Arizona Books

This "pocketbook" and I say that loosly due to the heavty size is a must have for any echo tech. It is a life saver when trying to recall pathology or getting an accurate classification of pathology. Well worth the money.

This is a great reference book for any Cardiac Sonographer... its a must. The only complaint I have about the book is that it does not have an index.

I received the first edition of this book during my cardiovascular training and thought it was the perfect book for helping with the various criteria and findings for various cardiovascular conditions from the point of view of the echo exam. When I came across this second edition, I found that Reynolds did the impossible; he improved on this perfect book. The criteria and findings are supplemented by numerous images depicting the item described (example: mitral flow patterns). This definitely helps to reinforce the material. By no means a stand-alone text, but when combined with Otto or Feigenbaum, a ready reference and review tool. Highly recommended!!

I have been in the field since the 70's and find this reference to be one of the best. I always find what I want quickly and also use it for a teaching guide with students doing their externships with me. Anna Wynott B.S., R.D.C.S.

This book offers a wealth of information but the format is terrible and misspelled words are a frequent find. Mr. Reynolds is extremely inconsistent throughout the entire book, interchanging words such as univentricle and single ventricle anatomy within the same chapter. There is no index which makes any quick search impossible. The binding used for the handbook is of very poor quality. Both the front and back covers ripped within 4 weeks of normal use and had to be taped on.

My children read this when they were small and I bought it for my grandson.

This is one of those children's books that grownups love to read to children and children love to read over and over again. We're into a third generation of Beverly Cleary fans. This book is especially great if you've been struggling to find something to read to a six year old boy!

Oh how we love Henry Huggins! My daughter (age 8) just adores these books! Our most recent read, Henry and Beezus didn't disappoint. Told in the same chapter style as the previous books, we start out with Henry and is dog getting into more trouble...this time with the neighbors and their roast and where Henry swears to his friends that he'll have a bike as nice as Scooter's. From there we follow Henry on a raccous, fun-filled set of adventures which involve him striking gum gold, untraining Ribsy to fetch the paper (hileraious), a dog and his parking ticket, an awesome and funny bike auction, and finally the boy who ate dog food! In this group of stories, Ramona and her sister are also key players in each adventure and they lend a nice touch to this particular set of stories. Will Henry get that spiffy red bike he's got his eye on? Will he ever save enough money...or will Ribsy and Ramona "help" him right out of his chance to get it? Since this story, like others in the series, was written in the 1950's, it has a dated "leave it to beaver" feel...but that's also a great deal of the charm. They are clean cut, the kid's respet their parents and take their problems to them...and whey they get in trouble, even though they somtiems lie...there is always discussion and rational solving of the issues. I like that and apparently so does my daughter. I give it an A+, another classic that is sure to keep right on pleasing kids for years to come!

Are you bored of mystery books? Well, get Henry and Beezus. It's the most funny book ever. It's about Henry wanting a bike and earning it. Henry finds lots of bubble gum packages and sells them. But a lot of kids at school are tired of them. Then Scooter goes to camp while Henry is taking his route to deliver Journals on the neighbors' front door step. Then Henry is dared to eat Woofy Dog Food. After that Henry has won beauty tickets, so Henry sold his beauty tickets and got his bike. --Andrea Arauza, Aimee Lopez, Shelly Newman and Diana Ruiz in Ms. Marik's 6th grade class

On a scale of one to ten Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary is a twenty. That is why I am going to try to persuade you to read this wonderful book. The first reason you should read this book is because once you pick it up you just cannot put it down. It has so many funny things that happen to Henry, Beezus, and Ramona that you cannot wait to read what happens next. Now I am going to tell you a little about this book. It is about a boy, Henry, who wants a new bicycle. His parents cannot afford to buy him one so he decides to find a way to get the money himself. If you want to know how he gets the money you will have to read the book. But don't think that reading a book about a boy that gets money to get a bike is boring. In this book Beverly Cleary makes it so much more interesting. So if you want a book that you can read that will bring the kid side out of you again, read Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary.

This book give to the reader and future traveller an unique vision of the history of this country. the writer help us to understand the people that inhabited this country and the geological features of this land of enchantment. For an european like me is the first and essential step to the visit of a country.

