Arizona Books

All his stories are written from his soul. They always have been. I wish that I could have taken the pain away from his childhood. I'm glad that I have known him. I wish him much success in all he does. I knew he was a great writer. I'm glad others are seeing how good he is now!

Nobody's Son: Notes From An American Life by Luis Alberto Urrea (who teaches creative writing at the University of Illinois, Chicago) is the deeply personal memoir of an American born to a Mexican father and an Anglo mother. Recounting a childhood thrust in the middle of different cultures and languages, Nobody's Son is about the search for balance, about coping with division and borders, and about the pain as well as the joy of being multicultural. Nobody's Son is a candid, engaging, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and very highly recommended autobiography.

From multinational beginnings impossibly diverse, Urrea leads us on a journey that explores how he became what he is, an American writer of the first order. Sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious, always heartfelt, it is a wonderful journey for the reader. Before he can write from the heart, an author must first know his heart. Luis Urrea knows his, and shares it with us beautifully.

Luis Urrea is the John Steinbeck of the border, offering a nostelgic, heartfelt, first-person experience of what it is like to grow up in two cultures, two cities (Tijuana and San Diego) and two worlds. He writes with passion, heart, and a gift for words in two languages.

Luis Alberto Urrea is among the finest living writers. He has written about the border in three books. Nobody's Son is the latest. But he is not regional, not limited to a single geographic area. In Nobody's Son he moves from Tijuana and San Diego, to the Southwest, and further north to the high plains, in what amounts to a continuing journey. A journey across the land, through memory, in exploration of spirit. Urrea's story is uniquely American--the child of a Waspy, Wonder Bread white mother and a muy macho! Mexicano father, his is the story of those differences that divide us and yet hold us inevitably together. He is America's best kept secret, its soul.

I have almost completed this book. It has detail on the trail conditions at the time. It is a shame her life ended so soon, I would like to read more books on the treks in the Canyon. Very good reading for anyone who has hiked or plans to hike in the canyon. She has information on other books that she read and gained info from for more Grand Canyon reading.

Today this book is still valuable for its orignal purpose: a testimony to the accessibility of the Grand Canyon Backcountry and practical advice on trails and hiking. If you are wondering if you can successfully hike in the canyon, this book will help convince you to go ahead. Ms. Spangler's trail descriptions are still very relevant. Of course there is a wealth of trail description data available that was not at the time of publication. The avid GC hiker/mystery buff is attracted to this book by the poignancy of Sharon Spangler's personal story. As you read her accounts (as well as when you follow the same trails) you are overcome by an eerie sense of foreboding knowing she hiked with and lived with a cold-blooded killer...and you are following his route as well. This is even more the case due to the large number of references to husband Bob Spangler in the book. Sharon's story and her book are part of the lasting lore and mystery of the Grand Canyon.

This book is an interesting piece of a complex puzzle involving Sharon Spangler's life and death as well as those of her ex-husband, his first wife and the children of that marriage, and his third wife. Before he died, Bob Spangler confessed to the murders of his first wife and children and his third wife, whom he pushed off a trail in the Grand Canyon.
I worked with Bob Spangler and then Sharon Cooper in the 1970s before she became his second wife.

This is the most accurate representation of the true experience one gets in hiking the Grand Canyon. Other books I have read, actually written by super-hikers, can seriously misrepresent what a typical hiker will get into down there. Her style is also a very comfortable read. Nobody should hike in the Canyon without reading this book!

This book is full of wonderful stories and very useful information on particular South Rim trails. It is not a trail guide, but rather a well-written and very interesting report on what it is like to backpack in the Grand Canyon.

Although over 15 years old, this book is the best, most comprehensive treatment of available data (which has grown some) and theories (which have grown but not multiplied) on land vertebrate extinctions of the last 100,000 years. If you are a mammoth/sabertooth extinction hound, this book will feed you better than any other. It does require some specialized knowledge in a few chapters, but the gist is accessible for the educated layperson. It's worth hunting for or buying used.

A more recent offering still in print (though briefer) is "Extinctions in Near Time," Ross MacPhee, ed.

