Foremost are the photographs. I would call Annerino's canyon portraits the best of a really good lot, even over big-time large-format photographers. While the large-format works are stunning artistic studies of light and color shot with impossibly huge f-stops, Annerino's canyon photographs give expression to the phrase "wearing one's heart on the sleeve." His photos have an active passion that others lack. Anyone who knows him will say he is among the "hardmen' to tackle the Southwestern mountains and canyons, but that he is definitely the most sincere in his passion for place. Perhaps, because of this he lacks a calculated commercial view of the places he photographs. His images also record his own passion, creating compelling and unique photographs. More than any other contemporary outdoor photographer, Annerino's photos mirror his love of the land's people. In the text, Annerino portrays canyonlands people as part of what makes the places special. He has a deep affection for past and present native peoples, but unlike some Anglo North Americans, Annerino isn't a lost 20th century soul. Rather, he seems to have a straightfoward and genuine admiration for native people, and has learned a great deal about them. His research on each canyon's history is impressive. Annerino writes with an immensity commensurate with his subject. His style is old-fashioned, evoking an older, more grandiose era of writing of explorers like Powell and Pattie. While many modern writers seem bent on infusing themselves into as much of the story as possible, Annerino's style is not so full of himself as full of the intensity of his canyon experiences...Annerino is at his best when he writes about Mexico, especially the Big Bend passage where he talks about the injustices served the Mexican across the river at the hands of our national park there. An optimist who sees great things in the canyons, Annerino neither ignores nor dwells on the obvious problems facing the West like pollution and development. And fortunately, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is not a treasure map guidebook to these areas. -Desert Skies

John Annerino's pictorial celebration of the canyons of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico is a handsome momento for those who have heard the wind whistling in these haunting canyons, and a beckoning invitation for those who have not yet made the journey. Annerino has spent much of his adult life exploring this territory -- as a wilderness runner, adventurer, and photojournalist -- and here combines his firsthand knowledge with his expertise as a nature photographer and author to create an intimate portrait of some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Scores of stunning full-color photographs make plain the basis for the region's appeal. From the centuries-old Anasazi ruins to the breathtaking buttes of Monument Valley, from the Narrows of Zion National Park to the barrancas (canyons) of the frontier of Mexico, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is a memorable record of one of the earth's most spectacular bioregions.

Everyone knows about the Grand Canyon, but what many of us don't know is that the Southwest is laced with canyons less traveled but no less spectacular. Lucky for us, Annerino spills a few secrets in this book, describing in words and fine photographs such places...an encticement to visit or revisit, in person, this stunning terrain. -Outside Magazine

[Backcover Review]: "PEOPLE OF LEGEND by acclaimed photojournalist and author John Annerino is a stunning and evocative portrait of Native America and the mystical landscapes they call home. "This largely photographic essay...offers a rare glimpse of coming of age ceremonies and feasts, and vivid re-enactments of ancient dances."-San Francisco Chronicle. "Contemporary Native American culture is revealed by a photojournalist who spent over 20 years exploring the Southwest...a stunning visual display of modern tribes and people: a blend of cultural history and art book."-Reviewers Bookwatch. "Annerino's work is outstanding." -Arizona Daily Star. "PEOPLE OF LEGEND tells a history, in words and pictures, that we all need to know." -American Photo Magazine. "Extraordinary."-Sandia Review." [Backcover Bio]: "Praised by Newsweek as one of the finest photographers of the West, John Annerino has worked in the frontier of Old Mexico and the American West for two decades. The Washington Post has lauded his "reverant and ravishing photographs," The Denver Post described his work as "fabulous," Publishers Weekly calls it "stunning." Represented by Gamma-Liaison, Annerino's credits include Time, Life, Newsweek, and Scientific American, among many prestigious publications worldwide. The author of nine books, Annerino's works include the critically acclaimed 1999 border saga DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS and his new photo/art book on American cowboys and cowgirls, ROUGHSTOCK: THE TOUGHEST EVENTS IN RODEO."

