Mexico Books

I just finished reading this stunning book and  I must complement the author on her expertise as a writer.  I wish I had her command of the English language.  The book is reminiscent of John L. Stephens who Edgar Allen Poe considered one of the best writers of the 19th century. Her lyrical pursuit of the Maya includes valid academic observations and transports the reader to a magical world of moist scent and dappled light. A pure delight.
 

The forward by Jacqueline Larralde de Saenz is really terrific, very loving and detailed. I liked it. It brings the reader right into the book and the author's point of view, from the vantage point of this highly respected anthropologist. Highly recommended reading.

This is a fantastic book, really well written. It is also fun, funny and unusual. It sees things most people don't see. It notices and it describes and it informs. I loved it and am planning to give it to friends as a gift.

Mystery, enigma, consternation...all words associated with the Maya. This book, however, sees them in more intimate, more reasonable and more logical form. A wonderful travel book, great descriptions of the Maya World, but also a sensible approach to their culture. Be sure to read "The Other Side of Yesterday, the China-Maya Connection", by the same author. Thought provoking and exciting!

Anyone curious or confused by the ongoing conflict in Chiapas will find everything he or she needs to know, among many other things, in this really enjoyable, highly readable book. I recommend it for both veterans and first timers.

This is an excellent tool for any researcher or student of the Mexican Revolution and Emiliano Zapata. Mr. Womack's volume is by far the best English language book on Zapata that I have ever read. It is absorbing and accurate. A perfect blend of historical data and fine storytelling.

John Womack's historical account of the Mexican Revolution truly focuses on General Emiliano Zapata and his home state of Morelos. If you're looking for a broad account of the Mexican Revolution that really includes Pancho Villa's struggle and the interventions of the U.S. government, this is not the book you are looking for. But Womack does provide one of the most notable accounts of the Revolution, and nowhere else will you get this level of insight into Zapata's character and struggle.

Zapata quickly rose from his position as chief of the peasants in a village seeking agrarian reform to the leader of a state-wide movement. His single-minded dedication to the cause of justice in land-rights made him a hero to the people. However, what Womack misses in his account of the decade-long revolution in Morelos is the hellishness of war. The oppressive governments of the time, from Diaz to Huerta, were not the only one's whose armies attacked civilians and burned their homes, displacing whole villages. There was an element of banditry even among the Zapatistas. And by glossing over the moral struggles and compromises of the war, Womack does his hero a disservice; the reader does not see the difficulty Zapata faces in making moral sacrifices for the greater cause of the Revolution.

Womack's depiction of the Revolution is idealized, but despite the gloss put on certain parts, it is accurate. If you are looking for a book rich in historical fact, this is the book for you; just keep in mind that even the best historians may have a blind spot.

Womack's timeless dissertation on Zapata is still the authority on one of the most interesting men of the Mexican Revolution. Zapata never wanted power for himself and fought for the peasants of Morelos. His desire for land reform is exposed here as well as his strategy and life. It is an excellent biography and presents a small facet of the revolution. If you have not read anything on the revolution this is not the book to start with. It assumes that you have a working knowledge of the revolution and does an excellent job of conveying the information of Zapata's ideals.

Without doubt the finest english language account available about the agrarian reform hero Emiliano Zapata;
Womack brillantly describes the social and economic conditions that caused the Mexican revolution. His depiction of the central character Zapata is eloquent and a worthy homage to the champion of Mexico's poor and indigenous.
I was particularly impressed by the level of the author's research into the political and economic background of the period. A magnificent book that places you right in the middle of the turmoil that gripped central and southern Mexico.
Recommended to all scholars of the Mexican revolution.

I am not an authority on the life of Emiliano Zapata and realize his life was and is entangled in much myth. Nevertheless, I feel his life is worth reading about and there is no better strat than with Womack's account (or perhaps Samuel Brunk's). Great book written about a Mexican legend.

Good lesson for children with vibrant, moving illustrations. It's nice to show that boys can have girl-friends at a young age.

This book was read to elementary students grades k-6, every one of the students loved this book and requested it be read again the very next week. We discussed the pictures (first gray and then color when playing and at the end), the connections with siblings and finally friendships. I highly recommend this book.

19 Girls and Me is a story of a kindergartener named John Hercules Po who finds himself in a class of nineteen girls. He is the only boy. His brother worries that he will become "sissified" from playing with all of those girls. In the end, everybody realizes that playing together can be a lot of fun.

