Southwest Books

This book shows the history of old Ft. Worth Texas from it's early days. History buffs of all kinds will enjoy looking through this wonderful little book.Current residents of the city are able to see the vast changes that Ft. Worth has undergone over the decades. Great pictures and informative reading.

Anyone who has ever visited the Fort Bowie National Historic Site in southeast Arizona knows what a unique experience that is (first of all, you have to hike in to the fort ruins a mile-and-a-half from a small parking area off a dirt road). The feeling at the site of being transported back in time is profound. Douglas McChristian has given us a thorough history of the fort and its role in the affairs of Arizona during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Before Fort Bowie was constructed in 1862, there was a Butterfield Stage station located near the site (its ruins are still visible). Apache raids on local ranches in the area brought a military response in 1861, which was unsuccessful in dispelling hostilities. With the advent of the Civil War, the importance of Apache Pass as a viaduct to the California gold fields for the Confederates became a major concern. Union volunteer cavalry under Gen James H. Carleton rode to Apache Pass, where on July 15-16, 1862, they fought a battle with several hundred Apaches at the springs near the pass. After the Indians were finally driven off, Carleton realized the pass needed to be fortified, and Fort Bowie was soon under construction.

The first Fort Bowie was in existence from 1862 to 1868 and consisted mainly of tents inside a stone breastwork. After the Civil War, the US Army (as opposed to state units) took over and a new fort was begun about a quarter-mile to the east. Much more substantial, it contained adobe buildings and included barracks, officers' quarters, storehouses, and a hospital. By the time the fort was abandoned in 1894, 38 buildings had been constructed (the ruins of these buildings is the chief attraction for a visitor today).

A tentative peace was established with the Apaches in 1872 when Cochise agreed to occupy a reservation that included their traditional homeland. There was restlessness on the reservation, however, and some bands (most famously, one led by Geronimo) left the reservation and wandered between the US and Mexico, escaping capture for years. Finally, in 1886, Geronimo and his band were caught and sent to Florida. Fort Bowie hung on for another eight years, but with the Indian wars at an end, the fort served little purpose. On October 17, 1894, the last troops marched out of the fort for other posts.

McChristian's account of life at the fort is fully detailed. Fort Bowie was an isolated post, and life there could be pretty lonely (drinking was a big problem). Actual encounters with the Indians were rare, though scouting expeditions were never-ending. The author lists all the commanding officers at the fort (the list is long and many officers stayed for only a month or two) and all the units stationed there (the Sixth US Cavalry was there the longest: 1875-85). His approach is scholarly (footnotes are numerous and many annotated), but it's not written for just other scholars. There are also many photographs. Fort Bowie was an important military post in the West, and this book relates its story well. Highly recommended.

Benjamin Franklin Cooling has written one of the most in-depth books ever on the Civil War in Tennessee and Kentucky. This is part 2 of his trilogy (the first book focused mainly on Forts Henry and Donelson) and I'm eagerly looking forward to part 3. Using a vast wealth of eyewitness accounts, diary exerpts, letters, military dispatches, and official records, Cooling has possibly written the most complete book yet on the Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee following the surrender of Fort Donelson.

The author clearly believes that the fall of Fort Donelson spelled disaster for the entire Confederate defense of Tennessee, and he presents his case strongly. Anyone studying this theater of the war can see that the Army of Tennessee was severely handicapped by improper leadership (although the underated and cautious Joseph Johnston was at least loved by the troops). I still don't know why the Confederates gave up the strategically vital city of Nashville in 1862 without a fight. To me, that seems an even bigger blunder than the Confederate surrender of over 12,000 troops at Fort Donelson.

This book has period illustrations and mostly excellent maps in each chapter, and you will be amazed by the amount of details crammed into each chapter. From the failed Southern invasion of Kentucky to the "uncivil" guerilla warfare in middle Tennessee that left the Union garrison at Nashville under "siege" (their supplies were cut off for a while because of the Confederate guerillas), this is a gripping tale and very important book that's highly recommended for any Civil War buffs.