Acclaimed author and photojournalist John Annerino is known for his high-risk journeys through the frontiers of Mexico and the American Southwest, seeking stories untold and photos unseen. For the past two decades, with his pen and his camera, he has told the stories of indigenous people -- their struggles and triumphs, their political strife and quiet dignity. His chronicles about the Tarahumara [WHERE SPIRITS STILL DANCE, in press] and Inde [APACHE: The Sacred Path to Womanhood, Marlowe & Co.], and his journeys across the desert with Mexican citizens looking for work in the United States [DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, Four Walls Eight Windows], can be found in several books as well as in frequent articles. Annerino share[s] his journeys and experiences, reflecting on how indigenous cultures have retained their traditions while dealing with outside influences. -Heard Museum

PEOPLE OF LEGEND. Annerino's book examines Indians' ties to land...A dozen figures raise crooked sticks toward the twilight sky. In the shot, Annerino manages to bring an almost monumental quality to the circle of students at San Simon High School, on the western edge of the Tohono O'odham reservation, as they play the ancient stickball game. At first glance, it appears to be some ancient ceremony. In a way it is. "I wanted to show the spirituality of the game of toka for the Tohono O'odham," Annerino said. -Daily Star

This is an excellent book for both the beginner or serious student of Southwestern Pottery. It gives examples of all styles, types, and designs, making it easy for anyone to understand what makes each Pueblo's pottery unique. Perhaps not as "in depth" as some others, this book is easily the best book out there today as far as explaining and illustrating the basics. It really is an indispensable guide and reference book. The authors are regular guys rather than scholars, so it is easy and enjoyable to read, and filled with great photos of their quite amazing collections. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a place to begin learning about Southwestern Pottery.

An excellent introduction and reference on Southwestern pottery. The authors cover each of the major styles and pueblos, with history, anecdotes, and great color pictures.

They also have a delightful approach to collecting, emphasizing pieces that teach something or appeal to them, rather than perfect (and expensive!) museum-quality work.

If you're new to collecting, or you want to buy just one book about Pueblo pottery, buy this book. Period.

This is the most down-to-earth treatment of this involved subject that you'll find. The authors stress simplicity while encouraging readers to buy what they like and not to overspend. More than that, the authors have practiced what they preach, and the pages of color photographs are a testament to the fact that their approach works. For me, the advice in this book made this beautiful art approachable and affordable.

This book will teach you about the history and basics of the art form and introduce you to the various pueblos and their pots and potters. On top of that, it's well indexed and a great reference book. Most of all, you will enjoy the authors' writing; their style is conversational and pleasant, rather than academic or haughty. It makes for a work that's not only informative, but fun to read. And whether you read this book front cover to back, pick out individual chapters of interest, or simply use it as a reference, it will be worth every penny you pay for it. It's my favorite (and most useful) book on the subject.

An outstanding work of narrative history. Fehrenbach occasionally refers to works he has cited but most often presses forward with the story uninterrupted by footnotes. A bibliography is included following the text.
This is a wide-ranging look at the Comanche spanning their first known origins and their ethnic, cultural, and environmental evolution into the ultimate horse Indians. The tribe's history is set in the context of the history of the land they occupied. First, Fehrenbach lays out the Spanish conquest of northern Mexico, and the imperial policies that governed their frontier, and delineates how those policies and practices fostered the advance of Comanches as a horse culture built on raiding and marauding. Then with the demise of the Spanish as a power, he juxtaposes the Comanche against the advancing Anglo-Texan population. Not only does this paint a complete picture of the Comanche, it provides an overview of the history of the region and great insight into the differing approaches to empire among the Spanish, French, and Anglos and the results those policies produced on the ground. Not dull stuff at all the way he tells it.
Fehrenbach's writing style is fluid and transparent, designed to tell the story not to draw undue attention to himself as a writer. He has a novelitst's sense of pace and drama that never allows the story to bog down. He also has an eye for character and detail that deftly draws together the telling elements that make his vignettes poignant and memorable. Most of all, however, he formulates deductive historical insights that pinpoint the causative factors shaping the direction of history. And all this in a text as readable as a finely crafted novel.

