Southwest Books

The author of this fine collection of short stories devotes the last 25 pages to an argument against the writing of fiction, claiming among other things that it leads both writer and reader away from actual human experience, a condition he regards as more or less immoral. And he's apparently remained true to his resolve. These stories, written in the 1960s and published 20 years later, seem to be the end of his fiction writing.

Too bad for us. These are terrific stories, set in Texas and written with grace, humor, and a solid gift for making enjoyable characters spring to life on the page. It's a men's world they inhabit, a world of frat boys, cowboys, good ole boys, a TV news director, and a Keats-loving minister. For me, he reaches near perfection in the last of them, "Three Days in a South Texas Spring," as he follows an ageing rancher on his yearly trip to town (San Antonio), where he remembers his life and ruminates on the eventual end of it.

Apparently still in print. An essential addition to any shelf of Texas literature.

A outstanding compilation of life as it was and still is for many. Having lived in the atmosphere of that setting, I found the reading chilling and personal, as if it hit home. The lasting impression of his thoughts and recollection continue to allow me to relive that memorable time in life when we all thought everything was so simple. Like so many, I often fail to put myself in an author's position, however, in this case, I am greatful for his talents and abilities to relate real life.......I was there......part of his family during these times. So, thanks for the memories Dave.

One of the few books stolen from me by a friend (make that ex-friend). I am greatly comforted to know this book is still available as it is one of the books I cherished most and was so anxious to replace. Hickey is, I believe, a journalist, and this is the only book, a collection of short stories, he has published. Can't remember the specific title of the favorite story, something like "On the Trail of the Longhorn Cattle", but it is a classic about an old cowman, alone at home, trapped in a bathtub, with his dead nurse on the tile floor, waiting for his son to return home from a business trip.

Written and illustrated by Irene Brady, The Redrock Canyon Explorer: A Virtual Visit To An Imaginary Canyon is a highly enjoyable and strongly recommended companion to exploring redrock canyons of the Southwest. Packed from cover to cover with black-and-white illustrations, The Redrock Canyon Explorer showcases amazing facts about canyon history and wildlife, from how lizards run, to the life cycles of ravens, to the Ancestral Pueblo Native American culture that once called the redrock canyons home. The Redrock Canyon Explorer is a truly amazing, fact-filled and exciting guide for nature lovers of all ages and backgrounds.

I purchased this book for my 3rd Grader thinking it might be a bit over her head - on the contrary, she has LOVED it! Each 2-page chapter covers a particular desert animal. One page has a 'story' about the animal and the other page lists bite-sized facts about the animal and it's habitat. The illustrations are realistic pen & ink and there are LOTS of them. There is a terrific reference section in the back which includes everything from how to hike in the desert to an extensive list of additional reference books.

This beautiful book is a stunning breakthrough in nature writing. "The Redrock Canyon Explorer" by Irene Brady combines the best in scientific accuracy with high adventure as she describes and illustrates the hidden life of the Colorado Plateau. For research or for recreational reading, children and adults alike will delight in the exquisite drawings and lyrical narrative of the creatures who live in the high desert Southwest. Curl up in front of a cozy fire with this lovely and informative book, or take it with you as a guide in your Southwest travels. This is a book to cherish for a lifetime and to give to the most discriminating friend. I recommend it without reservation.

