arizona Master Gardener Press for $14.99. If you want to learn the art of landscaping in the Southwest, this book has it all, and is novice-friendly. Master Gardener Jody.

The Arizona Master Gardeners are a leathery skinned grizzley bunch of hard scrabble gardeners. They cut the dust by biting into raw barrel cactus like most people would a water mellon. It takes a lot of work to become one, and they put on a lot of shows for the public.

This is a great book, but not at $50. Amazon Canada has it for $14. Germany has it for $537, which says something about the dollar these days. So by all means get this very practical book and put it to use, just not at those prices.

If you want the whole manual, you can get the 920 page 3 ring binder Master Gardener Manual by calling 1-877-763-5315.

If you have been to Sedona this book will bring back pleasant memories. You may learn things about the area that you did not already know. If you haven't been to Sedona, you need to read this before you go. It is filled with anticdotal stories of real experiences of the unusual kind as well as helpful information about where to go and how to get the most out of your trip. Excellent. Highly recommend it.

If you have only a vague idea what Sedona, Arizona, is all about, this book is right for you. It answered many of my questions and gave a great overview of the vortexes in Sedona. Good book!

This carefully researched and well written book will be appreciated by anyone with an interest in the history of the American west, the desert Southwest, the old emigrant trails, or historic Route 66. Beale's Wagon Road, which followed the route that was later to become the famous Route 66 across the Southwest (generally followed now by Interstate 40), was actually a faster and safer route to California than the much more popular Gila Trail to the south through Apache territory --- but it was avoided by most emigrant parties after news spread of the tragedy that befell the first party that attempted to follow it. Although almost forgotten now, the disaster was so notorious at the time that it wasn't until the opening of a railroad along the route, followed by the development of the automobile, that this historic road became widely used.

That ill-fated journey by the Rose-Baley wagon party is the subject of this book, along with useful background information on the Hualapai and Mojave Indians, the Santa Fe Trail, and the Sitgreaves, Whipple, Aubry, and Beale surveying expeditions across northern Arizona in the 1850s. This is a pioneering work on an important but largely forgotten event in the history of the westward migration in the 19th century, and it is surely the definitive work on the subject to this point.

This book is beginning to attract quite a bit of attention from historians, history buffs, and general readers alike. While there are a multitude of books recounting the history of the California, Santa Fe, Mormon and other historic trails, surprisingly little has been done on a little known Trail that originated in Ft. Smith, Ark., traversed southern Oklahoma, crossed the northern tip of Texas into New Mexico and Arizona and ended at the Colorado River crossing on the California-Arizona border. I predict it is the first of a flurry of studies looking at an amazing story this is largely untold.
In 1857 the War Department, eager to find an alternative route to the main California Trail that was considered risky given the mounting pressure to subdue Mormons in Utah, and the lengthy Southern Route that ran through Apache territory, commissioned a survey that resulted in the Beale Wagon Road. It was to be the first federally funded interstate road to traverse the rugged southwest desert, canyons, and rocky terrain obtained from Mexico at the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a retired Navy Lieutenant, was chosed to survey and construct a road that was to attract emigrant wagon trains and save an estimated 200 miles and thirteen days of travel. Not only was the mission unique but also his crew of 50 men traveled with a most unusual contingent of pack animals: 22 camels from the Middle East were used to carry the supplies and equipment for the expedition.
The book traces the history of the Beale Road in general terms and specifically recounts the experiences of the first emigrant wagon train to attempt the crossing in 1858. The story of what came to be known as the Rose-Baley wagon train, comprised of a group of Missouri and Iowa emigrants that met in Albuquerque, is an exciting and tragic account of an effort to arrive in California and the "land of plenty." To say the attempt was a disaster is perhaps charitable. The road was not as passable as the civic leaders in Albuquerque stated; water was much more scarce as originally thought; the so-called experienced guide was lacking in knowledge and directional aptitude; the peaceful Hualapais Indians were more hostile than advertised; and the reception encountered at the Colorado River crossing, instigated by the Mojave Indians, was deadly.
In a highly readable, narrative style Baley recounts the story and reviews its aftermath and legacy not only for the Rose-Baley emigrant party but also for the Mojave's and Beale's Wagon Road. There is an index, bibliography, appendix, extensive endnotes, and helpful maps and photos. This is a major contribution about the first emigrants attempt to traverse what was then known as the 35th paralled. Most now know it as old Route 66 and I-40. Highly recommended.