Four Corners is a romantic novel written in third person. Judicious uses of slang, informal language, and potent visual imagery help to achieve a consistently romantic tone. Passages such as the one below and others set in Washington, DC and the Southwest illustrate this well. The gray-bearded driver nodded a greeting and opened the back door. "Wheah you goin', lady?" "The Chickawaukie Nursing home." "Youah not from around heah." It was a statement not a question. "I'll give you the scenic touah." As the cab passed the harbor crowded with boats, Anna saw the lobstermen in their yellow slickers sitting on their rope lockers, Winslow Homer foul-weather helmets covering their heads. They were staring out to sea. Their green vinyl-coated-wire lobster traps with their lines attached to their family's distinctively-painted wooden floats, were neatly stacked, waiting, begging to be baited and dropped into the ocean there to lure and capture their soft and hard shell prey. "No fishing today?" "Nope, see over theah? The entrance to the hahbah is blocked by the Coast Guard." Aside from illustrating the effective use of nonstandard language and visual imagery, the last sentence in this passage also introduces a passage that raises questions about issues such as cultural preservation and economic development. There is a continuous undercurrent of philosophical, political, and social issues that ebb and flow throughout the story. This is a distinctive characteristic of the manuscript that truly sets it apart from other works. Not only do the authors smoothly introduce these themes, but they do so in way that is both thought-provoking and inoffensive. Other highlighted subjects in the manuscript are investigative journalism, family values, the mass media, and the search for truth. Plot structure and characterization are skillfully handled. The basic plot is realistic. Events unfold in an orderly fashion that does not confuse the reader. Instead, effective use of subtle innuendoes and ambiguous statements tease the reader and keep him guessing about what turn of events will occur next. The climax is dramatic and in the end differences are reconciled and balance is restored to the world of Four Corners. Each character is precisely developed to carry out his role. There is a well-accented contrast between the main characters. Worthington is a champion of economic development; Anna a champion of cultural preservation. Important moral and psychological differences also exist between the two. Anna is depicted as promiscuous and somewhat unstable; Worthington is a model family man who generally keeps his troubled past in check. Symbolically the two are Yin and Yang. Their eventual union symbolizes the balance of opposing forces. Other characters such as Emily, Popé, and Dusty not only support the main characters, but, also act as symbols. Popé, Anna and Worthington's love child, is a symbol of hope for the future. Though romance readers are the most obvious target for this book, those interested in the behavioral sciences may enjoy this work as a refreshing, light alternative to the relatively dry works available on these subjects.

This is an excellent introduction to the explorer Coronado for young readers. The writing is clear and concise and the pictures are colorful. I recommend it.

The story of Frank Kingdon Ward and his exploration of this remote unexplored part of Tibet is marvelous. His writing flows, he takes hardship and danger placidly, and his descriptions are wonderful. The photos and maps make you feel as if you are there with him, knowing his porters, the village people and friends. This is a great book to add to your collection of favorites.

In a stunning edition limited to only 500 copies, Frank Paul Sauerwein is the result of a collaborative effort by Michael R. Grauer (Rio Grande Trust), Elaine Maher Harrison (Rio Grande Press), and Steve Holmes (Burro Alley) and provides the reader with a vividly enhanced biography and analysis of Frank Paul Sauerwein, a master painter of the American Southwest who lived from 1871-1910. Sauerwein's brief life, brilliant career, and untimely death are explored in this extensive study of his work, which also showcases his memorable artworks in full color. The powerful, earthen tones and Sauerwein's human and realistic portrayal of Native American subjects in his art mark this limited edition volume as an unforgettable biography and a strongly recommended addition to American Art History reference collections.

This is a nice book about a young well to do girl in the Old Southwest. That means when it was part of Mexico! A really cute book about a girl trying to be raised by her mom to be a good wife. Of course, the girl's a tomboy!

This book is 120 pages in length and was published in 1982. It is soft cover. What a great book this is! I only wish mine was in better condition. Although all of the photographs in the book are black and white, these are truly some of the greatest Frisco photos I have ever seen. I leaf through this book often. There are several pictures of the streamlined steam locomotives both before and after! Also some beautiful pictures taken inside the Diesel Shops in Springfield, Missouri and good Texas Special pictures too. If you are a Frisco Railroad fan or are learning about the Frisco, this book is a must have! This book helps you escape into a world where the Frisco still lives. I could give no book a higher rating.

(From Planeta.com Journal) - Subtitled "Architecture and Landscape across the Mexico-United States Border, this book is tour-de-force that gives visual explanations of the great changes at the heart of the US/Mexico Borderlands. The book is expertly illustrated with maps and black-and-white photos, but the majority is space has been crafted by the author. It's a wonderful medley of observations, historical anecdotes and interviews with the architects themselves. Highly recommended.