I appreciate the candor in labeling two of the major sections, entitled 'the theoretical marketplace: geologic-climactic models' and 'the theoretical marketplace: cultural models' which encompass variations on each of the two main theories for the extinction.

In addition to theories, the book describes the various mammals as well as their pattern of disappearance region by region worldwide. At 867 pages, it will keep you going for a while, but it's worth every page.

There is only one chapter on birds, only passing references to a tortise, lizard, or fish, and nothing on plants. I would love to find similar treatments for changes in characteristic flora for the same time period.

This book is not for the novice. However, it is an excellently organized and drafted presentation of 40 papers on the variously submitted causes for the extinction of many dominant and marvelous animals, from the end of the Ice Age to our own time. Since no formal records were kept on this decline, even though many vanishings occurred during the time of record-keeping people, the scientist is left to investigate and to hypothesize on the cause or causes of the extinctions. Recorded here are many of those investigations and their results. The diversity of opinion is an exciting testament, not only to the ingenuity of the investigators, but to the processes of science itself.

Some investigations are restricted, both in terms of time, area, and species. Others are far broader, even global in scale. It would appear from a perusal of the articles that climate and consequent botanical change, or the coming of man into a successful hunter, were the primary cause(s) of the tragedy. But, as some contributors note, other causes may be relevant as well.

Among the notorious RECENT extinctions discussed are the mammoth, less than 3,500 years ago, the Irish elk, in 500 A.D., or so, the moa of New Zealand, the Aepyornis, or elephant bird, and the giant lemur, both of Madagascar, within possibly the last 200 years. It seems germane that the islands, where man arrived only in the past 200 to 500 years, had the last megafauna to disappear, but, of course, the process goes on even in our own time, as witness the mountain gorilla, black rhinoceros, Javanese Tiger, Tasmanian Tiger, passenger pigeon, etc.

As noted at the outset, some background in Ice Age paleontology is probably necessary for a full enjoyment of this book. If you haven't one, I suggest that you read "The Ice Age Animals of North America", by Ian Lange, and then read this book.

The volume at hand is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. I'd give it ten stars, if I could. As to persons who have some scientific background, my recommendation is off the scale.

This is the best, most comprehensive treatment of available data (which has grown some) and theories (which have grown but not multiplied) on land vertebrate extinctions of the last 100,000 years. If you are a mammoth/sabertooth extinction hound, this book will feed you better than any other. It does require some specialized knowledge in a few chapters, but the gist is accessible for the educated layperson. It's worth hunting for or buying used.

A more recent offering, though briefer, is "Extinctions in Near Time," Ross MacPhee, ed.

I appreciate the candor in labeling two of the major sections, entitled 'the theoretical marketplace: geologic-climactic models' and 'the theoretical marketplace: cultural models' which encompass variations on each of the two main theories for the extinction.

In addition to theories, the book describes the various mammals as well as their pattern of disappearance region by region worldwide. At 867 pages, it will keep you going for a while, but it's worth every page.

There is only one chapter on birds, only passing references to a tortise, lizard, or fish, and nothing on plants. I would love to find similar treatments for changes in characteristic flora for the same time period.

Being a French speaker, I didn't have any problem understand it and reading it. The subject is really well covered and written by many scientists. Many causes are explained.

This is THE reference on Quaternary extinctions. The beauty of this book is that it isn't just one person's opinion, but a collection of well-researched articles on Quaternary topics by some of the top minds in the field. College students, especially in the biosciences and geography disciplines, BUY THIS BOOK AND KEEP IT HANDY!

"In addition to stunningly beautiful photography of the petroglyphs themselves, Malotki's book presents one of the best and most level-headed, scientifically based summations of what American petroglyphs may represent that I have read anywhere. Malotki is well versed not only in petroglyph studies in the U.S. but worldwide; and he puts the specific rock art works he shows and discusses into the widest context. For anyone interested in southwestern petroglyphs, and in world rock art, this is a very good read with truly brilliant photography." G. Frank Oatman, Jr., retired college professor and serious amateur student of rock art.

Dr. Malotki's book is a comprehensive and beautifully designed overview of the wealth and diversity of Arizona's precious rock art heritage. A visual treat, it is profusely illustrated with spectacular photos and drawings, and accompanied by informative, compact prose that combines for a fascinating journey into Arizona's prehistory. Five stars!