This is a great travel book, providing quick and easy to reference to the lay-of-the land in the four-corners region in the style of a virtual tour of the area. The author takes you along his journey, showing you what to see and do, how to get there, where to eat, sleep, shop--or simply soak up the sublime beauty.

My wife and I plannned a trip to the Four Corners area and at the last moment received Journey to the High Southwest as a gift. We read it during the plane ride and made immediate adjustments to our travel schedule. The results were so good that we continued, chapter by chapter, to use Mr. Casey's guidance and suggestions. For those uninitiated in the region, or even experienced Four Corners visitors, we strongly suggest this guide. It will provide very accurate and useful information to anyone who uses it. Read the entire book - before you go!

This book give to the reader and future traveller an unique vision of the history of this country. the writer help us to understand the people that inhabited this country and the geological features of this land of enchantment. For an european like me is the first and essential step to the visit of a country.

This is a serious guidebook for travellers who take their touring and sightseeing seriously. It covers the Four Corners region of the southwest (UT, CO, NM, AZ) and is divided into four geographic sections. It includes information on the history of each section (in detail), points of interest (fully described), and where to stay/eat (fully annotated). Chapters focus on the canyon country of Utah, the Indian country of Arizona, the Rocky Mountains, and the Rio Grande country. There are also a full index and a substantial bibliography. It's everything you could ask for in a guidebook and should be taken along by anyone travelling in this region. Highly recommended.

I read one of Ms. Miller's McKettrick books last year and found it ok. I picked up "The Man from Stone Creek" a couple of weeks ago, in the need for a good book on a long weekend (and I love historical Western romances) but couldn't find anything in the bookstore that really caught my eye. This book is a definite winner. The build up to the main conflict and the character development are great, including the conflict that builds between the main characters. I can't wait to read the sequel to this one!!

I'm never dissapointed when Linda Lael Miller's name is on the cover. Excellent book!

With an impressive number of audio book titles to his credit stage actor Buck Schirner has established himself as a first rate narrator. His reading of the story of Ranger Sam O'Ballivan is arresting (no pun intended) and vital as he effectively captures Sam's first impression of Haven, Arizona, as well his gradually growing attraction to postmistress Maddie Chancelor.

Sam arrives in the border town of Haven in search of a rough gang of thieves who have been wrecking havoc throughout the surrounding territory. He comes disguised as a school teacher whose first order of business is to straighten out the ranchers' undisciplined children who have been creating a little havoc of their own. One of the most unruly young ones is Terran, Maddie's younger brother.

The self-sufficient Ranger is in for a surprise when he meets Maddie, a very pretty and proper young woman who has a temper and toughness all her own. She doesn't take kindly to his comments about her brother, yet finds the newcomer strangely appealing.

Before long Sam becomes aware of a planned train robbery and pulls out all the stops to capture the brigands before they make off with a load of Mexican gold. The surprise is in who the robbers turn out to be.

For those who like romance and skullduggery served with a Western flavor, this one's for you!

- Gail Cooke

I am a recent fan of Linda Lael Miller and I really enjoy her books because she has a way with making her characters alive and interesting. The Man From Snowy River is about an under cover G-Man who is poseing as a school teacher of all things and the female lead is a shop owner with a young brother to support and of course they clash over the brother who the teacher feels is spoiled by his sister, you then have the bad guys who the G-man is out to get, i will not get into the nitty gritty of the story as it would spoil it for the readers but in a nutshell, it is a great story, the characters are well done and it will leave you with a smile on your face.

I've read many books by this author. The last two books have been my favorites. The Man From Stone Creek is a western story that's beautifully told. You can picture the Arizona setting. Maddie is strong and vulnerable at the same time. Sam is everything you want in a hero. He's tender and caring, but he's all man. I could not put the book down. Very much worth the hardcover price, excellent read.

Excellent source of information. Will lead to future hikes and exploration of the area.

This is a well written, well organized book for touring the SW ruins. It gives brief overviews of the various cultures and then provides travel/hike guidance. Very good first book to go to when planning a ancient SW civilizations based SW tour.

I'm not qualified to review a book. However, I did read every page and found the book gave me a good overview of many ruins in the southwest. I would call it more of a "1 minute quick look" at the ruins since most articles were short. I'm not sure I could have followed all the (brief) directions to the sites.