19 Girls and Me is a delightful story that shows kids that it is okay for girls and boys to play together. Girls won't become tomboys just because they are playing with boys, and boys won't become sissies just because they are playing with girls. Everyone can get along and have a good time.

My five-year-old daughter likes this story. She also enjoys looking at all of the details in Steven Salerno's playful illustrations.

19 Girls and Me is a story for both girls and boys. Kids will enjoy reading about the wonderful adventures John Hercules Po and his new friends have at recess each day. In addition to a great story, there are glimpses into places around the world that may teach kids a thing or two. This is a book that kids will enjoy again and again.

I love this book for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that my daughter, in first grade, totally digs the story of John Hercules Po and his adventures with his 19 friends in Mrs. Ray's Kindergarten--19 friends who just happen to be GIRLS! The repetition is fun, and the imaginative adventures that the kids think up delight both of us! I've already taken the book to school twice and read it in a few different classes, and the kids eyes are big--and their smiles are bigger--as I regale them with the developing friendship between John Hercules Po and his 19 new friends! The book imparts an excellent message without clobbering the reader over the head with it--nicely done! Salerno's illustrations add to the fun!

Love this book as I love little hikes and this sends me off to wonderful places.

This book is awesome. Trails listed go from urban to wild (no trail). The directions to the trailhead and the description of the trails are very accurate. And the author gives additional information regarding the history, geology, flora and fauna that may be encountered along the way. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves getting out around Albuquerque

This is a wonderful book with something for anyone that likes to spend time outdoors.

Stephen Ausherman's new guidebook, "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Albuquerque, including Santa Fe, Mt. Taylor, and San Lorenzo Canyon," is, without a doubt, my pick for 2008's Best Book About New Mexico.

I realize that, as I write this, the year has more than eight months left to go, and I'm aware that I myself am planning to publish a New Mexico title before the end of the year, but Ausherman's new book is honestly so good, so quirky, so informative, and so unique, that I feel I can go ahead and declare it as the year's best, without hesitation.

The book, as its title suggests, contains sixty hikes, all within about sixty minutes of Albuquerque--within sixty miles of the Big I, where Interstate 40 crosses Interstate 25.

What the title doesn't immediately reveal, however, is just how amazing these sixty hikes are, just how compellingly readable their descriptions are, or just how transformational this book has the potential to be to anyone willing to go out and experience them.

The book's preface lays out the book's contents, and I challenge any resident of central New Mexico--anyone with even a spark of lust for life or a smidgen of curiosity--to read that preface and not feel overwhelmed with a feeling that maybe this place you've been living has more to it than you thought; in my case, it filled me with an almost caffeinated urge to rush out and see what it described for myself.

The book's sections include:
*The Duke City--featuring urban hikes within Albuquerque's city limits.
*The Salt Mission Trail--venturing down into the Manzano Mountains.
*The Turquoise Trail--heading up into the Sandias and beyond.
*El Camino Real--exploring natural wonders along I-25 toward Santa Fe.
*The City Different--snooping around Santa Fe and its environs.
*The Cuba Road--heading down toward Cuba and Cabezon Peak.
*The Jemez Mountain Trail--finding amazing formations around Los Alamos.
*The Chihuahua Trail--moving through wild desert toward Socorro.
And:
*The Mother Road--following Route 66 from west of town to Mt. Taylor.

Since being introduced to this title, I have already hiked a number of its hikes, and have already found my view of what surrounds Albuquerque completely altered. This place is amazing, and even though I thought I had an inkling of what its deserts and mountains hid, I now realize I did not. At all.

If you live in Albuquerque, just get this. Just order it right now, or go get it from Page One. You will not regret it. It's rare that a guidebook comes along that makes you want to just sit down and read it from cover to cover, but whose hikes are so unique and intriguing that you have little choice but to put the book down and throw on a daypack.

Highly, highly recommended.

I have been an avid hiker in New Mexico for the past 7 years, and own every other hiking guide that has been published for the state. This is by far the best one yet.

Though I have hiked all over the Albuquerque area (including all of the Sandia Mountains trails and about half of the Manzano Mountains trails), of the 60 hikes in this guide I have only visited 17 of them to date. I consider this a testament to Stephen Ausherman's skill in locating unique and unknown trails that can be enjoyed by rookies and veterans alike. Reading through this guide, it's almost as if I'm about to rediscover Albuquerque.