Chris Gralapp, MA

I congratulate Dr. Ekkehart Malotki on the publication of his recent book, The Rock Art of Arizona: Art For Life's Sake. The spectacular photographs and comprehensive review of the rock art of Arizona as presented in this book gives the rock art of Arizona the attention it rightfully deserves. For those interested in gaining more knowledge regarding the rock art of Arizona, this book is a 'must have' for your library.

Arizona is home to one of the largest and most diversity collections of rock paintings and engraving known to archaeology. These artistic expressions and pictographic communications are principally the work of paleo-indians. Author and rock art enthusiast Ekkehart Malotki has compiled more than 384 photographs in "The Rock Art of Arizona: Art For Life's Sake", a 200-page introduction to the functions and meanings of rock art so far as archaeologists can decipher them. Intrinsic works of beauty, often in peril of vandalism, "The Rock Art Of Arizona" is a timely, seminal, and invaluable contribution to the growing library of information on this unique from of human expression. "The Rock Art Of Arizona" is a strongly recommended addition to academic library Native American Studies reference collections, and will prove to be of immense interest to non-specialist general readers with an interest in Native American Art, as well as North American Archaeology.

THE ROCK ART OF ARIZONA is an absolutely beautiful book, something you want to hold and investigate joyfully and unhurriedly. Gorgeous photography and superb graphic design invite frequent re-visiting and lingering delight. But it is much more than a visual treat. It tells a story. Ekkehart Malotki is either an artist who thinks like a scientist, or a scientist who feels like an artist. Just as in two of his previous books, TAPAMVENI and STONE CHISEL AND YUCCA BRUSH, the writing is concise, informative, and helpful for those who want to appreciate the artists and cultures that made these beautiful, ancient images.

I live in both Virginia and Colorado, and drive back and forth two or three times each year with dog and various family members. Malotki's books always come along, both ways. They are big books, but they still make the trips back and forth between the East Coast and Colorado to remain within easy reach in each house. In the past three years I have bought many dozens of books on rock art and archaeology. These beautiful books by Ekkehart Malotki are the very best I have. I tell everyone I know that if they are going to buy just one book on rock art in the American Southwest: get one of Ekkehart Malotki's. If you are going to Arizona, this is THE choice. Better than five star!

There is often a schism between our everyday life and our dreams of someday. Someday often stays out reach of us like an carrot on a stick until circumstances that would have allowed the dream no longer exist. Michael Burke gently opens the someday window and steps through. He takes you with him. He gives a balanced and real look at what is on the other side. He speaks with a fine voice that puts you in the raft, in his head, till you smell the wet stuff and feel the angst. He makes a case for making someday happen while you can. He tells a tale that made me look forward to the quiet part of the evening, after the kids were in bed, so I could be back on the river again. The Same River Twice is fertile ground to plant you own someday seeds in. I found it an inspriation.

I guess I am lucky to be attending Univeristy of Maine at Farmington, where a lot of non fiction writing has come from recently (Gretchen Legler AND Michael Burke).
I went to Professor Burkes reading last night and it was so fun. His book is full of humor, at least, the passages he read were. I haven't read the whole book (yet).
But from what I heard, I am buying it and I would recommend it!

I read this book almost in one sitting. Micheal Burke tells a good story and gives the reader the feeling of being on the river and experiencing the beauty of situation while taking us along on his own personal journey. Very good read!

What happens to white-water guides when they leave the rivers? Michael Burke gives us one answer: they never leave the rivers, and the rivers never leave them. Burke's story is part memoir, part "road trip," and part love story about the wild places that "can't be improved by changes." His tale of a 1991 trip down the wildest of British Columbia's rivers is one hundred percent enjoyment.

Having guided seasonally since he was a college student, Burke at thirty-eight was married, a professor at a college in Maine, with a baby on the way. This ambitiously planned trip was a three-week-long pilgrimage to the places where a distant relative, Sid Barrington, had lived a life of legend on the wild rivers of long ago. Burke, along with a stranger named Max whose only qualification was availability, set out with an ancient rubber raft, a heavy load of gear, a rifle in case of bears, and jury-rigged arrangements with bush pilots. From this unpromising start, Mike and Max had a soul-stirring experience in this "humbling land."