If it's possible to write five hundred pages of historical non-fiction without bias, Fehrenbach has done it in Comanches. The book is devoid of rhetoric, overstatement, or preaching. He is a man absolutely committed to fact. What he presents in Comanches is a sweeping tome on the origins and ultimate destruction of a fascinating culture.

Vast in scope, Comanches begins with an anthropological study of the warring tribe's development and domination of rival Indians. They were nomadic people, living in harmony with the plains, sustained by the seemingly-infinite buffalo herds. More than anyone else, the Comanches are responsible for America's English-from-the-East-coast heritage rather than what would have been domination by the Spaniards coming north out of Mexico. The Comanches' fierce resistance delayed European domination of the West by several centuries.

Fehrenbach's treatment of the Comanche's adoption of the horse, introduced to North America by the Spaniards, is brilliant. Anyone who has ever ridden a horse bareback knows how difficult it is to stay aboard, and can't help but be in awe of the "horse people's" ability to ride at full gallop and accurate shoot arrows or, later, rifles.

The book finishes with the sad destruction of the Comanche culture by the relentless and overwhelming advance of European "civilization" from the East.

In a word, Fehrenbach's scholar-level book leaves you with a deep respect for the Comanches. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

Well researched, interestingly written. I could not put this book down. Mr. Fehrenbach provides a balanced perspective many books do not.

I picked up this book shortly before I left to come to Azerbaijan for a year. It has been my constant companion while living in Baku (the capital) and in making countless excursions out of the city. Having been here almost a year, I can safely say it's the best travel book I've ever read for any place. It is delightful to read and its author's warm and quirky sense of humor make it a constant source of entertainment.

Perhaps the best recommendation for this books comes not just from the many expatriots who rely on it, but from the native Azeris who are astounded at how well Mark Elliott (native of UK) knows their country. Azeris are famous for assuming (perhpas rightly so) that the rest of the world knows nothing about their country. So, when Azeris recommend a book about their country, written by a foreigner, it is a pretty good endorsement.

By far the best aspect of the book are the scores of maps and illustrations--all done by the author. As a trained geographer, I appreciate the excellent maps loaded (almost overloaded) with information. They are easy to read maps that make it difficult for the traveler to get lost. I am particularly impressed by how a map can simultaneously accurate and amusing! My favorite entry is the map of the fascinating town of Quba that includes "Old Men" sitting in the park. Damned if they weren't still sitting there. On another map, the author suggests looking for grey beards at the point where you're supposed to make a particular turn. Sure enough, there they were.

Living in Baku, my family and often make use of Elliott's recommendations for restaurants. Of course restaurants come and go, but the information is nearly always accurate and detailed.

My eight-year-old son and I have enjoyed taking his "scavenger hunt" for artistic architectural oddities in the city. I think we've now found all the objects in the second edition, but a third one is already on the drawing boards.

Mark Elliott has a delightfully respectful attitude towards Azerbaijan and the Azeris. This is different form many travel books (Including the Lonely Planet Guide to the South Caucasus) which often take on a preachy attitude which tends to poke fun at the local cultures rather than respectfully describing them as Elliott does.

In addition to being a good travel book, this book also is a worthy source of information on the country for anyone interested in learning about it.

Having lived or traveled extensively in over fifty countries I can recommend this book most highly.

This is a travel guide with all the practical details you'd expect from a series like Lonely Planet, but with more soul and many more maps. If you go to this part of the world, make sure you have this book.

