In Copper Crucible, Jonathan D. Rosenblum sets out to grind his ax and bash the evil "big business & Corporate giants". Too bad he didn't tell the rest of the story,... As he fell all over himself demonizing Phelps Dodge and raising Union organizers to sainthood, he conveniently omits the fact that a fully loaded beer truck was the drawing card the union used for its strike meetings. Alcohol just set the stage for the violence to come. And beleive me there was plenty & encouraged by the union. "Lets get the miners drunk & they will vote how we say" after all,... its all about power & money -on the union side as well. Copper Crucible may be based on true events, but it certainly does not paint a full true picture.

This book focuses on the destruction of individuals' lives when they cross paths with a powerful corporation, Phelps Dodge, when that company has the leverage to do so. This book reveals clearly how thin was the veneer of the labor-management accord after WWII. Phelps Dodge saw an opportunity to bust their unions and aided by labor law, labor law officials, and law enforcement departments did so. This book is strongest in its depiction of personalities but is weakest in putting this entire episode in a larger perspective. Rosemblum casts doubt on the unions understandings and strategies in this strike of 1983. But what is missing is any broad attempt to frame this labor conflict in context of the political understandings and power of the American working class in general. Why are the anti-labor biases of labor law officials, judges, and law enforcement officials tolerated in this country? Do most working poeple support these biases? Do they not know that they exist or consider them to be irrelevant? Do they support union-busting? If not, are they powerless to elect pro-worker Congressmen and change labor laws? Union actions and community understandings take place in these unanswered contexts. The book is highly readable but one is left primarily with sympathy for the mostly Chicano workers who had their lives uprooted and not with a broader understanding of labor relations other than the obvious capability of a company with an extreme anti-union animus to carry out its will.

This history of a bitter Arizona mining strike in 1983-86 is a top-notch case study of how unions were mugged by American corporations in the 1980s. To judge by the endnotes, Rosenblum interviewed every player in the strike -- from Phelps Dodge executives and union leaders to ex-Governor Babbitt and undercover cops -- and the result is a vivid narative that weaves together labor history and political and legal analysis. The sections on pro-management bias at the NLRB and the use of undercover police to spy on strikers are gems of investigative reporting. Rosenblum is pro-union but he presents management's case at length and doesn't hold back from sharp criticism of the United Steelworkers leadership. If you're interested in labor history or labor/management relations in the US, read this book.

This book is exactly what you'd expect from a book purchased at a gift shop at the Grand Canyon, bland.

It is by no-means in-depth and spends more time describing the antiques that Colter decorated her buildings with than with her life. Colter was a fascinating woman and I would have liked to learn more about her than this book provided.

Being as how Colter isn't exactly someone you're likely to read more than one book about, I would recommend purchasing something with more pictures and information than this one, which is more just a basic outline.

"Builder upon the Red Earth" is not the slick tome of expensive color photographs and analytical drawings that Mary Colter's unique contribution to Twentieth Century American Architecture deserves. However, this essentially biographical book is the only one in print showing pictures and telling the history of Mary Colters extrodinary talent.It is not clear if Mary Colter's obscurity is due to the fact that she was a woman practicing architecture in a time when the field was dominated by men or if the remote Southwestern locations of her most interesting works kept them hidden form view, but it is high time more people took a serious look at her work. Colter's projects, which are "built ruins" foreshadow the work of Western deconstructionist architects like Antoine Predoc or Tom Maine. Showing the work of Colter which is almost 80 years ahead of its time "Builder upon the Red Earth" should be in every young architects library.

Although I agree with the reviewer who says that Mary Colter deserves a far better book, I still highly recommend this one, as at least it fills in a gap that's almost the same size as the canyon where Colter's buildings still stand today. More people should read it so that some will be inspired to write more!

I am about to make a move to Arizona, and I thought this book might help ease the transition. I was disappointed to find that the book covers a lot - but nothing in enough detail to be helpful. The information on weather, employment, and useful phone numbers, etc. can be found on the Arizona state website for free. I suppose if you have no other resources available, this book might be useful, but I was disappointed.

Very worthwhile. I moved to Prescott, Arizona, from the East Coast several weeks ago, and I found this little book to be helpful. It has information about all all sorts of practical things, such as registering your car. If you plan to move to Arizona, I recommend making the small investment for the book. Compared to what the move is going to cost you, the book is virtually free, and you will be glad to have it.

My father recently moved to Arizona and I purchased this for him a few weeks before he made the move. He had found it to be very helpful. It contains all of the essential information that any newcomer to the state might need. It is well written and seems to be very current.

If you're a newcomer to the state or considering moving to Arizona, then I'd recommend that you consider purchasing this book.

This book is not only an exhaustive biography of Army Scout Al Sieber, but a snapshot of life in Globe Arizona when the Apaches outnumbered the white men by a long shot. Sieber is memorialized on Crook's monument in Arlington and also inspired the Charlton Heston character in the movie ARROWHEAD. Basically Sieber's job was to help the Army put Apaches back on the Reservation when they strayed off it. He did this by using Apache scouts, whom he dominated by out-thinking, out-fighting, out-riding and out-shooting them, all the while treating them with respect and scrupulous honesty. The book covers his life from his immigration to the US from Germany on through his retirement working at the Indian Agency, insuring that the Apaches weren't cheated by the white men sent out by the Indian Bureau. The only flaw in the book is that Siber never strayed far from Globe, and the story doesn't either. You're left wanting to find biographies of Crook, Geronimo and the other characters that pass through Sieber's life.