Frank McNitt's biography of Richard Wetherhill, the pioneer explorer of the Anasazi culture of the Four Corners Region of the southwest has been in print since 1957. Not a bad record for a trade book, that is to say not a textbook. McNitt's eastern based publishing family owned the Brentwood Newspaper in suburban Los Angeles. Frank, sent out as publisher, vacationed with his family in New Mexico and was ever after attracted to the Southwest. On subsequent trips he heard of Richard Wetherill, the Quaker rancher from Mancos,CO whose family property was below Mesa Verde. As a Quaker, son of a former Indian Agent, Wetherill's honest relationship with the local Utes permited him to range the nearby Mesa Verde canyons unmolested. Here he and his brothers made the first significant explorations of the mostly unknown Anazasi ruins there. Sponsored by the Babo Soap heirs he would eventually discover or explore every significant Anasazi site in four states. He homesteaded at Chaco Canyon,the grandest Anasazi of them all. To finance his commitment to exploration he became one the most successful promotors of Navajo crafts, igniting a national decorative fad before WWI. His goods hung in the Waldorf Astoria Bar, a young Joseph Campbell saw Wetherill's Anazazi collections at The American Museum of Natural History, the St. Louis World's Fair featured his basketmaker culture artifacts. Independent, individualistic and highly humanistic in his relationships, Wetherill,by his very nature threatened those less talented or secure. His archeology was demeaned by professionals. He was subverted by agents of the Dawes Severalty Act,a law binding native Americans to enforced assimilation and dependency. Wetherhill's business enterprises among the Navajo gave lie to the need for the Dawes Act. Assassinated from ambush in what McNitt concludes was a political manipulation, Wetherill was dead by 1910. McNitt's investigative talents lead him through years of research and oral history depositions with living contemporary's of Wetherill. McNitt moved to New Mexico to be closer to his research, supporting himself as a publisher at Farmington and breifly as an employee of The University of New Mexico Press. He wore out a Land Rover driving the unpaved reservation roads of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah to track down facts about Wetherill. McNitt's awe at what he found is disclosed in balanced journalistic terms which build, chapter-upon-chapter into the stuff of legend without a scintilla of sentimentality to mar the art.

Very interesting and complete. Makes you want to visit and keep exploring. Well written. Holds you interest.

To the archaeologists Richard Wetherill is a villain -- an uneducated cowboy who plundered the ruins of the pre-historic civilization of the Southwestern Indians. Author McNitt takes the opposite tact, portraying Wetherill as an upright honest man whose accomplishments, the first scientific examinations of the great ruins at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon, far outweigh his faults. Adding to the enigma of Wetherill is the matter of his death -- murdered in cold blood by a Navajo Indian debtor according to this author, the loser in a gunfight caused by his own cattle rustling according to others. Wetherill inspired strong passions in both life and death.

This is a fine biography. The first few chapters may be hard slogging as the book goes through Wetherill's early life, but the chapters of Wetherill's life and work at Chaco Canyon leading up to his death in 1910 are fascinating. The author follows up the shooting of Wetherill with a full description of the trial of his killer and the aftermath of his death. This is a Western tale worthy of an epic movie and one has to wonder why it has not attracted Hollywood's attention.

McNitt makes a persuasive case that Wetherill's reputation was the victim of ambitious Eastern academics, jealous of his discoveries, and government Indian agents, jealous of his influence among the Navajo. I was impressed at how little dated were his descriptions of the ancient civilizations of the Anasazi, although the book was written in 1957.

Was Wetherill a hero or a villain? The controversy about his character makes for a fascinating read.

Smallchief

This was an extraordinary book that shows the vital necessity of protecting this area from projects like Anglo-American's Pebble Mine, which could ruin the salmon fishery at the heart of the ecosystem.

Much of the photos in this book are taken from fairly high up, helicopter or aircraft. Composition is better than anything in the genre. Medium format Pentax 645 ensures a high level of detail. Printing quality is among the best i've seen. This is not just another book on the beauty of Alaskan wilderness. Interesting text for those with little background on salmon and their rivers.
A masterpiece!

Rivers of Life has stunningly beautiful photography of the rivers and fish of Bristol Bay, Alaska. Although I have been there several times, Ketchum and Hampton's book reveals so much more about this remote region than a visitor would typically see or learn. It also documents the poignant inside story of the history of this, the world's greatest wild salmon fishery, and the century-long struggle among the natives, commercial fishermen, sport-fishermen, and government to conserve the resource and use it wisely.

Gordon and Cathie Sullivan have done an outstanding job of describing many of the more accessible ruins and rock art sites of the Southwest. The text gives a succinct overview of each site and what is known about its history. The color photography is outstanding, and the production qualities of the book are first-rate. This has clearly been a labor of love by two people who have really done their homework.

I own many books on prehistoric ruins and rock art of the Southwest. None can cover everything. This book focuses on the more easily accessible sites (not always well known) and a few well-known but less accessible ones like Keet Seel and Betatakin. It also doesn't go into a lot of detail about what you will see when you get there. But as an overall introduction to prehistoric Indian ruins and rock art, there is none better.