Probably the best feature, however, is the wealth of at-a-glance detail at the beginning of each hike... including (to name just a few) shared use, driving distance, nearest facilities, and trail traffic -- these features are not typically included in other New Mexico hiking guides. The only complaint I could even attempt to make is that there are no specific details on trail access for pets... but none of the other local guides provide this either.

No veteran New Mexico hiker should be without this guide, and for beginners in the area... this is the first one you should buy.

I don't remember how this made it into my shopping cart, but am I glad it did. This was one of the best debut novels I have read in a while. It kept my interest from the very first page. It was beautifully written - with some well developed characters and realistic dialogue. You could tell that the author used her personal experiences to shape the story.

This book was selected for One Region, One Book in Southeastern Connecticut, where I used to live. That is how I became interested.
The novel has a cross-generational appeal and speaks to issues of our day. It effectively combines family history with the controversial subject of immigration reform. It is full of poignant drama, class and racial tensions and a heartwarming story of hope amidst despair. I would recommend it without reservation, both as a good read and an appeal to practice the golden rule!!

I first had the pleasure of hearing Reyna read a snippet of this book at a local fair. Her prose was elegant and enchanting. It immediately caught my attention as did the subject matter of her book -- those left behind during the quest to reach the United States. When my parents fled Cuba my sister and I were left behind and it took nearly two years for us to be reunited so I could most definitely identify with this story. After reading the entire book, I was not disappointed by Reyna's larger than life storytelling. This is a great book by an author who has already made her mark on Latina literature with this debut. Not to be missed.

"Reyna Grande's debut novel about immigration's human side is not only timely and necessary, it's beautiful." -- CATALINA magazine

This was an excellent book, full of unsparing detail and sharp images. The two stories coincide and cross in a surprisingly possible way, with haunting twists and turns. After just reading Enrique's Journey, the crossing to El Otro Lado in this book reiterated the inhumanity of the border situation for me. A riveting book. Highly recommended.

Degenhardt et al. have produced a first-rate treatment of New Mexico's herpetology. Their book should be on the shelf of anyone with more than a casual interest in the state fauna. Species accounts are thorough, describing the history of the species names, and excellent overviews of the natural history of each species. Even with difficult groups, such as the whiptail lizards, the keys seem to work well. There are color photographs of each species as well.

Detailed information for the herps of NM. Excellent dichotomous keys. Highly recommended.

Amphibians and reptiles abound in New Mexico: the state holds over 123 species, with almost fifty snakes alone. For a detailed, college-level review which includes technical art supplements, identification keys, distribution patterns, similar species outlines and more, make sure William G. Degenhardt, et.al.'s Amphibians And Reptiles Of New Mexico is on your bookshelf. Though a centerfold does pack in color photos, the meat of this study lies in its detailed natural history coverage, suitable for college-level study.

This book covers all known New Mexico herpetofauna (circa 1990's). Salamanders, snakes, lizards, etc, it's all here. There may have been some changes in the last decade, but this book is still the best I've found; the information it has is accurate, the diagrams, photos, descriptions, etc. are all clear enough to aid in identifying animals. Habitat descriptions are precise enough to actually be of use, etc. The language isn't full of technical jargon--it's actually accessible and understandable for people who didn't major in biology! All animals are dealt with as thoroughly as possible; sometimes there are gaps, but that's because we just don't know how common some animals are, or what they eat, etc. If the info for the animal is there, this book has it. Feeding, mating, size, range, behaviour, etc. It serves as my main (almost sole) reference for herps in NM. I bought it in the middle-late 90's in a bargin bin in some state park, and have used it to help me plan herping excursions everytime I've been there, and to help me ID dozens of herps. It's been worth every penny.

This is an excellent state work, with detailed and accurate text, excellent photographs, precise maps, and up-to-date scientific nomenclature. Common names are those standardized nationwide since 1978, with the exception of the names used for snakes of the genus Tantilla. Purchasers of this book should go to page 307 and simply cross out the tongue-twisting "black-headed" and replace it with Blackhead (so much easier pronounced; it just rolls off the tongue -- truly a common name). Highly recommended. Certainly the best book on the subject, and a must for all herpetologists. Buy it quick before they run out of copies.