Putting in by plane to breathtaking Chutine Lake, they worked their way down glacier-fed rivers with wild names: the Chutine, the Stikine, the Sheslay, the Taku. Along the way they encountered black bears, grizzlies, moose, and on one memorable evening a wolf with two pups. Burke's deep love of the challenging terrain is evident throughout the book.

Stories of the old river runner, Sid, are woven in, along with some hair-raising stories of Burke's younger days as a guide; a wild, adrenaline-saturated life that he remembers with affection at this settling-down time of life. Thoughts of his pregnant wife are with him always but he was unable to resist the pull of the river.

Why do this crazy, dangerous thing? Burke writes about the meaning of memory as a defining concept; about freedom and control. But mostly it's because he loves the rivers. "Rivers," he writes, "are an experience of time. The river is more human than the ocean, limited like humans are, yet sweeping forward in its implacable way, like time itself sweeping past. We are proportioned to rivers..."

Have you ever stood on the slope of a mountain and felt its age and power? Looked up into the weird blue ice of a glacier and heard its deep voice? Or even felt the edge of a river on your ankles and known that it flowed according to forces older than time? Then you should read this book. The geography is bewildering but just put in at the beginning and let the current take you to the end, rapids and all. You're sure to feel the awe and beauty of the planet's wild places. Go there, even if it's just in a book.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This work is a delightful memoir that is a pleasure reading, starting from the first page, right along to the last word of the last page. This is the story of a man; a middle aged man at the time the story takes place, and at the same time is a history lesson, a journey of enlightenment, and a tour into one of the truly wild areas left in North America. It is also, and most importantly, a very insightful look at human nature.

The author, Michael Burke, dropped out of the University of California-Berkeley, and became, through faking his lack of experience, a white water river guide. Burke has apparently been guiding now for over thirty five years. The author obviously continued his education, as he now teaches at a University, and beyond a doubt, the guy can certainly write. In 1991, when the author was 38, he found himself with a pregnant wife, two step-children, an academic career, living in Maine and driving a station wagon. Now, although the author does not admit to the fact, it is pretty obvious he is probably losing some of his hair, getting less muscle tone than he had when he was twenty, and, most importantly,(again, not really stated)is feeling rather trapped. Gosh, it does not take much of a creative leap to figure out that a gigantic mid-life crises is about to descend on this poor guy. This is okay though, at least Burke faced his crises with class, like a man, and did not go the route of gold chains around his neck, a little sports car, a poor comb-over and chase twenty year old undergrads around campus; something we see all too frequently. Rather, he returned to the roots of his youth, the river!

The Same River Twice is the story of Michael Burke's journey down three rivers in the Canadian Wilderness of British Columbia. Using his old river raft, a left over from his youth, and in the company of a relative stranger, a fellow adventurer, who was chasing his own demons, the author starts on a very poorly planned adventure. The premise of the trip is to find and trace the territory traveled by distant relative of the author's, who himself was a famous river man during the Klondike glory days at the turn of the century. The author feels a connection with this long dead river man and wants to strengthen this connection with information. The story Michael tells of his trip is interwoven with stories of this old river man mixed with tales of the author's own glory days as a professional guide on some of the most famous white water rivers in North America. This three section story is wonderfully intertwined and the author has the ability to make you feel you are in all three eras with him, as he physically and mentally journeys through them.

Burke's ability as a descriptive writer is truly wonderful. His true love for the wilderness, for the wild places in our planet, for wildlife, solitude and yes, danger, comes shinning through on every page. You can actually squint in your mind's eye, as you read his prose and picture what he is seeing as he writes. The author makes a point that this sort of thing, once experienced, never quite leaves your blood. Great bodies of water have been apart of our souls throughout time...once you are hooked, you are hooked for life.

This work is truly a satisfying read, one of the better reads I have had in sometime now. I will quite likely give this one a second going over down the road. I must admit that I would love for this author to give us another book, telling of his adventures on the other rivers that he ran while learning his trade. The author can be quite humorous at times and I suspect was and is quite good at camp fire stories. It would be a delight to read some of them. NOTE: There seems to be a great deal of nonfiction writing coming out of Maine right now, and has been over the past few years. To be quite frank, the only thing I really knew about Maine was that they had Moose, potatoes, had a good store to order clothes from, and made good canoes...now I find the place is full of good writers...go figure.