Overall, buy the book if you want a quick introduction to a site you plan to visit.

Mike Honeycutt

David Noble divides his book according to the various Indian groups: the Mogollon, the Anasazi, the Sinagua, the Salado, etc. Each entry is described by layout and history and accompanied by great photos and/or diagrams. But his entries are brief and preceded by driving instructions and, in some cases, tour times. One may get the impression that one is reading a travel guide as one reads Noble's book.

Personally, I will keep this book on that basis. I have had the chance to visit many of the sites mentioned in Noble's book. His descriptions are succinct and accurate. Noble's book whets my appetite on sites I want yet to see. This book's a keeper.

When visiting Arizona and New Mexico, Ancient Ruins of the Southwest is a valuable tool. This is an excellent reference
to the magnificent early civilizations of this area. The book
gives excellent, precise directions to each site and the history
of each. My last trip to New Mexico was greatly enhanced by this book.

Backcountry Adventures Colorado (Backcountry Adventures)These books are just too cool for words! I love that the authors include so many (hundreds!) of color photos so you can get a good idea of the various trails. You also get to see old historical photos of what the old ghost towns you come across used to look like! OMG, this is like the total package for planning a vacation or an afternoon out on the trail! I would definitely recommend this book. I've been using mine since it became available on Amazon and it is rugged and the binding is fine. I am not sure why that other reviewer said the binding is weak because this hardcover is totally awesome! It beats any of the other off road guides and this one is totally user-friendly. Whether you have an SUV, a 4x4, or a car and want to find some great trails in Arizona's backcountry and learn some cool facts along the way, this is the greatest book to use! Don't leave home without it!!

The contents are great, the book construction is not.
The entire binding broke after 1 week, very disappointed
as it was an expensive book.

I was at the Outdoor Expo and was looking at a much smaller book, for half as much money...It was the only one I saw (and they were very numerous) on the many trails Arizona has to offer.
Well I passed it by, and told myself on the way out I would probably buy it, well I am glad I waited, I stopped by the booth and noticed one large book at the end of the table...it was the last one, and was 3 times as much. After about 4 pages, I shelled out the cash with a smile on my face! This book has it all. Very, very well detailed, with maps, directions, history, flora , fauna, wildlife, stories on ghost towns and past characters of local legend. What I really liked though was all the COLOR pictures...giving me an idea of what I WILL find when I travel these trails. This book also has much information on what kind (s) of 4WD you will need for what trails, levels of difficulty...things to watch for, what depth of water at the crossings to expect....and well organized to boot. The cover is heavy duty , so it will last bouncing around in the back. This book is great and I love it! If you have a 4WD and are looking for a little adventure and fun from easy to difficult and you are doing it in Arizona..........you need this book. See you on the trail!

Although I initially balked at paying the somewhat steep price for this book, after receiving and reading it I realized it's worth every penny. Not only does the book describe in detail almost 160 great back roads in Arizona to explore, the authors included sections on the plants, wildlife, ghost towns, and history of Arizona. It's just packed with interesting information and color photos - well worth the cost. Every state in the U.S. should have a book like this written about it! My next purchase is the authors' Backcountry Adventures: Utah. Great stuff.

I've taken about a dozen of the trails in this book and not one has been disappointing. The author's credentials speak for themselves. He's logged thousands of miles in Arizona. All the GPS coordinates are accurate and the directions are second to none. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Very good history of Earth First! before they got taken over by politically correct left coast weenies. Earth First! was very cool back in the day and they got things done without compromise when mainstream conservation groups couldn't or wouldn't. Lots of interesting stuff on Dave Foreman and other well known Earth Firsters as well as other environmental groups and activists, plus info on the Judi Barr bombing as well as the FBI's methods of infiltration when they targetted Dave Foreman in their failed attempt to put him away.

Zakin spins an entertaining story of the rise and ultimate fall from grace of one of the most influential environmental organizations of our time. The book emphasis is clearly on Foreman and his cronies and their hard-drinking, take-no-prisoner stand on protecting wilderness. If you're interested in a detailed look inside the personalities that created and shaped Earth First!, then this is your book.

