Mexico Books

This book contains a collection of more than eighty important letters and other documents written by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo to friends, fans, family, politicians and lovers. These letters, written between 1924 and 1948, presents another kind of self-portrait revealing Kahlo's inter most personal feelings about her art, politics, tragedies and events in her life. This book also includes poems by Kahlo, her lecture analyzing her award winning painting "Moses" and an essay about her husband, the famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. The book begins with a 3 page chronology. There are only a few illustrations of sketches in this book and only one photograph of Kahlo. There are no illustrations or discussion of her paintings. The letters have been reproduced in their original format as much as possible, to include her own "Spanglish" language, other foreign words and the profanities which she often used. This book is recommended reading if you want to get to know and feel the emotions of the real Frida Kahlo.

If you enjoy reading about Frida Kahlo this is a great addition. The letters are kept in their original format as well as possible. The book is easy to read and laid out beautifully. It is insightful in ways that other biographical books have not been so far. If you love Frida Kahlo this is a great book to purchase.

i read this book in the original spanish a couple of years ago and was blown away. rosencof creatively weaves together his own history with that of his ancestors who perished in hitler's camps. i have not read this translated version, but it is probably excellent since it is part of a series that has included terrific books.

Like Mauricio Rosencof, the author of this book, I am Uruguayan - but this book has a message for every reader, regardless of his or her nationality, religion or political ideology.

The son of poor Polish/Jewish immigrants (his father was a tailor), Mauricio Rosencof's childhood was punctuated by poverty and absence - that of his elder brother, who, as he tells us, "protected me all my life, until he died", and that of his parents' Polish relatives, assassinated by the Germans and authors of the real or imagined "letters that never came". But Mauricio's early years were also marked by the kindness of his parents, by his hungry alertness to the world, and by the magical background of a long-gone Montevideo - all of which he evokes masterfully.

Suffering was to feature prominently in adulthood too. For about twelve years (1973 - 1985), Uruguay was scourged by a shameful and bloody military dictatorship that ended one of the longest and stablest democratic traditions in South America. Mauricio, a left-wing activist, was imprisoned and tortured, while his aged father and mother were persecuted as the "parents of a subversive". During these dark times, the letters that never came were the ones he could not write, the ones that told of the brutal treatment meted out to him, of the terror, the hope and the endurance.

I read the book in the original Spanish and so cannot comment on the translation, but I hope it does justice to Rosencof's spare, austere and yet profoundly evocative writing.

It should also be noted that "The letters..." inspired a play (which included Hebrew dances or "rikudim") and ran for a long time in Montevideo's renowned "Teatro El Galpón".

This wonderfully crafted memoir is an urgent and important read which speaks of family ties, heritage, love, grief, beliefs, and - above all - the force of the human spirit.

Interested in tracing the roots of American liberty in words and pictures? Then you will want to read this book. Author E. Ashley Rooney and Mary L. Martin relive the events of April 19, 1775 that " glorious morning for America" when the United States was born. The unique marriage of vintage postcards depicting the events and the colorful text make for a delightful walk through American history.

"Lexington to Concord" is a marvelous book that provides a visual as well as narrative history of the events of April 19, 1775, when Paul Revere rode to Lexington and "the shot heard 'round the world" was fired. What makes this book unique is that every page is illustrated with Amos Doolittle's sketches, period postcards, and current photographs of historical sites.

Continuing in time past the Revolution, the towns of Lexington, Bedford and Concord are illustrated, and many anecdotes and little known facts are included.

Many books provide excellent and readable narratives of the events of 1775, eg., David Hackett Fischer's "Paul Revere's Ride", but as a person who reads a great deal of American history, I highly recommend "Lexington to Concord" for its visual presentations in combination with descriptive narration and comment.

about the previous review, please check your high school geography books, may be it are wrong also, México, isn't in Central America, México's history can't be explained as from the desintegration of "las provincias unidas de centroamerica", nada que ver, no manches guey...los mexicanos no somos centroamericanos ni sudacas....

I used Woodward's essay on the liberal-conservative struggle in post independence Central America in writing a paper on the dissolution of the Central American Federation. It makes a well laid out argument, is well noted, and has a few great quotes in it if your writing a paper.

Mr. Keenan rescues Yellowsone Kelly from obscurity. The book is a joy to read and has many nuggets of information in it about how life on the frontier was rugged and survival was a struggle. Kelly did indeed live a life that people could only dream about. As civilization changed he adjusted to city life. Kelly should rank with Carson,Boone, and Crokett.