SHAVETAIL is more of a psychological western than an adventure novel. The three main characters are tortured in different respects. Ned Thorne, the shavetail, is a seventeen-year-old boy who has run away from home to join the army. He has a secret in his past that the author keeps alluding to. The letters he keeps writing to his brother Thad aren't what we think they are.

The two officers in the story, Captain Robert Franklin and Lieutenant Anthony Austin, have know each other all of their lives. Both were shamed when Franklin led his troupe into an Apache ambush due to Austin's suggestions. Bobby Franklin is more of a Colonel Custer kind of army officer, charging into battle without regard for his own safety. Austin doesn't really belong in the army. He is more interested in observing new species he finds in the Arizona territory outback. He also may be a manic-depressive. At first he's a sympathetic character, but his indecisiveness is a real detriment to the other soldiers. I was reminded of Merriweather Lewis every time Austin was on stage.

The villain of the story is the mule driver, Obediah Brickner, who steals Ned Thorne's weather instruments at the beginning of the novel. He has been busted to corporal because of the Apache ambush and is nursing a festering hatred for the two officers. Perhaps the most interesting character in the novel, is "Mary" a woman who reluctantly traveled west with her parents and fiancée from New England. One of the soldiers finds her journal after Apaches kill her husband and hired hand and kidnap her. The reader is led to believe that this will an adventure novel where the two officers and young Ned redeem themselves, but author Thomas Cobb emulates Cormac McCarthy in respects to killing off major characters and leading the reader off in unsuspected directions.

There is a scene with Anthony Austin negotiating with the leader of a troupe of Mexican irregulars that's as good as anything in Cormac McCarthy.

Shavetail took me from my New England home in 2008 and brought me to Thomas Cobbs Arizona effortlessly. I felt what Ned, the main character felt, learned what he learned and cried when he cried. Other characters are so well conceived and developed I thought I was part of their world for the time I read the book, and long thereafter.

Research and attention to detail made the journey an educational experience without the feeling I was being taught. The insight that is now part of my consciousness is due to one of the characters simple view of the world around him during his time that now occupies my own. Not only did I enjoy a darn good yarn, I also put the book down with a better understanding of the differences in how we percieve the world around us.

This book is a great read, The only complaint I have is that it ended too soon. Perhaps Mr.Cobb will reward us with a sequel ala McMurty's trilogy "Lonesome Dove" series. Arizona duty wtih the U.S. Calvary is vividly portrayed in this throughly entertaining book.

Shavetail is different. It is interesting and teaches the reader but it has excellent and well-drawn characters who tell you the tale through different eyes. Having been in the Army fifty years ago as an enlisted man I recognize the characters although from a different time period.
This is not candy for the eyes but is a great and serious story. Buy it and enjoy it. Tell your friends about it.

OK, first things first. Ignore the review that claims there is something mystical/Cormac McCarthy about this book. Admit it, McCarthy can be daunting and hard work to read. Think Lonesome Dove, not Blood Meridian. Cobb's characters come to life immediately. He tells their stories in alternating chapters. He also inserts the diary of another central character, a kidnapped settler, that I feared would grow cloying, but didn't. How he resolves her situation initially seemed abrupt, but the more I thought about it, I realized it was the correct resolution. Cobb obviously has done his research. The book reeks of authenticity (and reeks is the right word when you consider his descriptions of life in an Arizona Army outpost in 1871). Oh yeah, did I forget to mention, Shavetail is a lot of fun to read. This is the best Western I've read since Lonesome Dove and up there with my all-time favorite, Welcome to Hard Times. Buy it. Read it. Enjoy.

The perfect combination of wonderful pictures and superb story-telling. After having seen and read more than 15 books of the Southwest/Glen Canyon area, this is definitely one of the best. Jack Dykinga and Charles Bowden have done a wonderful job. Also, in the end of the book the raise the very necessary topic of how to (better) preserve the Colorado Plateau.