One half of the content of this book is a worthwile, concise history of the western U.S. wilderness preservation movement covering the last half of the 20th century. It is required reading for anyone with an interest -- or a motive ;>) As for the rest of the content, concerning Zakin's treatment of Foreman and as to her patronizing of Foreman (concerns raised here by previous critics), I don't know. I guess you had to have been there. But Foreman and EarthFirst! are mentioned only briefly before page 186 (of 443) and only so as to frame the history that portends Foreman's founding of EarthFirst! So, I would have to say that this history is relatively unbiased especailly given it's subject. After three years of trying to get the big picture of the entire history of contemporary wilderness advocacy, I have finally found it here. Really worthwile and entertaining.

I am mentioned in this book as Dave's friend "Mike". I just wish the author had interviewed me, then she would have gotten the story right about Dave's leaving the Marines. When Dave decided the Marines weren't for him, he came back to Albuquerque and called me first. The story in the book and the story of what really happened are different. Similar but different. It makes me wonder about the authenticity of the rest of the book

If you want to know just how far the conservation movement has come in the US in the last 30 years, read this book. Susan Zakin tells it like it is, not bowing to the PC concerns of her enemies. Detailing the horrid compromising ways of large environmental organizations and government that pushed cutting-edge activists to lead by example in "no compromise in defense of mother earth." Some new age Earth First!ers hate this book. That's a good reason to read it. Great high-powered & entertaining writing style. Well researched. This book will teach, get you pissed off, and push you to become more radical. One of the top conservation books of the last decade.

Emily's Runaway Imagination is about Emily wanting to have a library in her community, so she could read Black Beauty. Her mother decides to write a letter to the mayor so he could get a library for her community. The mayor said yes to the question as a situation. The library starts, People donated books, no Black Beauty. People donate money, still no Black Beauty. During a hard times party, Emily wins second prize, so she gets one dollar. Adding the amount her grandpa gave her for sitting on the chair still she bought a mixer for her mother and also.........Black Beauty!
I gave it a minus star because Beverly Cleary used too many characters. It is a very confusing that way.
I gave her four stars because :
1. She explained things pretty much well.
2. She used lots of onimonipia.
3. She described things well.
4. She wrote it in a child friendly way.

Emily Bartlett just wants a library. So, her mother writes in for one, and guess what! Pitchfork is going to have a library! While waiting for the books to arrive from Salem, Emily feeds the hogs a treat, bleeches a horse, and scares her cousin half to death. Mama doesn't really know how Emily can get into so much trouble, she just says "Emily, don't let your imagination run away with you!" Emily does try, but hey, if you live in the west, during a time when cars are new, airplanes are hardley ever seen, and no one has dreamed up the TV yet, what are you supposed to do?

Emily's Runaway Imagination by Bevery Cleary is a good story. Emily is a girl who lives on a farm. She had some wild ideas. She wanted her father's horse to turn into a snow-white steed so, she tried to bleach it with Clorox. One of her good ideas was to set up a library in her town. I liked this story because it made me laugh. It's fun to read about crazy things kids do. The author wrote a realistic fiction to show us how to have crazy ideas. She also wanted us to see that we should not always do the crazy things that pop into our head!

Unlike most of Beverly Cleary's books, this one is based on the author's early childhood on a farm in Yamhill in the early twentieth century. It is a wonderful glimpse into the life of a little girl who licked the stamp on the envelope that led to the first town library. (The author's real-life childhood was not nearly so idyllic, but her love for the farm and the old country and town people shines through.) This book is unique and wonderful.

I just reread this book as a teacher/adult. I read it as a child almost twenty years ago, I liked it back then too. Very sweet and humorous. It is a great picture of Americana with Grandpa's automobile, Sunday after-church picnics, and party-line telephones! And then the pigs with the rotton apples during Mama's elegant party. Terrific!! I can see the characters in my grandparents.

Great way to remind children to get outside and play or read instead of sitting in front of the television. How did we survive with out video games? The computer? Wonderful to read aloud for quality time.

Beverly Cleary was my favorite author as a child. Now as a teacher and parent, I get to share her books with a new generation.