Last Week I was driving east of Flagstaff, Arizona when I noticed a sign saying Walnut Creek National Monument. I had no idea what was there, but turned off to go see. It was fascinating. A collection of cliff dwellings from the long ago Sinagua indian tribe. It was only by accident that I went there.

Then I found this book that describes and pictures all or nearly all of what remains from these early cultures in the four corners area. It is beautifully done, both the writing and the pictures. Using it we were able to find numerous points to visit that we simply wouldn't have thought about otherwise.

The book talks about a lot of places such as Walnut Creek as well as the larger, better known sites such as Mesa Verde. It covers my own favorites of Hovenweep, Chaco Canyon and Canyon de Chelly quite well. This is, foremost a visitors guide. It is not a book on the people, where they came from or why they left. It doesn't cover things like why do experts think that people didn't really live at Chaco Canyon. It tells you instead that Chaco exists, how to find it, and what's there.

I reviewed this book for the Gila Cliff Dwellings bookstore that I run down here in Southwest New Mexico and am extremely pleased with this publication and thrilled to add it to my stock as a "Staff Pick." For the SW visitor (or resident!)interested in exploring ruins and sites here I encourage the purchase of this book not only for the outstanding photography that captures the essence of this area but for the research and accurate content, which is often hit-or-miss with travel books. The authors have included many obscure sites along with the popular ones.

The sections of Route 66 pertaining to the Miller Family is essentially a 'family history' in that my wife, ne Miller, is a direct descendent of the Miller Family noted in the book. She assisted the author with a few photos as well as snippets of the Miller Family history.

Tom Repp thoroughly and accurately researched into the lives of individuals and events portrayed in Route 66, especially those relating to the Miller Family. All coincides with known family histories of individuals and locations in Northern Arizona. Through his research, he confirmed information previously known only by rumor within the Miller Family, as well as additionally filling in many genealogical gaps and relationships.

Prior to Tom Repp writing his book, my wife, other members of the Miller Family and I, have made several road trips to a number of locations noted in Route 66. We've met, and talked with family descendents as well as to those who personally knew the Miller Family, including Chief 'Yellow Knife' at the "Cave of the Seven Devils" just the year prior to his death.

Route 66 is a well documented, vividly accurate glimpse into the colorful lives and events of individuals that helped make Route 66 famous. The author's indepth research and 'artist brush' presentation of its equally colorful history, breathes life once again into what in most part is now a somewhat lonely strip of concrete, sand and sagebrush. He accurately portrays the lives and events in that colorful history of the west, which will never appear in school books. But describes all in such a way people will remember that history, its names and places.

Filled with gorgeous full-color photography, Route 66: The Romance Of The West is a fascinating slice of American history and a "yesteryear" way of life. Filled with anecdotes garnered along the length of what is perhaps the most famous highway in America, Route 66: The Romance of the West presents such unique locales as the Wigwam Motel, Dinosaur Caverns, Lyon Pony Express Museum and much, much more. A treat for armchair travelers, Route 66: The Romance Of The West is an exciting treasure trove of nostalgic memory and cultural legacy. Also very highly recommended is author Thomas Arthur Repp's previous book, Route 66: The Empires Of Amusement.

Here's the story behind those magical roadside attractions children of all ages longed to stop at during your family travels on old Route 66. They're all here...trading posts, snake pits, the strange and the unusual places designed to lure travelers off the road. Thomas Repp spent years researching and interviewing surviving business owners and their survivors to provide intimate and fresh details about these gems from the past. A must-have for any serious Route 66 enthusiast or to anyone who enjoys reading about the old roadside businesses that made traveling what it was during the post-war period. This book is a complement to Thomas's first book, Empires of Amusement, which covered the eastern part of Route 66 in much the same way.

If you like unprocessed, uninterpreted real history, you can't do better than reading original journals of people who experienced it. This treasure of a journal, discovered in an attic just a few decades ago, tells the day-by-day adventures of Jedediah Strong Smith, one of the greatest American western explorers. His travels are second only to Lewis and Clark's in significance for the opening the West. This book is the journal of Smith's first trek to California from the Rockies and back. It is filled with both the excitement of discovery, and the perils of horse-and-foot travel among potential enemies in inhospitable lands. You will read first-hand accounts of near starvation and thirst, of Indian attacks, of mountain blizzards and waterless deserts, of near drownings in rivers, of weary travels over wastelands and mountains, and other accompaniments of exploration in a day without roads, maps, telephones, electricity and fast food.