Born in Geneva, NY, Yellowstone Kelly--Luther S. Kelly (1849-1928)--had a wanderlust and desire for adventure that carried him to the Philippines and Alaska. But he made his reputation mostly from his scouting work in the northern part of the Great Plains when this region was first being settled. Kelly was involved as a scout in the U. S. Cavalry campaigns against the Sioux and other tribes in the 1870s; during which Custer and his men were wiped out in one engagement. Besides being depended on by Generals Miles and Sheridan for his knowledge of the area, Kelly later became acquainted with Buffalo Bill and Theodore Roosevelt in their activities in the upper Plains. The author of other books on this era of American history, Keenan writes a colorful, engaging biography of the life of the prominent, though not well-known, scout whose life and adventures coincide with the opening of the upper Great Plains after the Civil War and the waning of the old West. Kelly spent his last years tending an orchard in Paradise, CA.

The Little Ghost Who Wouldn't Go Away/El Pequeno Fantasma Que No Queria Irse is a bilingual (English and Spanish) storybook for young readers, about Rebecca Garcia, a young girl determined to learn why a little ghost continues to quietly haunt the mountain community of El Rito in New Mexico. A warm and engaging story about discovery and emotion, The Little Ghost Who Wouldn't Go Away is nicely illustrated by Kris Hotvedt with a handful of black-and-white drawings.

Having lived in northern new mexico for most of my life, I can relate to this book. My kids love it and ask me to read it to them again and again and again.

Manuel Antonio Chaves, New Mexican pioneer, Indian fighter, soldier, and rancher, made quite a reputation for himself during his lifetime (1818-1889). Born at Cebolleta, northwest of Albuquerque, Chaves first gained prominence as a foe of his corrupt uncle, the Governor of New Mexico, Manuel Armijo. He participated in the Mexican War and distinguished himself at the Battle of Taos Pueblo. In 1855 he was a captain of New Mexican volunteers in the Ute-Jicarilla War and rode against the Apaches on the Gila River in 1857. In the Civil War, he guided troops at Glorieta Pass, helping assure a Union victory. After the war he settled down to a rancher's life near San Mateo where he died in 1889.

Even though Chaves participated in a number of important events in the development of the Southwest, he was not a major figure in terms of the historical record. Not much has been written about him, and Simmons had quite a task before him to present an adequate picture of the man. He's done an admirable job, however, and the book is an interesting and informative account of El Leoncito.

Marc Simmons has done a wonderful job documenting the Southwest through many of his writings. In "The Little Lion of the Soutwest" he brings to life Manuel Antonio (Duran y) Chaves. Manuel lived through a drastically changing political environment of what he considered his homeland since when the Duran y Chaveses first found their way into what is now the American Southwest in the early 1600s. Simmons documents Manuel's childhood, military service, and livelihood through his son, Amado's collection, and other historical documentation. Mr. Simmons puts a face on some of the personalities that helped shape (what is now) New Mexico during the 1800s.

These are the tales of which my family grew up on. This story reminiscents to how well our great+ grandfathers lived compared to what resulted when many hispanic families were pushed off their lands. As a child, I remember hearing tales about the dealings with the Native Americans, having huge herds of cattle and sheep, and that there were a few in the family who fought in the old wars. During that time, I chalked these up as family "fish tales". In reading "The Little Lion", some of these myths come to life. Mr. Simmons helps in piecing together a history of what one great man of the Chavez family went through. For this I am grateful to read about because my fifth great grandfather was one of Manuel Antonio's uncles. Mr. Simmons writing's on Manuel Antonio Chavez makes many proud of the honor of being part of this "Distinctive American Clan".

This book is one I will always cherish, knowing someone took the time in giving a voice to a few lives of the Southwest. This is the stuff that should be taught in American History.

"I gather the clay for my work, one mural at a time." ~Prinscilla Hoback

While traveling across America as a teenager, I remember borrowing money from my brother in order to buy a set of clay dishes in New Mexico. I was fascinated by the colorful glazes and simplicity of the design. Prinscilla takes clay to new levels of creativity. I love her "Earth Dancers, 1998 Mural" that shows horses dancing like spirit horses across clay backgrounds. She finds horses visually exciting and loves the image of horses silhouetted against the sky.