STONE CANYONS OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU contains 81 color photographs. Each of the photos occupies from 50-80% of the page. The book is large, 10 ¼ by 11 ¼ inches.

Most of the photographs are from Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, a little known park overlooked by most publications dealing with the American Southwest. Vermilion Cliffs encompasses Paria Canyon, Coyote Buttes, and a stone formation called "The Wave." The stone formation called The Wave seems to be in an area about a quarter the size of a city block. Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness is noted for its conical, haystack-like stone formations. The book contains plenty of photos of artistic merit.

Page 5 shows a few cones at close range and a dozen cones in the distance. Where the desert floor is made of stone, the stone is striped like a candy cane. FIVE STARS for this photograph.

Page 9 shows Bryce Canyon, with snow-covered cliffs in the distance, and dark clouds overhead. FIVE STARS for this dramatic photo.

Page 20 shows snow-covered buckwheat and a dead juniper. FOUR STARS for this depictions of the texture of the snow residing on top of the buckwheat.

Page 26 shows a hoodoo in the sun. The hoodoo consists of a dark pancake of stone supported by a an orange, funnel-shaped pedestal. Half of the photograph is in deep shadow, a sloping hill of stone.

Page 35 shows an arch with a garden of cottonwoods beyond. FIVE STARS for this rare image of pastoral beauty.

Page 45 shows a close-up of two cones at Paria Canyon. One of the cones looks like a little house.

Page 45 shows an angled stone formation in a canyon wall at Paria Canyon. The crazy angles resemble those of a Kandinsky painting.

Page 67 (also seen as the cover photo) shows a pond at The Wave. This is one of the greatest landscape photographs ever taken in the history photography. FIVE STARS.

Page 69 shows a crazy, bizarre stone formation at Paria Canyon. What we see is a pancake consisting of a cluster of thin stone sheets, where the pancake is supported by two pedestals. This is one of the most bizarre landscape photographs taken in the history of photography. FIVE STARS.

Page 70 shows an excellent arrangement of cones in the distance, with swirling stone spirals, and a dead juniper in the foreground. The juniper has a spiraling grain. FIVE STARS.

Page 99 shows a slot canyon, where there are various qualities of light--a warming bath of glowing orange, a harsh white glare, an even indirect illumination with no shadow, and deep shadow. The image is reminiscent of those depicted in Bruce Barnbaum's astonishing book, VISUAL SYMPHONY.

Page 116 shows a dozen tiny waterfalls, where water spills from knife-edge stone formations that form the streambed. This unique image is somewhat reminiscent of David Muench's depiction of Havasupai Falls, in NATURE'S AMERICA (page 125 of NATURE'S AMERICA).

One wishes for more photos of The Wave. For those interested in more of The Wave, I recommend Reiner Sahm's book, CANYONLANDS PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHY. Reiner Sahm's book also introduces the reader to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, and to Goblin Valley State Park, two other parks vastly underrepresented by books on the American Southwest. Also Laurent Martres has two books (two volumes) on Utah and Arizona. The second volume features a number of photos of The Wave.

The quality of the prints in Mr.Dykinga's book is quite good. With the naked eye, one cannot discern any grain in the color prints. However, with a loupe (5X magnification), the grain is readily evident. The grain does not resemble specks, but instead takes a form resembling that of woven cloth.

Fortunately, only a minority of the photographs in Mr. Dykinga's book are flower pictures. There are only eight flower pictures. Also, fortunately, none of the photos contains people, e.g., tourists, hikers, or indigenous farmers. As is the case with Ansel Adams, Bruce Barnbaum, David Muench, and a handful of other photographers, Mr. Dykinga takes extra care (and time) to wait for the lighting conditions to be perfect, before depressing the shutter.

Mr.Dykinga is an experienced photographer, as indicated by the fact that he won the Pulizer Prize. The prize, awarded to him in 1971, was for his photographs at the Lincoln and Dixon State Schools for the Retarded in Illinois, when he worked for the Chicago Sun-Times.

The number of photographic works exploring the nuances of the Colorado Plateau is seemingly endless. Many can be browsed once and left behind. This book is the scintillating exception.