What makes this account so valuable is Jedediah himself. Serious and unpretentious, devoutly Christian and a man of high integrity, Smith was not the stereotypical Mountain Man. In just eight years since joining William Ashley's band of trappers (1824), killed by Indians at age 32, he had traveled most of the Western United States, surviving herculean odds along the way. One unforgettable scene in this journal has Smith meditating to himself atop a peak in the Sierras, after having suffered severe hardships with his men against snow and Indians. He reminisces about the comforts and joys of his childhood home back East, but then in the spirit of true courage, faces the desperate reality of his situation and the fact his men are counting on his leadership. From there he faces several life-and-death struggles getting over the Sierra Nevada (first white man to make the crossing) and across the desolate Great Basin wastelands and back to the Rendezvous near Salt Lake. When he arrives, his friends, who thought him long dead, celebrate by firing a cannon they had carted over the Rockies from St. Louis. [Historical note: within days, Smith was off to California again, this time to suffer even more hardships all the way to Oregon, including two Indian massacres.]

This was one of Smith's most important journeys; known previously only by some letters and pieces of the journal, we now have the full account! I'm surprised this book doesn't get more attention; I found it captivating. The descriptions of Mission San Gabriel, early Pueblo Los Angeles and the Mexican-controlled early California culture are revealing. Having seen the mission today hemmed in by the city, I now have the eyes of Smith and his aide Harrison Rogers (who died the following year in the Umpqua Massacre in Oregon), to see how it must have appeared in 1827. George R. Brooks' helpful footnotes give background information and locations, so that you can follow the route on a map. I think it would make a terrific family vacation to retrace his journey. From your air-conditioned van, along I-40 in desolate eastern California, or along I-80 in Nevada, look out your window and imagine Smith and his weary men in a desperate search for water, as you cover in a half-hour what took them two days.

In an age where history is processed through Hollywood tall tale tellers, who don't hesitate to rewrite what happened according to their politically correct biases, we need to get the story straight from the source. (Hmmm, this journal would make a great film epic, though.) We also need to appreciate the courage and fortitude of our pioneers, who accomplished great things with much less. Get a map of the Western states, open this book, and discover America with Jedediah Strong Smith!

I don't think I'd be stretching things too much if I said these journals are almost as important as those kept by Lewis and Clark. Smith's expedition to California in 1826-27 had been known about, of course, but no written account ever appeared until the account presented here was discovered in 1967. (Later travel journals by Smith were discovered in the 1930s.) In Smith's eulogy in 1832, the fact that Smith had kept notes of all his travels was mentioned. Interestingly, in 1840 the "Missouri Saturday News" reported that it was about to publish all of Smith's travel accounts in the West for subscribers, as compiled by one Alphonzo Wetmore, but it never happened. The final coming to light of this missing portion of Smith's adventures is a major find in Western exploration.

Smith left the 1826 rendezvous on the Bear River in Idaho, heading to the southwest, to explore new territory and evaluate the country in terms of beaver productivity. He skirted the Great Salt Lake and headed toward Utah Lake. Here he turned to the southeast to the Price River, and then south to the Curtis. Turning west he struck the Sevier River and then crossed the Escalante Desert to the Virgin and the Colorado. He followed the Colorado to the Mohave Villages (near present-day Needles). Apparently his original plan was to return to the Bear Lake region, but believing the season too late to do so, decided to continue to California.

Crossing the Mojave Desert he made his way to San Gabriel, sidetracked to San Diego, got in trouble with the Spanish governor, and hitched a ride on a ship back to near San Gabriel. Heading back toward the Mojave to appease the Spanish, he diverted north up through the center of California to the San Joaquin and then the American River. Backtracking to the Stanislaus River he crossed the Sierra Nevadas via Ebbetts Pass. Passing south of Walker Lake he crossed the desert wastes of Nevada, suffering great hardship (the first white to do so), then northeast across Utah, reaching the Bear Lake rendezvous in July 1827. As soon as the rendezvous ended Smith went back to California taking pretty much the same route, but that journey is not included here.