This book is fascinating--it says it's a detective story, and it is, but with a twist--it's a detective story about people, and why they do what they do. It's a mystery where the writer tries to unravel how choices and fate and relationships and everything else all twist together to make and change lives, sometimes in sad ways. To me, it is the most interesting sort of mystery ever.

Which is why reading this book was such a total delight. It's like spending time with a really intelligent, engaging person dissecting events and following shreds of evidence, and there's this sense of loss when it's all over--you kind of want to stay engaged. A most excellent read!!

In the late 1960s the author's father and mother joined a countercultural enclave in New Mexico, where their marriage floundered and Anna's father committed suicide. Anna was five years old at the time. Twenty years later the discovery of some old photos sends her on a journey to learn more about her father: her reconstruction of her past is charted in ASSEMBLING MY FATHER: A MEMOIR and provides a moving personal history which will also inspire any conducting their own family history search.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I often randomly choose books to read, without reading reviews or recommendations. Sometimes that method backfires and I'm stuck with a stinker, but not in this case - I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. Perhaps it was the writing, perhaps it was the loss of my own father when I was very young (probably a combination of both) - this book touched me in a personal way that no other book has for some time.

Prior to reading "Assembling My Father" I was lucky enough to attend a writer's workshop with Anna Oliver in Boise, Idaho, and I must say she is an incredible woman. She is not only intelligent and insightful, but also extremely well read- all of which show up in her writing. In "Assembling My Father," she experiments with style and form, including extensive primary records such as pictures, news articles and writings from her father's journal which add to the overall theme of a "detective story." The inclusion of Anna's own tale of personal growth alongside her discoveries of her father's untimely demise create a depth of emotion and a unique poignancy. This is a must-read for anyone interested in writing memoir, especially family history, or for anyone who is interested in the counterculture of the 60's and 70's. I cannot reccommend it enough.

I can see I'm in the minority of reviewers of this book here. I had high hopes for this memoir that haven't panned out.

The story is simple on it's surface- a woman grows up in an off kilter family and realises as a young adult that she is adrift because she doesn't "know" her father. Of course, she can't because he committed suicide, but what she doesn't have are his stories. Slowly- and it felt slooow- she sets out to discover what she can about him.

She talks to whomever she can locate who knew him, including his childhood friends, and she gets what she can out of her mother who often refuses to talk about any part of her past. She collects what photographs she can- a task made more difficult because her father was usually the photographer. She reads his journal and tries to obtain copies of college work, including his undergraduate thesis and tapes of a "college bowl" contest which "put Rennsalaer Polytechnic Institute" on the map as a better school than people had previously thought.

She experiments with different formats in her writing- including some lists of things he would never know about her, and how she feels that he will always be a man who died at the age of 35.

Be forewarned though- it's not an easy book. It's boggy and uncomfortable. It very well may be intended to be that way- after all, the subject is a young father and the events leading up to his suicide. I kept returning to the photo montage in the front, contemplating this beautiful man and wondering what could have caused him to pull the trigger. of course, only he really knows, no matter what anyone else can say about him.

Here's my confession- I haven't finished it. At 2/3 through, I feel like I know what he did, but his daughter, like all of us, will never really know why. And he'll stay dead for her- sad as it is. If I do finish, I wonder if my feelings about the memoir will change.

The book has good information on weapons, armies and Mesoamerican warfare in general. It has got beautiful and quite accurate drawings of several of the uniforms and outfits ancient Mexicans wore.

Just a piece of advice: if you are an Aztec history enthusiast, I HUGELY recommend looking for some Mexican authors, who have tried to clear some myths and erratic common beliefs about this culture. They have a vision of the Aztecs not through European-minded eyes. Pablo Moctezuma Barragan, Miguel de Leon-Portilla and Ignacio Romerovargas are good examples. Be warned however, that these authors may display too much nationalism in their texts. All in all, when reading ANYTHING about Prehispanic American civilizations, it is recommended to be critical and apply your own criteria.

This is a great book, highly suitable for anyone with an interest of knowing a little about how a really important region of America was like before Spain arrived.

This Men-at-Arms title is a cut above the rest. The text and the illustrations are actually on par with each other! Osprey seems to be in the constant process of revamping their line. This one is a step in the right direction. Not only are the ever popular Aztecs examined, the author also delves into the relatively ignored tribal alliances that they fought with over Mesoamerica. The subject was previously examined in another Osprey title, The Conquistadores (MAA 101 ) by Terence Wise. I recommend both, together. The disparity between Mexican and European styles of warfare will become readily apparent. I find myself rooting for the Aztecs, oddly enough... Both contain Angus Mcbride's wonderful paintings. You can't beat a dancing priest clad in human skin or an elite cuachic warrior with a mohawk! Usual complaints: the maps are damn near useless...