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Lawrence L. Loendorf, Christopher Chippindale, and David S. Whitley, Discovering North American Rock Art explores the history of rock art on a continental scale, from the plains of Canada to caves in the southeastern United States. A wide variety of essays by learned authors discuss the significance of rock art from varying locales, critical reviews of rock art from fertility shrines to sacred landscapes, discussions of what rock art reveals of North American prehistory, and much more. A scholarly compilation, sparsely illustrated with black-and-white maps, photographs, and representations of sample rock art, Discovering North American Rock Art is a superb scrutiny especially recommended for students and art historians interested in North American Archaeology and Native American Studies, as well as this ancient and enduring form of artistic human expression.

Rock paintings and carvings are found across North America from the south to Canada, and have led to many studies and regional distinctions. Finally here's a title to pull it all together: a scholarly college-level discussion of the extent of North American rock art research which examines sites from the different regions and draws together different approaches to rock art studies. Even more important, DISCOVERING NORTH AMERICAN ROCK ART contrasts changing perceptions on rock art styles and history and will reach both students of archaeology, Native American studies and primitive art history with its newfound insights.

Interesting, informative, .............a delight. Yes, "Discovering the Geology of Baja California" is a pleasure and the guided tours that Markes takes one through, will in the end leave the reader with a renewed sense of wonder and appreciation for our planet. In my own case, even before I had gotten to making the actual pilgrimage to Punta Chivato, my eyes had been newly sensitized enough through the reading alone, that I was able to offer up a discovery of my own, which I more or less stumbled upon well south of Professor Johnson's "Living Museum"of Punta Chivato. I can't tell you what a thrill it has been for a novice like myself to help shed even a tiny bit more light on the solution of the geological puzzle of this fascinating penninsula! Since then, between pondering "my site" and actually walking through time at the awesomely beautiful Chivato, I realize that my life has, through exposure to this book, been fundamentally changed for the better. I wasn't looking for a new hobby but it will indeed be hard to shake this one. I therefore highly recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in the geology of Baja California and the associated birth of the Gulf of California. May it broaden your horizons as well.

This book is like a nice walk with a good friend who has a talent for telling great stories. You go along for the pleasantness of the walk, and find yourself transported right into the middle of the story. Here you are, some forty feet above the current level of the sea, standing on a shelf of land that contains the perfectly preserved remains of a coral reef. In another area, some 260 feet above sea level you come across a fossilized seabed jammed with the shells of thousands of oysters. Ancient shark teeth litter the ground on top of a 130-foot high mesa. Your friend walks on a few yards and, with infectious enthusiasm, reads the next chapter of the story to you.

Six hikes around the Punta Chivato area on Baja's Gulf coast introduce you to the fascinating story of Baja's geologic history. If you love Baja, love geology, or just love a nice hike, you'll LOVE this book!

I have been reading SF for over 50 years and this is a change that I really enjoyed. its science fiction with a twist and a new angle, this is really ready to be made into a series or a movie, the Writing is good and the twists that come are fun to read. H.G.Wells he is not, Yet!!, but he is on his way. If you can get a first edition ,keep it it may become a classic

I really enjoyed reading Dr. Diablo and to be honest I'm not even a big fan of 'fantasy' books. A friend of mine had a copy and I read the first few pages and concluded I liked the style of the author and you could tell he was a good writer. He did a great job describing the characters in the book. I also quite enjoyed the humour in the book. I found myself having a hard time putting the book down at night which is when I typically finally find time to read.

It's a very enjoyable book to read that has some real comments on life in it amongst the fun of 'super hero's'.