Mark Elliott's guidebook is more than the bare-bones "here's where you can stay and eat" sort of volume. Sure, he gives you all of that necessary information (prices, best value, etc.) but the true worth of this book lies in the pleasure reading it. Let's face it: If you're not planning on visiting a certain destination, you'd never pick up, much less buy, a guidebook on that locale. But Mark writes very well, with a sure-handed knowledge of the history and cultures that he comes across, and effortlessly works it into his background descriptions. The book is actually fun to read, and I suspect that if Richard Burton (not the actor!) were alive today, he'd pretty much be writing the same sort of thing. Don't know if I myself will ever make it to Azerbaijan, but I came away from reading this book -- actually reading! -- feeling like it's one of the places I'd really like to see in this world.
Baku or bust!

Lonely Planet is unbelieveable! They continually pump out the HIGHEST quality guidebooks, and they've done it again with this edition covering Bhutan. I have spent a good portion of my life researching, and hording information on Bhutan, and have found Lonely Planet's guidebook to contain everything and more that the traveller could ever want...with two exceptions. I think that the lack of the U'cen script in the language chapter is a serious mistake. Lonely Planet has the capacity to print in the U'cen script as they did so in their Tibet edition. My other qualm is with the sparse coverage of the smaller and admittedly FAR less visited dzongkhags (districts) (i.e., Daga, Samdrup Jongkhar, Pema Gatshel, Zhemgang, Tsirang, etc.). Lonely Planet, resolve these issues and your book will be the best it could be.

If you're thinking of going to Bhutan, be advised there's not a whole lot out there to read in preparation, and of what there is, this guide is one of the best. Tourist travel in Bhutan is strictly controlled, and your itinerary is usually planned in advance, so lots of info on hotels, etc. isn't all that necessary. This guide focuses on history, culture and the life of the people--food, housing, dress. Along with the Passport/Odyssey guide by Pommerat, it's all you need. Have fun!

I have no bounds whatsoever to the Lonely Planet publishing house, other than a deep emotional affection towards their guidebooks. Yet, as a world traveler, I cannot but admire their comprehensive coverage of virtually every corner of the world. Almost every place you could dream of visiting is covered in one or more of their guidebooks. And as one would expect... they also made it to this tiny Himalayan kingdom, where less than 4'000 tourists visit each year. The guidebook is great and contains all you need - plenty of information, data, tips, advice, as well as very well written (actually fascinating !) sections on the local history, culture, religion, architecture, etc. At first impact, the guidebook may prove a little disappointing to you, as it explains that most travelers can only go to Bhutan on a guided tour. But this is not quite what it sounds: a guided tour will be tailored just for you - with only 4'000 tourists a year you won't mind being 'guided'. Since you are likely to be in Bhutan with your own guide, this book may not be an essential tool for travel survival, but it surely is a wonderful tool that will make your stay more enjoyable and fascinating. It will enable you to tell your guide what you want to see, to make your itinerary, etc. It will enable you to choose your preferred hotels or restaurants (to be agreed with your tour operator in Bhutan), and even decide where to do your shopping (the choice in Thimphu consists in two or three superb local markets !). But the most valuable sections are probably those on the local culture, an unspoiled culture where the people practice their faith through millenary religious traditions. The guidebook will tell you things you will want to know about the people, their monasteries, their life ! If you go and don't have it with you, you may regret it. ...

I do not often read westerns, however I thought I would give a book like Brules, touted to be more literature than genre, a try. I'm sorry I did.

Brules is too long, too wordy, and unnecessarily racist. Yes, the white men and the indians didn't love each other. We know that. But having that driven home without redemption for over 400 of the 500 pages is nauseating at best. Brules himself is mostly without redemption. There is little to love in a man who views his woman as a beautiful piece of flesh and shoots and kills people to get whatever he needs. Yes, I'm sure there were lots of cowboys like that out there, but do we really want to spend a whole 500 and some pages in the company of one?

That said, Brules is fairly well written, and Harry Combs did manage to create one character I really cared about--the young man we meet at the beginning of the book and to whom Brules tells his story, Steven Cartwright. I hear Combs wrote a whole book about him, The Legend of the Painted Horse, and perhaps I will go give that a try.

