Arizona Books

"Come with me if you have time today and we'll take a little trip in north-eastern New Mexico," writes Jack Culley in the opening sentence of this book about cowboying and ranch life in the 1890s. It's that use of the pronoun "we" that signals something different about Culley's approach and style: in most similar books the author places himself somewhat at a distance from his reader as he relates his experiences on the range. Culley invites us in and there's an intimacy about his narrative missing in most other memoirs about early ranch life in the West. It at once puts the book on a higher pedestal than most other books on the same subject.

Culley came to America as a young man after growing up on a stock farm in England. Oxford educated, he was as familiar with classic literature as he was with horse breeding; his learning (of both) shows in his writing style. For five years he was range manager at the Bell Ranch in NE New Mexico, and most of this book deals with those days. He relates the hard work of the cowboy - the long hours in the saddle, the harsh weather, breaking horses, life on a cattle drive - but he also has chapters on the history of the Bell Ranch area, on outlaws (he's fascinated by them in a Sir Walter Scott sort of way), what constitutes a good horse, fellow cowboys, and town life in nearby Clayton. It's a full picture of things, multi-dimensional and interesting. Always, though, it's his warm, personal style that wins the reader over and keeps him won: "And here I'm going to relate to you a little personal happening," he writes at one point, and then goes on to explain "the value of good hands" in riding a horse. The book has great appeal, even for those who might not be overly fascinated with the subject. Of all the books about life on the range prior to the coming of the automobile, this book is among the very best.

Although billed as officers in Arizona, this book actually covers the service of these men well beyond their time in Arizona. It serves as a great counterpart to Heitman's register of army officers (even correcting some of his dates) and gives us a fascinating glimpse at the lives of these men. It's a shame that similar data doesn't exist for enlisted men, but if you're interested in the history of the Frontier Army (in or out of Arizona) you should pick up this book.

This book is one of the few book that looks at history through the eyes of contemporary survivors. It is well written and it should be of interest to any scholar and student needing a text dealing with cultural changes and modern economic pressures. I would recommend it also for suplement in any class on modern Mexican history.

This is a totally awesome compillation about the central Arizona railroad system. i reccomend it very highly to anyone.

I recently had a conversation with a vetern professor of archaeology. He's a brilliant wealth of information, and he doesn't use the word "hip" too often. So when he described this book as "The 'hip' new thing in archaeology," I was a bit taken back. He turned over a copy, and I fell in love with it that night. Using his word, I'm going to continue to decribe this book as "hip," - here's why. It takes the format of a compilation of articles written by some of the leading professionals in the field. By formatting it in this way, the editors have provided a concise and detailed overview of new technologies that have helped archaeologists understand prehistoric behavior in the southwest. It is an absolutely necessary piece of literature, as it could be considered the jumping-off point for those interested in using high-technology to study ceramics. I would recomend the book to anyone who is interested in the science of archaeology and indian pottery. But if you decide to read it, don't expect an "Indiana Jones" type theme. It is very technical, and it is highly doubtful that the authors and editors had a popular audience in mind when they wrote it. But if you think you can take a heavy dose of science, then open wide and read it.

The author is to be congratulated for this scholarly yet readable account of the involvement of the American Catholic Church with the struggle of farm workers for social justice. Based upon solid archival research, including access to the records of the Bishops' Ad hoc Committee on Farm Labor and the papers of Msgr. George Higgins, this is a condensed version of Dr. Prouty's doctoral dissertation from The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC. Unlike many re-worked dissertations for publication, this account is a coherent and well written study that also tells a compelling story. His sympathy for Cesar Chavez, a hero of almost saintly proportions to many Hispanic-Americans, is not blind to Chavez's shortcomings in building a strong farm workers union that could sustain itself beyond the heady days of boycotts and hunger strikes of the 1960s and 1970s. Dr. Prouty also discusses the roles of the three churchmen who, as members of the Bishops' Ad hoc Committee on Farm Labor in the 1970s, were crucial to the accomplishments of the nascent United Farm Workers (UFM) union in receiving labor contracts from growers, many of them Catholic, as well as the passage of significant legislation by the State of California. These men, Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the Bishop Joseph Donnelly of Connecticut, and the aforementioned Msgr. Higgins, strongly supported the farm workers when many of their clerical colleagues were indecisive or even hostile.

The missions in Latin America are very different from those in the United States. Saeger takes a unique view by looking at a group that was able to resist the missions. The book is very well written and gives you a sense of what the mission system looked like. The book is very well written and is straight to the point. It is divided up so that if you are only interested in a small aspect of the system you could read a few chapters or the whole book to get a sense overall. For those who want to understand the early Indians and Spanish interactions this is the perfect book.

The second contemporary romance novel by Virginia Nosky, Chance Encounters (2005 Honorable Mention for Fiction by the Arizona Author's Association) is set amid the election for an Arizona governor. Charismatic candidate Chance Mallory clashes with the determined mayor of Phoenix Barbara Stafford and her indispensable staff lawyer and niece, Athena Kerr. When Athena and Chance come together, sparks fly - but more than political realities barricade their feelings, as another woman in Chance's past comes to the fore. An engaging romantic adventure between highly competitive and competent individuals.

Just comparing photos taken decades apart, these authors lay bare the extent of transformation in Arizona's countryside over the past century. The cool-weather plants retreat northward and up the hillsides. The desert plants move in like a tide from Mexico. It's a merger of good science with viscerally clear communication.

--Brian Griffith, author of "The Gardens of Their Dreams: Desertification and Culture in World History"

This an excellent book that captures the essence of the Chicano Art Movement during it's formative years. A massive effort was undertaken to produce this book with contributions from too many to mention but including Ceasar Chavez, Martin Sheen, Edward James Olmos, various departments and committees at UCLA, and most notably The Wright Art Gallery. Lavish reproductions of original art work is displayed throughout the book. The artists featured are some of the best the movement produced, including David Avalos, Yolanda Lopez, Jose Montoya, Mario Torero, Ricardo Favela and Judith Baca, just to name a few. There are many other artists featured, these just happen to be some of my favorite from this book. The themes of the works run the gamut from Zapata to cholos, Frida Kahlo to lowriders, United Farmworkers to Chicano Gothic, McCarthyism to pachocos, murals, oils, pencil and multi-media works. A fabulous collection of works that represent the roots of the Chicano Art Movement. An excellent source book for anyone interested in the art of the southwest in it's early years. The various pieces of art are fully explained and given full analysis from a historical perspective. Find this book and add it to your art section of your personal library, the pictures alone are worth the price.