Colorado Books

This was a Christmas gift for my husband who always says, "I don't need anything. Please don't buy me any gifts." We live just outside of Denver so I thought it would be at a minimum, a nice "coffee table" book for anyone to look through. The book is much, much more than just a book to have on the coffee table. It gives us a wonderful look at the adorable and inocent faces of the children who grew up in Colorado many years ago. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys photography and/or history. My husband loves the book and has looked through it several tiems since Christmas (so I know he likes at least one of his gifts!) Great book!

Once started, I couldn't put this book down. Though occasionally somewhat technical at times, one need not be formally trained as an archaeologist to read and enjoy this book. Instead, this book makes a reader really want to be an archaeologist if not one already. The result of a symposium on the subject of the Ice Age peoples of the Rocky Mountains, it covers a pleasing array of subjects, beginning with an excellent overview by Christy Turner II on sites in what is now eastern Russia and their connection with the peoples of the Rockies, then other authors continue with detailed discussions especially of Ice Age sites in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, as well as mention of sites in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas (okay, so the Rockies aren't in Oklahoma or Texas, but the sites mentioned have a connection, anyway).

The volume closes with my favorite topic in this field: an extraordinary and fascinating chapter by James Benedict about Ice Age sites in the Front Range high country of the Colorado Rockies. The nice photographs of the landscape included in Benedict's article depict some scenes that have changed only slightly since the Ice Age, some other scenes perhaps a great deal, demonstrating that this is a rugged, dynamic, and difficult area to explore; most of the sites in Benedict's discussion are presently located in the Indian Peaks wilderness area. One readily imagines it would have been quite a formidable place during the Ice Age, yet people certainly passed through this region anyway, probably on a regular basis.

Dennis Stanford and Jane Day arranged the articles well and, though each chapter has its own unique author, each flows easily from one topic to the next. It is an outstanding compilation, and will hopefully be followed sometime soon with another representing the latest research in this field.

I have a collection of more than 100 books relating to Colorado andits history. "Images of the San Juans" is my favorite.

The large and well-preserved photographs from the Marvin and Ruth Gregory collection are fascinating as are the descriptions by P. David Smith. Most books offer only a sentence or two about a photograph but Mr. Smith gives a detailed description in a most interesting style. He points out small details in many of the photos which might otherwise go unnoticed. He answers questions and even raises a few of his own. I felt like I was being let in on some secrets from the past.

When I received the book, I anxiously leafed through the pages and stopped on page 38. The first words I read were "A chance to look back into the past is always something special."

Indeed, I enjoyed the journey through time.

Earl Murray of course did a good job in writing an excellent book, again. Since Isabelle Bird, the main character in this book, did a lot of travelling all over, I think a good series on many of her travels would be a great idea. If you're interested in reading about women in the west, this book is one to read. I have not yet been disappointed in any of Murray's books.

When I visited Mesa Verde some years ago, I looked for this book in the Park's Gift Shop bookcase. Sadly, it is not being sold there anymore. In its place are topical works meant for less educated [and interested] members of society.

'Indians of the Mesa Verde' gives the reader an excellent view into the world of these Ancient Americans and their way of life in their cliff dwellings. Little is sugar-coated to be politically-correct. The world of these Indians is accounted for by showing different chores through the seasons- from farming in the warmer months to the old and arthritis-ridden soaking up the feeble heat of the sun in the winters of southwestern Colorado.

Don Watson's book is worth having if you want to keep in mind that a whole culture once existed at that almost-mystical place before it had to endure the scourge of being a National Treasure subject to the ravages of public use and wear.

I bought three copies after reviewing all the Colorado cookbooks I could find while in Colorado and liked this one, hands down, for several reasons: variety of types of recipes, easy recipes and they are typical of the food you find in Colorado and they are great tasting. The book is set up well-organization of recipes is set up to take you through the day and the lay out is well done also. It is also neat to see which restaurants feature which recipes and which I have experienced in person.

The cooks/friends I gave the book to LOVED it and I had to get another book for myself because another friend wanted my copy. I highly recommend this book, you will happy you have it.

I came across this book while trying to find out what certain bugs were on our goldenrod (turned out to be...duh...the Goldenrod beetle :) Anyway, this was one ofthe best references I came across for insets located right here at home. I augment it with some of the audubon guides but this one has info that he others don't like importance of the insect, some extra detail on descriptions where the others fall short, info on young and what they look like. The color plates are also terrific. The images are large and detailed with great (pretty accurate) colors. I think this is a terrific book and I'd buy it all over again - wouldn'tr be without it.

THE INSIDERS' GUIDE TO DENVER is a great book that really gives you a feel for Denver and its outlying suburbs, describing where the best shopping is, including most of the area's major malls, as well as where the most desirable neighborhoods, tastiest food, and highest-quality health care are. The section on the radio stations, however, needs to be taken like the humor in AMERICAN WEDDING, 13 GOING ON 30, ALONG CAME POLLY, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS, DATE MOVIE, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, HARVARD MAN, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU, GARFIELD: THE MOVIE, DRIVE ME CRAZY, or GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES for several reasons: KKHK is now KQMT, and classic-rocker KRFX belongs under Rock, not Oldies. Other than this minor quibble however, the book is uniformly great.

The forces of nature are artistic in form, as can be seen from the images in this collection. All of the photos were taken in the Colorado River area from the state of Colorado down to the area of Lake Mead. Most were taken in national parks or other public lands. Some of the natural carvings are astonishing; over time the grains of sand blown by the wind have carved giant prominences of rock that seem to be reaching for the sky in supplication. And on occasion, there will be the remains of an ancient dwelling that seems to have been carved out of the rocks. My favorite in that area is found on page 37, and the caption is "White House Ruin, Canyon de Chelly, N. M.
In the eyes of many, the lands seen in these photos are desolate. However, that is a simplistic view. If you are capable of looking deeper, there is a great deal of beauty to behold.

My own ancestery is represented in this book (Jack Harry I) as he is called by our family. The uncle of our Great Grandfather Jack Harry II. I am from Anadarko, OK and this finally explains many of the stories and locations we all heard about as a kid, from Shirley Hill to the Tonkawa hills masssacre sites, and the understanding of how some of our people have the name Chisolm. The narrow tightrope of turmoil the tribes walked to wind up in Binger / Anadarko / Apache and Lawton is made visible and helps greatly to understand stories that we heard as kids. The previous area I search was the Texas Indian Papers and the Smithsonian, which give tidbits but not the mechanism of the period. I am deeply appreciative for this book and although it is a bit specialized, it goes beyond mere history and leaves me amazed at the people like Jessee Chisholm who did their best in a difficult time.