All told, Brules is probably a good read for Western readers. I think the rest of us, however, will find it a bit nauseating.

This is one of the best books that I have read about the old west. The detail that Mr. Combs puts into this book is just awsome. After you read this book you will want to go and saddle a horse, strap on you .38 Smith & Wesson, put your model 66 Winchester in its sheath and have your own adventures. If you like Louis L'amour's books then you will love Brules. He is the man that we all wish we could have been, in the time of history when survival of the fittest was the way of the land. This was a hard time that demanded hard men to tame the "wild west". What they got in Brules was one of the harderst and most dangerous men(when rialed) they could have imagined. Brules is one of the men that legends are made of. This IS the best western book that I have read and I highly recommend this book to any person who is fascinated about the time and people.

THIS BOOK BY HARRY COMBS IS FABULOUS. THE DETAILS OF THE AREA ARE SUPERB. AS WE LIVE VERY CLOSE BY AND HAVE BEEN TO THIS SPOT MANY TIMES, WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH HIS PRECISE DETAIL. THE STORY IS SO EASY TO FOLLOW AND CAPTIVATING, WE COULD NOT WAIT TO OBTAIN THE NEXT 2 BOOKS. MANY OF OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN NORWOOD HAVE ORDERED THIS ON OUR RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU HARRY COMBS.

The Chaco Meridian is strictly for those already familiar with studies and locations in Southwestern archaeology. The author's theory about a common meridian linking Chaco and Aztec (N.M.) and Casas Grandes (Mexico) is interesting and well-argued, but far-fetched.
The book is cluttered with hundreds of references placed in middle of the text, which make for choppy reading. Many of the references are to Dr. Lekson's own work.
Four Corners archaeology has been studied by many, many scientists for many, many years. The result is a cloud of literature which turns over stone after stone; potsherd after potsherd, attempting to justify the cost of each new study. There is lots of dust, not much pure light.
Dr. Lekson raises more dust, pointing out the coincidence of three major sites on (almost) the same meridian. Hundreds of other sites don't line up with anything. One can connect any two sites with a straight line. Extended far enough, the line will probably strike something else. My hometown is on almost the same meridian as Oklahoma City and Waco. So?
To his credit, Dr. Lekson gently slams the fetish of Chaco astro-archaeology and its limitless imagined alignments of doorways and rocks with certain stars on certain nights. Most of the "alignments" are pure Hohokam. The bend of a creek (we don't have mountains around here) viewed from my attic window lines up perfectly with sunrise on May 17. You have to stand on a chair in just the right spot to make everything line up. Is this a magic place, or what?
I'd like to give Dr. Lekson five stars for this clever work, but it grinds too fine.

Lekson, an expert on Southwestern archaeology, presents a provocative thesis about the civilization that produced the great houses in New Mexico's Chaco Canyon. He proposes that Chaco Canyon was one of three successive capitals of a politically integrated region. According to Lekson, a ruling elite emerged at Chaco and perpetuated itself by moving a ceremonial city along Chaco's meridian. Lekson writes in an engaging and often deliberately provocative style. This is as fun as serious archaeology gets, though Lekson sometimes repeats his points. The book is well illustrated with diagrams and black and white photographs.

hintzer@msn.com from Virginia, USA , 21 May, 1999 Provides provocative new views of the Anasazi culture A book that breaks the mold of most published archaeology literature. "The Chaco Meridian" takes an entertaining world view approach to the Anasazi culture, building a case for long distance interaction between Chaco, Paquime and further south into Mexico. Lekson presents information in a way that is refreshing and thought provoking (the book was difficult to put down once I began to read). Lekson discusses architectural and archaeological relationships that appear to be very obvious, yet he is one of the first to openly package Chaco, Aztec, Paquime and the general southwestern US into a common culture, and make these ideas available to the general public. There are no geopolitcal or academic borders in this book. Thanks for the good reading !