In all practical aspects, the Dominguez and Escalante expedition was a failure. The two Spanish fathers were unable to locate an overland route between the Spanish colonies of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Monterrey, California, and in 1776 it seemed that all the two men had done was wander aimlessly in the north for six months. The lasting impact these two men have had on history (and particularly Utah's history), however, are far greater than they could have known.

The expedition made a map, but it is basically worthless in its inaccuracy. Still, the description they left of their route, and most notably that of Utah Valley, was later a great resource for subsequent explorers of Utah, especially John C. Fremont. Their expedition, failed though it was, nevertheless is important as the first written record of the territory that would later become Utah. In addition, the journal did not outlive its usefulness in 1844, when the second of Fremont's expeditions was completed, or even later when Stansbury, Gunnison, and others surveyed the territory. This journal is important even today, because it provides us with a natural look at the Native Americans of the area, before they were disturbed and corrupted by hordes of encroaching whites. This journal is a great document in Utah's history, both as the first written account and as a fascinating look at Utah more than 75 years before it would be settled by the whites.

Even if this book sucked, I couldn't rate it lower than five stars, if for no other reason than that this book is IT.
It's the only record of this particular part part of the Southwest from before the area was overrun by Spanish and Anglo settlers. It's the book that guided decades of explorers and missionaries, and that has mercifully survived to offer us hints of what life in the West could be like BACK THEN.
It's the story of Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, two Spanish friars, who were tasked in 1776 with the goal of forging a route from a mission in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to a mission in Monterrey, California, and of locating sites for new missions along the way-to convert Indian "heathens," "barbarians," and "infidels."
Domínguez was in his mid-thirties, but Escalante was only about twenty-five years old. The two, with a small group of others, decided to avoid a northern route--out of fear of an Indian tribe rumored to eat light-skinned travelers--and as a result were among the very first to make maps and to record details of the Southwest's rivers and mesas. Their group started late in the year though, a sudden blizzard soon made progress impossible, and when they reached north-central Utah, they decided to head south and work their way back to New Mexico. They ran out of food, lived by eating their horses, and suffered unbearable cold, rebellious group members, and severe, frequent thirst. They reached the Colorado River around present-day Lees Ferry, southwest of where Glen Canyon Dam is now, and worked their way north along the river, looking for a way across.
They passed the often-photographed Castle Rock and Gunsight Butte, chipped steps into the slickrock to allow their pack animals to get down to the shore, lowered their belongings over a cliff with ropes, and after some scouting, found an ancient Ute Indian river crossing, where the water was slow and shallow enough to ride across. That place became known as the Crossing of the Fathers, and is right around where Lake Powell's Padre Bay is now.
Their trip made an approximately two thousand-mile-long circle through mostly unexplored terrain, took nearly six-and-a-half months, and explored more undocumented, unknown land than Lewis and Clark would later in their over two-year-long journey. When the fathers got back to Santa Fe, however, only their failure to reach California mattered much to anyone, along with their apparent waste of funds, horses, and supplies.
Escalante was practically exiled, and died within five years as the result of bad health obtained from his trials in the desert.
Domínguez was demoted, his possibilities of advancement destroyed, and he died anonymously as an old man, never recognized for what he'd done.
If you are interested in the West, or the Colorado Plateau, or Glen Canyon, you need to read this. There's just no way around that. It contains information you will find nowhere else, and it's actually a fairly enjoyable read. (I never would have thought Spanish priests could be so SARCASTIC....)

This hardback book, not paperback, has some of the most beautiful illustrations and the story is so interesting. You will learn about a fascinating desert creature and how it protects the mighty saguaro. Children and adults will laugh and smile at the whimsical characters in this story. This is a book adults will enjoy reading to their children again and again.

BEAUTIFUL BOOK FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES! THE ILLUSTRATIONS CAPTIVATE YOU. THOUGH DESIGNATED AS A CHILDREN'S BOOK, ADULTS WILL TOTALLY ENJOY THE WRITING AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS. GREAT COFFEE TABLE BOOK FOR THE GRANDKIDS.