This book is printed using environmentally-friendly, "green" water-based materials. Two reviewers have mentioned their books "falling apart." If the book gets damp this may happen. Printing processes can be quite toxic, and the publishers wanted to go with a safer, "green" product. Don't expose the book to high humidity, or let it get damp or wet and it will not fall apart! This is a wonderful book, printed in gorgeous full color on good paper and professionally written by one of Sedona's best writers. It's certainly not warranting the extreme, negative statement from one reviewer. There is significant competition in the Sedona guidebook market, and it's not in everyone's interest to see this guide succeed! We know it's the most popular Sedona guidebook among hotel Concierge in the Phoenix metro area, as we have many emails attesting to this fact. The Concierge works diligently to give their hotel guests the best information, to maximize the fun of their Arizona vacation. And not to forget...the book can be previewed IN FULL on the Gateway To Sedona website.

Since my wife and I are considering a move to northern Arizona, I bought the book to peruse before we do any serious house-hunting. I found it quite helpful, concise, and informative--and the photographs are outstanding. However, the pages started falling out almost immediately despite trying to be careful, and now I'm left with a collection of loose pages. Seems like the publisher could do better than this, especially for a book that will be used frequently.

I purchased this book based on the 5 glowing recommendations submitted by others and am totally disappointed. I have had better FREE visitor's guides from other locales and that is all that this book is - a visitor's guide that you should easily be able to pick up for free at the local Chamber of Commerce. Plus, the book is badly bound and is already falling apart and I'm not planning a trip to Sedona until the fall. By then I will be lucky if it's still mostly in one piece. I'm still looking for the great stories others mention - much of the book is a repitition of statements from previous chapters. I gave this book a "one star" rating, but I don't think it's worth even that much.

This is a great little guidebook-so nice to carry around town on a visit! Beautiful photography and great articles with lots of information about where to stay and what to do, from a vortex tour to a jeep tour! This book really captures the beauty and spirit of the area from Uptown Sedona to the historic town of Jerome, the ruins at Palatki to the sun calendar at the VBarV Heritage Site, and each of the charming communities in the Verde Valley--something you don't always find in the other Sedona guides. I think one of the best things about the guide is the way it is tied to the website and the special offers that are available. I found the ads helpful and best of all, not intrusive. A must have for anyone interested in visiting the area.

If you are contemplating a trip to Sedona, Arizona, do yourself a favor and pick up one of these incredibly handy guide books. Aside from the stunning photography and interesting, whitty articles, you'll also find detailed maps, restaurant, shopping, lodging, and tour guides along with so much more. Even if you never step foot in Sedona, the interesting articles and exquisite photos make it a book well worth having. It is a much treasured addition to our family library.

John Russell is in many ways an archetyypal hero of the Western movie and novel-tactiturn and laconic in demeanour,whipcord tough and a man of action -yet he is a man apart from most of those around him by virtue of having been raised by Apaches .He was captured by them as a boy and subsequently adopted by a white man, a supply wagon owner ,thus having experience of both the ways of the whites and the Apaches.
He is not the narrator of this tale however -a lot that falls on Carl allen ,a passenger on a stagecoach bound for Delgado where russell is going to see if he can fully embrace white customs and live as a white man .Allen is in awe of Russell but by no means uncritical of him or his manner .The journey is complicated by the presence on board the stage of an embezzling banker ,something which is known to a band of outlaws who lay siege to the coach and its passengers ,and are prepared to kill if need be to get their hands on the loot.

The result is grim chess match as standoffs and shootouts ensue but the emphasis is as much on the psychological and interpersonal tensions as it is on physical violence .The prose is lean ,mean and economical ,the action scenes punchy and direct and the characterisation way above normal for the genre .
Russell is a true ,if deeply flawed hero ,as he possess tha courage to do what he felt had to be done -others fall short of the mark.

Gripping and edgily compulsive reading -please dont miss it if you have any love for great storytelling

Elmore Leonard's HOMBRE is, irrespective of genre, an absolute classic of the novel form. In my opinion it's the best example since THE GREAT GATSBY of what I'd loosely term "self-effacing first person narrative", by which I mean narrative wherein the author so contrives things that the narrator - Carl Allen in HOMBRE - is not the main character or event in the story. Personally I think this tends to make for a greater semblance of objectivity since the person telling the story necessarily remains, like the reader, on the periphery of the central events.