Much has been written about the legendary company, Southwest Airlines. As a former insider, I often wondered why other organizations couldn't duplicate Southwest's business model. There really weren't any secrets, but while other airlines and companies tried, few succeeded. In many ways Southwest defies conventional business thinking. Based on extensive research, Jody Hoffer Gittell's The Southwest Way is filled with actual examples of business process at Southwest as compared to other airlines. The reader can easily see how basic practices based on internal values at Southwest, such as, investing in leadership development and people have made such a big difference. In fact, the findings from eight years of research of the airline industry reveal that Southwest's success is due to building high performance relationships with their people, customers, unions, vendors and suppliers, and the public in general.

Dr.Gitell includes real-life inspiring stories from insiders, which makes the book a more entertaining read versus your typical analytical reference text written by an academic. But, this is not a touchy feely book based on anecdotes, it is academic and the ideas presented are fact-based. The reader gets a glimpse into day to day practices and people who run the company and work on the frontlines, but also Gittell has compared and contrasted these practices and people to those of competitor airlines and other industries. This is where the reader can easily see why Southwest's basic values have given the airline a significant competitive advantage. And, this is where readers can see Gittel's theoretical premise in action.

The Southwest Way is a book that will most certainly appeal to general business audiences, to airline leaders, and to any business person who is engaged in efforts to build a legendary organization and organizational culture. Human resources professionals will identify secrets to creating value in organizations through people practices, leadership development, conflict resolution, work-life balance initiatives, performance management, and building a culture that fosters productivity, innovation and organizational success.

Several books and countless articles have been written about Southwest Airlines. They highlight its structure, its culture, its CEO, its low fares and other reasons as to why it is the bright spot in an otherwise dismally performing industry. None, however, have completely captured the real explanation of why Southwest succeeds.

In this book, Dr. Gittell has managed to identify and even quantify the powerful formula of Southwest's success. Simply stated, it is the company's ability to achieve high performance relationships by sharing goals and information in a climate of mutual respect. This allows the coordination and communication necessary to attain efficiency and customer service in the complex and multi-functional environment of an airline.

Lest this appear too simple or 'soft', Dr. Gittell provides detailed analysis of Southwest's approach. She identifies ten specific practices used by the people of Southwest to achieve their incredibly consistent performance. These practices range from those that might be expected in a successful company such as credibility of leadership, emphasis on hiring and training, and positive relationships with unions and suppliers, to those that are contrary to today's accepted wisdom such as increasing frontline leadership positions and creating human 'boundry-spanners' as opposed to relying on electronic interfaces.

The good news is that Dr. Gittell clearly identifies and explains each of these elements in a highly readable way that is also backed with data. The hard part is that these are not quick fixes and that the evidence indicates that most, if not all, of the practices must be adapted/adopted if another organization is to duplicate the success of Southwest. Nevertheless, thanks to the author, the lessons are revealed for all to benefit.

I would recommend that the value of this book not be limited to the airline industry. These concepts and practices are applicable to any organization or industry that is striving for quality, efficiency and customer service in a complex, competitive environment.

Many business owners often ask the question: How can my business become more successful, more profitable like some specific business they may know of or have read about in a business periodical. There are numerous books published in the "how to" area; Jody Hoffer Gittell's book, The Southwest Airlines Way, is, in my opinion, THE book for any manager in any type of business to not only read but to implement any number of the suggestions made in the book to face competitive challenges faced in their own business. After reading the book I was particularly impressed with the amount of and time spent gathering research for this impressive business book. The author explains very well many practices that Southwest utilizes in it's business that has sustained it's success of 30 years of growth and profitability.
As I read the book, and unlike many books that one reads a few pages at a time, I could hardly wait to turn the page to continue reading about the superior theory of relational coordination as developed by the author. I suppose the author could have chosen some other type of industry and company to research and write about but in a time that many many airlinesare bleeding "red ink", going out of business or filing for bankruptcy, the author writes about perhaps the most successful airline ever in the USA. In the book the author writes: "However, the Southwest model is still not well understood." I can understand why: not enough managers have read this exceptional book! Therefore my conclusion can be stated as: Memo to Managers: If you "Don't Get It"-Get It! -this book. As the Executive Producer and host of the highly acclaimed business tv show, "Business Beat Live" on which Jody Hoffer Gittell was a guest, I have read hundreds of business books and interviewed their authors; in my opinion this book ranks a "10". Read it and you'll see why.