As with the Lewis and Clark journals every mile traveled and described was new. But Smith wasn't just keeping an explorer's log, as important as that is. We also get his impressions - of the wealthy Spanish at San Gabriel, of the governor of San Diego, his description of a woodpecker south of the San Joaquin. Above all we get a strong sense of Smith's incredible bravery and perseverance, especially in crossing the Sierra Nevadas, when every passage he tried to get through was a dead end, and while crossing the Great Basin where he and his party almost died of thirst. It's a magnificent travel account. Also magnificent is the editing by George R. Brooks, which is very full and detailed. There are a couple of decent maps thrown in as well. This book is a major American document in the development of the country.

Few men parallel the exploratory achievements of Jedediah Smith in the western U.S. This journal, written by Smith, illustrates the many hardships and sacrifices one must overcome in order to accomplish those dreams of exploration. Extremes of desert heat, impenetrable mountain snow depths, thirst, hunger, fatigue, momentary disorientations, spatterings of Indian hostilities, indecisions of Mexican officials in Spanish California, etc. were all obstacles to conquer on the road to uncharted territories. He attempted peace treaties between the Utes and Shoshonies, spent time with the Mohave Indians along the Colorado River (one of the first written accounts of their culture), describes Spanish mission life in southern California, the trek northward encountering Indian animosity, the first crossing of the Sierra Nevadas by a U.S. citizen and finally, the Herculean journey across the Great Basin to the 1827 rendezvous at Bear Lake. We are very fortunate that this journal came to surface as it is of major historical significance. Mr. Brooks' editing is exceptional.

Long before I ever ventured into the Southwest (I did, eventually, to live & work), I brought this little cookbook home to add to my collection. Over the years I cooked it ragged, then loaned it to a friend. It has never come home, so I am absolutely delighted to find a replacement.

This book is full of gorgeous photos and easy, tasty recipes for authentic Southwestern foods. You'll find good food and enjoyment here for years to come.

Marcia Keegan's Southwest Indian Cookbook wonderfully showcases Pueblo and Navajo recipes enhanced with beautiful photographic images and thematically appropriate quotes. From Potato and Tomato Cream Soup; Skillet Squash; and Taos Rabbit; to Pueblo Venison Stew; Indian Fry Bread; and Navajo Cake, the Southwest Indian Cookbook is a fitting culinary tribute to Native American cuisine and would grace any multicultural kitchen cookbook collection.

This my favorite cookbook covering Pueblo and Navaho foods. Not only are the recipies delicious and authentic, but the many photographs of the people and the landscape of the southwest, along with their words, has produced a small but beautiful book that displays the recipies within the context of the land and cultures.

All the bases for early country releases from Capital with a chapter on Ray Price. I also love the indeph mentions of the musicians particuarly the steel guitar players(not just Speedy
West).

Southwest Shuffle by Rich Kienzle is a fascinating survey of the pioneers of honky-tonk, Western swing and country jazz music considers the evolution of musical styles and talents alike, from swing fiddler Spade Cooley to country musician Willie Nelson. The focus on musician interactions, collaborations and influences across genres is particularly insightful and rich in this fine history.

great book.

Great book. I buy all books Rich writes. The only writer that does his research about guitar players. He always gives credit to other authors when he quotes their material.

Very useful. Lots of information. Will use other Eyewitness Travel series for planning next getaway.

If you are planning to se the wonderful sights of the southwest this is an excellent book. It covers all of the national parks in Arizona and New Mexico as well as Las Vegas. If you are going to just Las Vegas or just the Grand Canyon I would recommend getting the more specific books than these but if you are looking for a regional book it cannot be beat. Highly recommend.

The Southwest USA & Las Vegas travel guide is chock full of informative information, culture, and pictures in a streamline 300 page volume. Although personally, I think Las Vegas should be its own volume, I found the information about the Southwest quite helpful. I particularly appreciated the cultural information included and the fact that website addresses for most sites were included with the information blurb. This is a useful travel companion for those intending to see the four corners area and beyond!