I would unreservedly recommend Elmore Leonard's 's westerns to anybody interested in "a good read"- but especially to any reader who's completed his "modern" books. It's not that I'm a fan of the western genre in particular, but Elmore Leonard's output is infinitely superior to the norm. With great dialogue and memorable characters they make for a very tight read: more like Hemingway than Louis L'Amour.

There's a sort of underlying thematic quality to HOMBRE (to VALDEZ IS COMING, too) wherein the young United States is itself the hero - or heroine, as the case may be. For example, Gay Erin in VALDEZ shucks off her attachment to the small shopkeeper and the cattle baron in favour of the man of honour . . . and the man of honour (VALDEZ, HOMBRE), social outcast though he may temporarily be, is able to come into his own precisely because he was born in the Land of the Free.

You just know this ain't gonna happen in downtown Detroit or present day Dade County FLA.

Beats me why WHEN THE WOMEN COME OUT TO DANCE had to reprise so many stories out of THE TONTO WOMAN when there are so many uncollected Elmore Leonard western stories out there just waiting to be corraled.

PS If you like the narrative voice in HOMBRE, mosey on over to Arkansas and Missouri and check out TRUE GRIT by Charles Portis. It's another classic of the western genre with a quite differently stunning first person narrative voice. Meanwhile, here's a spoof reprise of that scene from the film where Richard Boone stomps into the stagecoach office and confronts Paul Newman . . .

`Frank Braden,' he said. His hands spread out along the counter.
I said, `Yessir? As if I still worked for the Sweetmary Library Service. Hell, I shouldn't have been behind the counter but I'd dropped off to sleep reading the latest John Grisham (hate the books; love the movies).
`Write it down for EL's EO.'
`I'm sorry.'
`I said: "Write it down for Elmore Leonard's entire opus.'
`That's a special batch.'
`I heard. That's why I'm having it.'
I looked down at the four orange library cards on the counter, lining them up evenly. `I'm afraid that one's taken. Four here and those two. That's all we could get a-hold of.'
`You can get another one,' he said. Telling me, not asking. `Sunny side up, easy on the adverbs, exclamation points and hooptedoodle.'
`Well, I don't see how.'
`On top of what you ordered.'
`We got half a dozen is all. That's a library service rule. I was just telling these boys here. Certain people can read . . .'
`You say they've got 'em?'
`Yessir. Both of them.'
He turned without another word and walked over to John Russell with that clumpy thumping sound as the Max Brands, Louis L'Amours and Zane Grays hit the library floor. He still had the Jack Schaefers slung low in his left hand: SHANE, THE KEAN LAND, THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES. You can say what you want about Frank Braden but he was nobody's fool.
He said, "That boy at the counter said you got the Forty less One.'
`Uh?' said John Russell.
`Elmore Leonard's stuff.'
`John Russell opened his hand on his lap. `This?'
`That's it. And the others. You give them to me and grab a Stephen King.'
`I have to take them,' Russell said.
`No, you want is all. But it would be better if you waited. You can read Captain Corelli, get drunk. How does that sound?'
`I have to take these,' John Russell said. `I have to take these and I want to take them.'
`Leave him alone,' the ex-soldier said then. `We were first in line, you find your own batch of books.'
Frank Braden looked at him. `What did you say?'
`I said why don't you leave him alone.' His tone changed. All of a sudden it sounded friendlier, more reasonable. `He wants the Forty less One, let him take them,' the ex-soldier said.
You heard the clumpy thumping sound again as Frank Braden shifted to face the ex-soldier and Charles Portis' TRUE GRIT hit the ground. He scooped it up again, stacked it alongside the Schaefers, stared at him and said, `I guess I'll have your Forty less One instead.'
The ex-soldier hadn't moved, his big hands resting on his knees, his feet propped on the canvas bag that contained the thirty-nine books. `You just walk in,' he said, `and take somebody else's Forty less One?'
Braden's pointed hat brim moved up and down. `That's the way it is.'
`Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!' I said - exclaimed even - thinking I was still in the employ of the Sweetmary Library Service.