Mesoamerican history can often be confusing. The ally of one day quickly became the enemy of the next. This book was somehow able to cut through that without sacrificing any of the detail. The end result is a very solid and informative account of these warriors and the wars they fought in.

Hey! Its got McBride doing the illustrations and it has some really good text to boot. That and it covers more than just the Aztecs but some of the lessor known tribes of Meso America.
Well done to all concerned!

A richly illustrated source on the armies of the Mexica Empire from the founding of Tenochtitlan up to the arrival of the Spaniards, who are not mentioned in the book. This makes this a rare book truly only about the Mexican armies, rather than focusing on the experience of the Spaniards that fought them.

What little is known of the petty warring states of the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs is also examined. The book is also graced by beautiful color plates by Angus McBride, showing, among others, the warrior priests and the cuahchic shock troops of the Aztecs, and a beautiful Mixtec Queen.

I just recently (2008) purchased this book from Amazon.com, after reading Carey and Schmitt's Witness to Roswell. Carey and Schmitt's book is a truly convincing, and well-written, update on the Roswell crash, and I recommend it highly. But, I was very surprised to find this book by Hesemann and Mantle (Beyond Roswell) that was written about 10 years earlier and which contained a lot of the SAME witness accounts that one finds in Carey and Schmitt. In addition, Hesemann/Mantle present convincing research and testimonials about the "OTHER" Roswell crash that took place on May 31, 1947 (SW of Socorro), as well as about the Santilli "Alien Autopsy" film. Rather than give my reactions here to what these authors have written, I would prefer that YOU get ahold of this book and read what Hesemann and Mantle have discovered. I cannot imagine that you would find his book to be anything less than amazing and thoroughly convincing.
Mr. Hesemann interviewed the Native American Robert Morning Sky for this book, as Mr. Morning Sky claims that his grandfather had contact with one of the "aliens" who managed to escape from the crash that took place on May 31, 1947. Morning Sky's comments about the Santilli "Alien Autopsy" film are very revealing (pp. 235-236):
"Whereas we, and other Native Americans, know about the authenticity of Santilli's film [as the "alien" on the autopsy table was identical in appearance to the "Star Elder" who escaped the crash site], we believe that in the end it will be proved that the material is fake. The UFO believers have to be discredited, the contents of the film must be drawn through the mud. The "powers that be" have to keep their control over the people. I don't know how it will be done, but the film will be, has to be, exposed as a fake."
It is also interesting, and PAINFUL, to be told by an eyewitness to the May, 1947 crash that our military treated the aliens very roughly, and that one alien might even have been shot in the head (page 202, per Prof. Ballone).
Please buy this book and broaden your perspective on the whole "Roswell Incident."

This is the most complete attempt to syntheize the facts, the probable facts and the improbable facts into a self consistent model. There is an incredible amount of detail. It is well writtn, well researched and a joy to read. Even for those of us who are convinced that the "alien autopsy" is a hoax, this work may soften somewhat our stance on this issue

So there was a ship or what ever, why cant we see it some is bond to know what it is, if you read a lot of alian books.I just wont to see it.I dont care what it is I wont to see it.It might be a space ship it might not. I think if kids who read alian books should see it they might know what it is you know they can get beater info in there heads of what it might be you know.See kids have beater imaganations then adults do.So why keep it a secret people know abot it already, let use see what it is for our selfs...I might even know what it is but I dount it.Who know I might know what it is,its not hard you know..& what I wont to know is what does WAA mean?

If you are interested in this subject matter this is full of good information. Also recommend Robert Doherty's AREA 51 and its sequel AREA 51 THE REPLY. Doherty is former government special ops, so what he writes is interesting.

This is the most complete attempt to syntheize the facts, the probable facts and the improbable facts into a self consistent model. There is an incredible amount of detail. It is well writtn, well researched and a joy to read. Even for those of us who are convinced that the "alien autopsy" is a hoax, this work may soften somewhat our stance on this issue

The 1920's are famous for grandiose stunts and promotions. One of the most arduous was the great bunion derby of 1928. Brainchild of promoter Charles C. Pyle, this was a foot race from California to New York, spotlighting the newly laid Route 66. This grueling race attracted trained athletes from across the United States and beyond. But most participants were amateurs, ill-suited to the trial before them. They came for the glory, or the thrill, or perhaps the $25,000 prize. Of the 199 starters an ama zing 55 men completed the race.