Jack Dykinga's photographic work is simply exceptional, and beyond the pale. Each color photograph appears as exquisitely crafted as a piece of fine crystal, beginning with very cover of the paperback edition. One can only envy his great patience and expertise in composing each work.

Much of the photography comes from the Paria Wilderness, an area of the Plateau not usually treated to any degree in most works, and the novelty is refreshing. A particularly enjoyable facet of the book is that use of a telephoto lens has been largely eschewed, leaving a series of scenes that the enterprising tourist can find and view with his or her own eyes, just as depicted by the book.

Charles Bowden's accompanying text is evocative and hearkens a wild diffusion of images and memories of the fascinating region.
It is an apt companion to Dykinga's superb work.

If you are limited to five or less books about the Colorado plateau, let this be one of them. I enjoy it more every time I read it.

An hymn to the nature and it's landscapes, whose pictures are superb in both the technical and artistic plans.

In 1998 I'd seen a photo on a calendar of the Vermillion Cliffs in Utah, but had no idea where exactly it was located. I teach photography and my students and I had done some research to find it, but discovered it was a very large area. When I found Mr. Dykinga's book I was even more determined for my students to see and photograph the area. Needless to say, the book is truly inspirational thanks to Jack's remarkabe work.!
If you know a photographer or a traveller - this is the book for them! Enjoy the treat yourself as well.

Jeff Grimm
Bedford, TX

It is a shame that Amazon.com has to put on-line the review by Kirkus. I don't know who wrote it--he didn't sign his name--but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a jealous, inferior writer lashing out with his tiny pen.

The shame is this: Wandering Time is a fine book. A great book. One of the best books I have read. Urrea's language has a music all its own. That's as clear as I can say it. He knows the word-music, the secret combination that strings the right sounds together in the right order--turns the language into something better, something sweeter than it is for the rets of us, something delicious.

The Kirkus review sounds an awful lot like what they said about Mozart. In that regard it is appropriate. But in no other way.

Luis writes from his soul; he is a wonderful person and it shows in his work. Kirkus doesn't know what he/she's talking about...Luis is one of the world's greatest writers, and one of my favorite people. I hope he's happy and well. I am, Nicolina

This little book fell off the bookstore shelf in front of me while I was browsing so I knew it was meant for me to buy and read. It was also the first time I felt so inspired to write to the author to say how much his writing moved me. The book tells of his travels around the Western US while trying to find direction in his life but it is really a heart to heart talk with the reader. You will feel like you have an author for a best friend and you will never forget the beauty of how he puts his words together.

This American poet writer delivers songs in sentences and has a singular voice that calls out to you long after the book is lost on the shelf. His words don't just stay with you, but the spirit of a decent man does too. An engaging, funny, reflective, lyrical read.

I knew Luis and the other half of this "troubled marriage" (Kirkus Review) that ended. She left, he fell apart, she fell apart. But that was seven years ago! He's remarried and she has a two year-old by someone else! This is one of the great writers of our time; surely he can find something more interesting to think and write about. P.S. where do you want me to send your dad's records???

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone going to AZ to hunt quail. Web Parton does an excellent job in writing this book...he's entertaining as well as informative.

This book establishes Web as the authority on Arizona wingshooting. If you own a shotgun you need this book.

I have mixed feelings about this book - it is a book packed with info & I imagine it would be very helpful to somebody who had never lived in Arizona & who wasn't already familiar with our native birds. So, if you don't know what the heck a Gambel's Quail is or what they look like, I'd imagine this would be the book for you. On the other hand, as someone who grew up in Tucson I can tell you that you'll still be a long way from finding any birds w/ this book in hand. It has general areas where birds can be found - but nothing that helped me find any more birds in the field than I found have found anyway...as a traveling wingshooter you'd still need another resource to help tell you exactly where to go (whether it be the guy at the gas station in Sonoita or a buddy who hunts doves near Picacho, etc)

I HAVE NEVER READ A BOOK WITH MORE FEELING, KNOWLEDGE, AND JUST PLAIN "SMARTS" AS THIS BOOK BY "WEB" PARTON. I"M A VERY EXPERIENCED HUNTER AND SHOTGUN PERSON AND COULD NOT BELEIVE I WAS READING A BOOK WITH THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF THE HUNTING, GUNS, AND SHELLS REQUIRED. MOST BOOKS SHOW THEIR IGNORANCE IN A FEW PAGES, THIS BOOK I COULD NOT PUT DOWN, IT'S THE TRUTH--READ THIS BOOK. PARTON IS MY HERO.