First of all, let me say that this is one of the only Billie The Kid/Lincoln County books I have found that actually explain the confusing circumstances around the Lincoln County War understandably. That coverage is excellent, and alone makes this a great book.
Besides that, it is still a pretty good book, one of the better ones, and it gets the truth straight, not filling it up with made-up stories of Billy's heroics (See: "Authentic Life of Billie the Kid"). What it does fill up with, though, is lots of unnecessary background info, which is interesting but makes for very slow reading. Robert is good at going into Billy's mind and personality. I like espcially the way he writes seemingly without bias: you can't tell if he leans towards the Billy-as-hero side or Billy-as-killer side, which is -so- refreshing.
It's slow moving, but Robert gives you the straight story and forgets nothing, leaving no rock unturned. Great for beginning William Bonney enthusiasts.

Fast moving, action packed, superbly researched and easy to read. A standard bearer for all future books based upon the life of Billy the Kid. Robert M. Utley has been uncomprimising in his efforts to convey the true exploits of the 'Kid'. The author displays an extensive knowledge in this field, and it is hard to fault the texts contents. Plenty of other sources are cited and scrutinized by the author, for further reading and information in closely related topics ie. the Lincoln County War.

Clearly, one of Robert M. Utley's strengths is how well he argues the evidence, an ability he exerts throughout this truly enthralling biography. This only adds to the enjoyment of the book. To be fair there are several areas that could be expanded upon, such as 'the Kid's' earlier relationship with Pat Garrett, but there is no evidence to suggest that this work was to be completely exhaustive. But certainly this book is an exceptional building block for further research and any emerging new evidence. If you are interested in the life of Billy the Kid, and you've not read this book...READ IT! You will not be disappointed.

Robert Utley writes an excellent history of a young man virtually parentless (a surviving but perhaps neglectful father) that becomes involved with petty crimes and eventually winds up with a gang of semi-outlaws in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Fascinating descriptive of life in this county where cattle rustling and other related crimes did not seem to have the mark of a criminal as they would in our day. Utley documents how young William graduates to a member of one of two cowboy armies in Lincoln, each supporting rival businessman in the Lincoln County war where control of rival business interests involve murder, gun battles and massaging of the legal authorities in the State. Billy earns his nickname the Kid during his benefators losing battle with the other business rival resulting in the death of his benefactors plus Billy's involvement of the killings of several men including a well liked Sheriff. Utley chronicles the story of the Civil War, the causes, the Armies feigned attempt at neutrality that actually defeated the Kids forces, Billy's testimony at a trial, chance for a pardon from Governor Lew Wallace, his continued participation in crime, arrest and bloody jail break and his refusal to leave the State after being declared an outlaw. Utley tells an amazing story of an apparently likable young, man who was popular with the senioritis and in spite of the legal authorities attempts to apprehend him he continued to live almost openly in a neighboring town only to be caught by Pat Garrett an acquaintance of his. Utley writes a real story of the west where a not so innocent youth gets caught in a social Civil War and with an opportunity to leave it all behind, stubbornly or playfully decides to continue to live in his home neighborhood which cost him his life. Utley's book leaves you thinking that at 21 years of age, the Kid was truly too immature to know when it was time to move on and actually grow up. Utley's description makes you wonder if with the right mentor other than gunman, the likeable kid would have been a popular citizen with a family if he every developed something of an honest vocation.