Kastner's account follows African American, Ed Gardner, through the torturous ordeal. This is history that reads like a novel - absorbing and well-paced. Kastner brings into sharp focus the motivation, the perseverance, the will, the grit that made Gardner a hero of his day.

What began as a quick browse for me became an adventure. I had expected a book which might appeal to distance runners only (a punishment to which I will never aspire). I found myself rooting for a number of the participants and marveling at their progress. There was little Olli Wanttinen at 4 feet nine inches; how many more steps must he have had to take to match the taller runners' strides. Fifteen-year-old T. Joseph Cotton, eldest of seven siblings, wanted the prize money to help feed his family. Then there was experienced competitor, Charles Hart, who, at age63, was two and three times the ages of most of the racers.

But this is more than just a book about running. Mr. Kastner has done a laudable job of portraying a fascinating, little known facet of American history. It is a literate account of one of the greatest publicity stunts from an age of outrageous stunts - of marathon dancing, goldfish swallowing, and flagpole sitting. There is all the pathos of an America rife with pockets of extreme poverty and hardship, class and color discrimination, optimism and perseverance.

The book is meticulously researched and generously illustrated with archival photographs. Several appendices tantalize with glimpses of future ultra races (post 1928). I hope another book will soon be forthcoming.

This is a beautifully written and well-researched story, and to that extent it is a good book. Chuck and Mary Kastner are friends, and frequent visitors to our Bed & Breakfast, so I won't say any more about the book than "Buy it" you won't be disappointed!

The story on the other hand belongs not only to the book, but to American History. The racers formed a cross-section of American society, with some fascinating foreigners thrown in for good measure. The trials and tribulations of all the runners amazed me and their sheer persistence could not help but become fodder for the story. But more than that the story is of ordinary people whose characters and personalities were forever changed by their phenomenal efforts. When the leaders of the race cross into New York State, there is a gesture by the leading racer which brought tears to my eyes. I leave it to you to buy the book and read the story, and admire these Bunioneers.

Ostensibly a book about running - it is concerned with the cross country foot race from Los Angeles to New York in 1928 - it is so much more. It is a slice of American history, our pride and our shame. Runners and walkers from all over the globe were competing for a $25,000 prize - a vast sum in those days. Many who entered did so for the money and what it might do for their families. It didn't matter that so many of these men lacked the training, the support people, and the proper attire for such an endeavor. C.C. Pyle, the promoter of the race, and all the attendant side show foolishness that capped most days of competition, promised food and housing along the way. (The eleven-foot tall coffee pot fastened on a truck chassis, a famous curiosity of the day, followed the racers and served the runners and staff 90 gallons of coffee a day).

The reality was this: The food Pyle provided was inadequate to such an arduous venture. Lodging was minimal - tents or boxcars barely serving to keep runners out of the worst of the weather. When one of the front runners persisted in publicly complaining about Pyle's lack of sufficient attention to the men, he received a telegram stating that his wife had died. She had, in fact, died several years earlier; the idea was that he would rush home and forget about the race.

The Black runners fared as well, or as poorly, as the rest of the pack until they ran smack into the Jim Crow South. There they were harassed and threatened. Their treatment was referred to by the international runners as "the most disgraceful thing they ever knew anything about."

Kastner has illuminated what was great and what was wrong with America as it was in 1928. Despite the scorching heat of the Mojave, the sleet, the wind, and the altitude of the mountains, the filthy, sweat-soaked clothing and ill-fitting shoes, and threats and humiliation aimed at the Black athletes, 55 men completed the 3,400-mile trek. These men rose to a challenge and would not be daunted. Why did so many put themselves through such an ordeal? As one racer put it, "Every man who finishes such a race is a winner. He has shown strength of heart and purpose, which should uplift him with pride and uplift his children after him."

I found this book to be intriguing and inspirational. It is a book that anyone who is interested in the history of distance running should read. It tells the story of the 1928 footrace across the United States and the stories of the brave men who competed in the race. I couldn't put this book down. It was extremely well researched, and the stories of competitors were inspiring. I strongly recommend this book.