'Hombre' is another entry in the western genre from Elmore Leonard. This novel tells the story of a man named John Russell that was raised as an Apache. He owns some property that he needs to sell and is about to take a stage coach ride with one Mr. Mendez to get where he is going. Quickly, several other passengers join the coach. When they discover Russell's background, they refuse to allow him to ride in the coach with him. It doesn't take too long for the coach to get into trouble when it becomes obvious that Mr. Russell is not the only one who isn't as he appears.

This is a good Western. The scenes are laid out well be Leonard and unfold nicley. For the most part, the characters are what you expect in a Western given their backgrounds. The various prejudices of the white man against the Apache's are obvious. In other words, the characters match the time period.

This novel has a moral that we've all heard before. Leonard simply repackages it. In addition to not judging a book by its cover, you need to walk a mile in its shoes. That is the lesson to be learned from this novel, which will become apparent by the time you get to the end.

As is usual, Leonard has created some wonderful characters. In addition to Russell, there is "the McLaren" girl who has her own ties to the Apaches. She had been kidnapped by them, and while she resents them, she has learned a few things from them. There is Dr. and Mrs. Favor. Dr. Favor isn't quite the good doctor, and his wife doesn't quite obey the rules of polite society. Mr. Mendez is the Mexican coach driver, and kind of a mentor to Russell. There are a few colorful bad guys that round out a diverse cast.

This isn't Leonard's best novel, but it is a very good one. Anyone that enjoys Leonard's work should like this. I'd also recommend it to fans of Westerns.

Grade: 4 stars.

I'm new to the Western genre. After a few L'Amours, a friend put me on to Leonard's Westerns. So I'm reading them; they are a world apart (and very much a better one) than the good but stolid L'Amour.
I read Hombre just after Valdez is Coming, and now I'm going through the Leonard western list; he's my definite favorite for the time being.
Hombre is a distinctly moral tale. The moral punch comes suddenly and unexpectedly at the end. The hero (not anti-hero, in my opinion; here I differ from an earlier reviewer)is so laconic that you don't get much foreshadowing of his actions until they happen. This is a style I very much like, instead of the author's own ruminations through the thoughts and bloviations of his protagonist-- a major L'Amour characteristic. (I suppose I shouldn't dwell on L'Amour, but he's my only other Western author so far; and he's a solid 3-star writer, a very respectable thing to be.)
Leonard is very spare in his writing and very suited to the Western, in my mind. I'll be getting the well-regard Paul Newman movie, which I've never seen.

Elmore Leonard is not nearly as well known for his Westerns as his hardboiled crime dramas, but in fact he is one of the finest writers in the genre of the past fifty years. This is partly because he is simply one of the finest American writers period. He is famous for writing some of the hardest hitting, purest prose during his lifetime. There is nothing flashy about his writing. My guess is that a glossary of all his words would tally less than 400 words in all. There probably aren't more than 20 words of more than two syllables in the entire book. Some paragraphs have few two syllable words. This apparent simplicity can mask what is in fact a stunning virtuosity. Leonard is known as a writers' writer and this will escape no reader who pays close attention to the deceptive sophistication of his style.

The story he tells here is a simple one. Leonard is hardly the first to depict a Western hero. Nor is he the first to depict a hero who possessed outsider status. John Russell, the "hombre" of the title (and "hombre" here really has a similar sense as "Mensch" in Yiddish), is a white man who was raised in his formative years as an Apache. He is the result of white, Apache, and Mexican cultures, yet doesn't completely fit in any of them, though he seems most comfortable as an Apache. Though treated with disdain by his fellow stage coach passengers (actually, they travel in a mud wagon), he becomes their only hope after bandits hold them up. Russell is striking for being treated as both heroic and extremely capable, but not impossibly skilled as many Western heroes are depicted. Though a good shot, he misses more than he hits his target. Though most of his decisions are good ones, he isn't infallible.

The novel is remarkable for how sympathetic Native Americans are depicted. Written in 1961, Leonard anticipates the far more positive treatment of Indian characters in the seventies and beyond. The central crime in the novel is one perpetuated against Indians, just as the protagonist is a product of Apache culture.

I highly recommend this novel. It is yet another example of Elmore Leonard's consummate ability as a writer, as well as being a first rate Western. It truly is Leonard at his very best.