For anyone planning a trip for bird hunting in Arizona this book is the Bible. Up to date and precise on maps, roads, and habitat. I've hunted Arizona quail for 12 years and found his information to be right on the money. I've even picked up a few pointers from his book. Well worth having this book in your arsenal to hunt the very cagey desert quail.

I won't repeat what was said in earlier reviews. This book is one-of-a-kind. It was both fun to read and a bit uplifting, too. Of course, if you were from Phoenix--and especially during the 1960's--you'll get more out of this book, but there is still something for everyone. The sixties and it's music affected everyone. Most of the book is stories and anecdotes told in the actual words of many people involved in pop/ rock music, and even though at first I wanted the author's comments in between each one, I soon decided it was for the best.

The book conveys well the excitement, experimenting, and innovation of the times. Phoenix produced some famous musicians, and produced some like myself, who never made it big. But it was fun. Of course, there were excesses during that decade, but many of us like some in the book, learned from our mistakes. Lastly, there is the huge role that music and community plays in expanding the consciousness, or awareness. It's there in between the lines of this book, shouting at the reader.

WOW,WHAT A GREAT INTERPATATION OF THE TEEN SCENE,MUSIC,AND ROCK BAND MEMBERS FOURTY YEARS AGO. GROWING UP IN PHOENIX DURING THAT ERA I COULD FAINTLY REMEMBER THOSE GREAT TIMES,AUTHOR ED WINCENTSEN REALLY GIVES A "DOWN TO EARTH ACCOUNT "OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING,AND THE PLAYERS INVOLVED DURING THAT TIME.I THINK ANYONE,FROM THAT TIME AN PLACE,CAN'T HELP BUT TO GET NOSTALGIC.

It was great to see George Washington Bridge recognized in the book. if you grew up in Phoenix,it was a special experience to see Duane Witten and crew. Their sound was outstanding and not duplicated. I would rather hear GWB tune up than see Iron Butterfly live.

As a pre-teen muscian in Phoenix, I went to Duane's house and asked him for the words to Mr. Tamborine Man (no internet in the 60's). The annoyed yet classy guy complied.

If you like to read about rock music -- regardless of where you grew up, you will love this book. Phoenix has never received as much credit as it deserves for it's rich local music scene. From Dyke and the Blazers to Duane Eddy to Marty Robbins to Alice Cooper, Phoenix, Arizona was a happening place!

Close enough to L.A. to pick up all the latest trends. Far enough from L.A. to create it's own unique personality. The author does a great job of capturing the energy of that time via interviews with many of the local musicians who were making it all happen. There a lot of references to cultural touchstones -- those things that anyone who lived in Phoenix at the time will recall -- the radio stations, the drive-in movies, the local dances and on and on. It was the scene that spawned Alice Cooper, the Tubes, Goose Creek Symphony, Hub Kap and the Wheels and many more groups that went on the national or regional fame.

Regardless of where you lived, you will relate to many of the things in this book. If you try it, you won't be disappointed.

If you lived in Phoenix during the 1960's and have fond memories of the vital music scene that thrived there, or if you're just a fan of classic garage bands of the era, then this is the book for you! "Yes, Phoenix had Music in the Sixties!" contains fascinating details and photographs of many of the up and coming Phoenix rock & roll bands, some of which attained star status in the 70's. Remember Alice Cooper? They were The Earwigs and later The Spiders in Phoenix during the 60's. The list is amazing . . . The Vibratos, Floyd & Jerry, Thackeray Rocke, The Grapes Of Wrath, Mike Condello, Phil & The Frantics, The Hearsemen and more. In addition to the general history, many of the band members tell their own stories in candid interviews. It's all there, the studio banter, war stories about "the road" and the fascination and excitement these young rockers felt during their fledgeling years. You won't be disappointed in this book, it's a garage band collector's delight!