Prinscilla Hoback started to make bowl forms, pitchers and plates and platters. She fell in love with clay and while working at her mother's restaurant, The Pink Adobe, she learned to make pots. Soon, she was selling sugar bowls, cream pitchers and coffee mugs. As she states, it was a "earn as you learn" situation.

Now she spends her time quarrying her own clay, developing glazes and building high-fire kilns. Her murals depict herds of horses, antelope, buffalo, white deer and migratory wild birds. Her work is a passionate expression of all she loves. Her new passion is writing and she loves gardening and cooking.

What I mostly remember about New Mexico is how warm the earth felt on my feet and then there are those hail storms! It seemed very much like Africa to me. There are people who love the scent of the earth where they live and I recognize this love of the earth in Prinscilla. I was amused at how she mixed dirt from her driveway with commercially prepared clay and then started to use native clays.

This is truly a fascinating book with creative writing and pictures of the artist's life and loves. There are pictures of her home in Galisteo and she takes the reader on a small tour of the Galisteo basin. If you love pottery, the creative story of the kiln will fascinate you and you might be amused by Prinscilla's humor.

The cover is quite beautiful with a burnt orange background of clay and horses dancing playfully on a mural.

~The Rebecca Review

In the November 2000 issue of The Bloomsbury Review, in the "Gifts for Booklovers" section Lori D. Kranz wrote:

Her medium is clay, her inspiration the Galisteo Basin where she lives and works. Native New Mexican Priscilla Hoback makes what she calls "clay murals" or fired clay paintings. Hoback started out as a self -taught potter in Santa Fe, where she was born, and for many years created and sold functional pieces for the kitchen in her studio/shop on Canyon Road and at local craft fairs. In 1977, with her children gone to college, she yearned for a change, for a more peaceful life in the country, and so she bought a small, run-down ranch near Galisteo village, which she turned into a studio, a house, a garden, and a home for her horses, dogs, ducks, and chickens. In her meanderings through the basin valley, she became fascinated with its geology, wildlife, ancient petroglyphs, and abandoned mines-particularly clay mines. Her work grew in both size and inventiveness as she began to incorporate these influences, gathering raw materials from the land, experimenting with her own recipes, and firing them in a large kiln of her own making.

For her murals, Hoback uses the wet clay as her canvas, drawing images on it with her fingers, a pen, or a trowel. Then she brushes on pigments and creates texture by scraping away or building up layers of clay. Her imagery is of animals :horses, buffalo, deer, antelope, birds, and her favorite, bears. Before it has dried, she cuts the clay slab into smaller pieces and punches holes in them, which allows them to be screw-mounted on plywood for later hanging. Then comes what she considers the best part: the firing. Hoback sees kilns as "combinations of dragon, slave, and ancient god." The result of her efforts is a unique blend of ceramic art, painting, and installation art.

Living Clay is Hoback's story : her life, her process, her creations, her beautiful desert surroundings, all illustrated in full color. From an accomplisher potter she has become a singuar artist. "Hands ask, clay responds." she says. Her book is a testament to the beauty of what hands are capable of.

if you like to read books that are interesting and strange and funny and sad you will like to read this book. this book is much better than this review. the book is well written, this review is not. everything this review lacks, the novel contains. if you like boats you must read this book. this review is failing to do this book justice. it is very good, you will be happy, it will make you smile.

This neglected masterpiece needs to be returned to print immediately. It is one of the greatest novels of the past half century. Prose this exquisite and sad and funny deserves a wide, ecstatic readership. This is a sea-tale about the deep loneliness between intimates and how that very loneliness can result in an even more powerful bond.

Good suspense tale of the civil war. It is a little known side tale of the civil war.
Not much is known about the fighting that went on in New Mexico with the Union forces and Texas.

Lt. David Buckalew and what few men he has left are on their way back to Texas after being beaten by the Union Army. On the way they find out about a bunch of weapons and powder hidden on a ranch. They decide to capture it and take it back with them to help their cause. They are only 20 men strong and this number will drop. The weapons and powder are hidden on a ranch owned by people who back the Union. They are successful it starting toward Texas with it but it is a long way from over. Bucklaew and his few men have to fight the people for the Union also a group of Indians led by Comanchero Floyd Bearfield, who wants the stuff to sell. Bucklaew is a green Lt., therefore, his men may more attention to Sergeant Noley Mitchell than to him. Can he get the material back to Texas? Will the men ever respect him? The book moves fast and will hold your attention. Some people get killed you don't want to and some live you don't want to. A good Western book, but then Kelton usually writes a good one.