Southwest Books

The photographs of Robert Rivera's inventive gourd art are first rate. Rivera is THE pioneer in high quality artwork on a gourd, he has work in the Smithsonian and other well known places. He is never satisfied with one fabulous style, but is constantly moving and improving. The book tells the exciting story of a religious family who took a giant leap of faith as Robert left a "normal" job and went into the art business. Wow, a thrilling and inspiring story.

I thought this book was very interesting and informative. I would recommend this to anyone interested in native american art.

Great to finally see a fairly comprehensive and well done guidebook to the Bozeman area- we've been waiting for this one for some time! Easy to navigate with an impressive number of routes...something for everyone really. This truly is the must have guidebook for climbing in SW Montana- two thumbs up!

Romance of Waterfalls is a unique book on the magnificent waterfalls within day-trip range of Portland, Oregon. The 252 page work combines the best of a hiking book, coffee table book, nature book, art book, and a work of poetry and literature.For each of its 100 featured waterfalls, it provides a photograph-like pencil drawing, complete directions, time and distance, map, description, nearby attractions, hazards, accessibility to the physically challenged, view and kissing spots, picnic areas, restrooms, historical trivia, and a poem. Introductory and reference sections offer advice on weather, children, pets, and safety, and information on local wildlife and plants, the Chinook language, and phone numbers for reservations, information, and emergencies. It contains 165 illustrations and 111 poems, all original works by the authors.This one of a kind book can be enjoyed year around by all families, couples, and individuals, it should be in the library of every resident and visitor to the Pacific Northwest.

This is the first book I have read in a long while that literally had me laughing out loud! My husband can hardly wait to read it, after listening to me giggling and laughing loudly until tears came to my eyes. This book is only 96 pages, but it is filled with hilarious slap stick humor, based on believable everyday experiences!

You can't help but visualize the events as you read them. Curt Brummett is a true story teller. If you want a real laugh, read this book.

I'm disappointed that his other books are out of print, as I was looking forward to obtaining them to have a few more laughs!

Please write more!!!

Round Rock, Texas is located in Williamson County in central Texas about 15 miles north of Austin. For many years the population of Round Rock remained at about 3000, but in the past few decades the city has mushroomed to a current population of over 90,000. My daughter relocated to Round Rock several years ago, and I became familiar with the city through visiting her. I took a long train trip from Washington D.C. to Chicago and on through to Texas on the Texas Eagle, which until recently stopped at Round Rock.

I had the opportunity to remember Round Rock in this new pictorial history of the city in the Images of America Series from Arcadia Publishing. The Images of America series celebrates local American life through photographic histories of communities, towns and cities throughout our country. Each volume consists of 128 pages and about 200 photographs together with introductory textual material and annotations on the photos. Bob Brinkman, a historian on the Texas Historical Commission, prepared this excellent volume on Round Rock. Many things in the book brought back memories of my visits to Round Rock.

Round Rock was essentially created by the railroads. Although settlers moved to the area as early as the 1830s, the most important event in establishing Round Rock was the arrival of the International and Great Northern Railroad in 1876, making the area a boomtown. It was appropriate for me to travel to Round Rock by train, and, when I got to know the city, to see the railroad activity still prevalent in the area. Brinkman offers many photographs of trains, crossings, stations, and bridges showing the past and continued importance of railroading to Round Rock.

The City of Round Rock is named for a large limestone rock - the round rock - in the middle of a stream called Brushy Creek. In 1854, the then-village of Brushy Creek changed its name to Round Rock after, of course, the round rock. The round rock is a community gathering place, a local landmark, and a Texas historical site. I saw the round rock many times during my visits to the city. There are many photos of the round rock and of people enjoying the surrounding environs in Brinkman's book.

Downtown Round Rock includes several blocks of large old buildings that were used as general stores, broom factories, cheese factories, and other manufacturing or commercial ventures during the city's history. These buildings are still in use and have been designated a national historical area. When I was in Round Rock, the corner building on Main Street was in use as a restaurant with live musical entertainment during the evenings. The current Round Rock Public Library is located adjacent to this historic main street. Brinkman's book brought back memories of this delightful small town Main Street and of my walks through the area.

Finally, Round Rock is famous for its doughnuts. A small business called the Lone Star Bakery established in Round Rock in 1926 makes doughnuts that put the current large chains to shame. The doughnuts are made with a unique yellowish-orangy dough that is not found anywhere else. The shop has had several owners and locations since 1926. Between two of my visits to Round Rock, the Bakery burned down and thus was forced to move from one part of downtown to another. The mere fact of knowing of this new book on Round Rock made me crave a Round Rock Doughnut. It is probably fortunate for me that doughnuts do not ship well.

Brinkman has written a fine book about a distinctive American community. Readers who know Round Rock, Texas or who are interested in Americana will enjoy this pictorial history of Round Rock.

Robin Friedman

As the author I'm obviously biased, but a reader alerted me to this listing error. This new photography book (released October '08) is a blend of fine art and photojournalism that explores the relationship between Route 66 and the Santa Fe Railway (now the BNSF Railway). It's NOT out of print -- it's brand new. [...]

As for the book itself, more than 250 photos leap off the page in bold color, with a handful in rich black & white. Images from leading rail photographers such as Ted Benson, Gordon Glattenberg, Howard Ande, and Greg McDonnell add to the author's body of work, which spans over 20 years of shooting along the Mother Road and AT&SF. Take a trip from California to New Mexico through towns, deserts, canyons, forests and more.

The Royal Air Force In Texas: Training British Pilots In Terrell During World War II by Tom Killebrew is the fascinating and little known story of the first of six British flight training schools which were deliberately located in America for the express purpose of instructing Royal Air Force pilots during the years of the Second World War. These schools were necessary, for they trained new recruits away from the enemy attacks and poor weather conditions back in England. Yet they were not entirely safe; anything from collisions to running out of fuel could quickly claim the lives of these trainees. The Royal Air Force In Texas is an informed and informative descriptive survey into the militarily difficult times British military aviation history and a unique addition to the growing library of World War II histories.

Nice book to know about wild Life in Nepal before visiting to that place.By reading this book i love to visit that place

James Snead's Ruins And Rivals: The Making Of Southwest Archaeology presents the story of archaeology in the Southwest from the 1890s to the 1920s. Two major research traditions are scrutinized and compared - expeditions sent from major eastern museums, and those supported by archaeological societies based in the Southwest. Ruins And Rivals reveals how competition between institutions and those who espouse them has shaped modern Southwest archaeology. Eastern "museum men" and Western boosters all used archaeology for the approval of wealthy patrons, the advancement of their careers, and even their own personal glory sometimes at the expense of others. Ruins And Rivals is fascinating as a look into the foibles of the human psyche, as well as into the history of the Southwest. Highly recommended.