Information of Al Sieber is hard to come by, but this book provides an excellent source for his life. I interested mainly in his work on the Geronimo Campaign and was very sastified with this book.

Dan L. Thrapp provides an excellent view into the life of one of greatest indian fighters in history. While some may love or hate Al Sieber for his role in ending the Apache wars Thrapp provides a well written and detailed look at a Cival War hero turned cowboy turned scout. To better understand the history and people of the time read this book and add it to your library.

This book seems like it was written as an assignment and not as a subject that actually needed to be written about. I'm a HUGE baseball fan and love reading about the business of baseball. Still, I couldn't get myself to care about this one. The writer over dramatized everything in order to make it seem like he actually had a subject. I would not recommend this book to anybody who does not LIVE for Arizona baseball.

The subject is indeed fascinating, but the book is sloppily put together. Spelling errors run throughout the text, and a key player in the Phoenix sports scene is misidentified at one point. Those editing mistakes are really inexcusable, and the occasionally holier-than-thou tone of the narrative turned me off at times. If you insist on buying it, wait until it comes out in paperback...it'll be cheaper, and hopefully someone will proofread it in the meantime.

A very enjoyable book which offers a behind the scenes look at the making of a new baseball team. I highly recommend it to all baseball fans.

The problem I have with this book is, now that I have read it, how do I get the images out of my mind. Can one get their brain steamed cleaned so that the taint doesn't carry over to other books they might read on the same topic?

This book pretends to no more than being a fictional novel, however, as the preface states it is "only in those incidents when history is silent have I attempted to create characters and events as they might have been, and perhaps were". That is an overstatement of the reality of this book; real and known facts and events are played loose with in a manner that serves the narrative's purpose (did or did not Ringo shoot Louis Hancock in the ear lobe and neck or did Louis knock Ringo down as reported in this book). Maybe this is nitpicking and petty stuff, but it does indicate how facts are treated here in the interest of the "yarn".

While it is true that the mythos of Tombstone has grown to point where anything can be written about the events that happened there in the 1880s, it seems a shame that under the guise of historical fiction, real persons can be viciously slandered. Little is known of the private life of some of the characters portrayed here but it does seem a crime to accuse people, with living relatives, of some of the perverse actions described by Mr. Wilhelmsen unless he has historical documentation that the general public is ignorant of...or at least that I am..

Given all that, once again, here are the Earps, knights-errant saving the general populace from the horrors and deprivations perpetrated by the Clantons. Frank Stillwell is a child rapist while sundry other members of the "cowboys" are just murdering rapists and social deviates. Ringo is a sociopathic homosexual who is having an affair with William Breakenridge. Ringo also, according to this book, goes in for the bit of patricide and incestuous pedophilia.

As to the actual writing of the book, technically it is okay I assume (I never took literature 101); however, almost every western cliché is here short of the famous John Wayne quote about "filling your hand..."

My gut reaction to this book, besides complete revulsion, is the question "Why?" Why write this trash unless, as I have previously stated, there is some historical indication that the very real persons written about actually committed the obscene actions portrayed (rape, infanticide etc.). The death of Ringo may have been related to some crime or the other, but I had hoped for something a little better than the sadistic and obscene conjectures offered in this novel.

This book was a good read. Fun, exciting and sexy. I love it when Authors bring in true life events, places and people and put their own slant on things. But it is still fiction. And who can really say what is true and what is not? If someone has a problem with Historical Romance Novels, they should curl up with a history book. Me, I like the historical slants surrounded by sizzling romance, excitment and humor, like my newest favorite "Anything, My Love" by cynthia Simmons. A sizzler with a hero to die for.

This is a book "old west" historians will especially enjoy. The author clearly has either lived on the trail or interviewed those that have, as you feel yourself in the landscape and inside the experiences the characters are living. The attention to detail is almost too good but typical of mainstream historical novels. The quality is mainstream too, and I would not be suprised if we see several more novels by this author. I've always loved reading about the "O. K. Corral and Wilhelmsen really made me rethink some of my assumptions about the events. As I love reading "historical anything" I found the characterizations of the minor characters to be the most interesting part of the book. Wilhelmsen has a knack for blending character, fact, and writer's license together in a thoroughly enjoyable novel. I'm looking forward to his next book as he has a fresh and exciting (and different) perspective on historical events that have been rehashed so many times I didn't think there could be new retelling. I'd recommend this book to Western or Historical fiction buffs.

Tinnin's book lacked real information on fly fishing the creeks, rivers, and streams. It had too much general info. He also concentrates on all types of fish, not just trout and does a lot of explaining about the many lakes in Arizonia. I purchased this book thinking it was about the streams, creeks, and rivers, but to my surprise it was mainly about rivers and lakes. Also, I wanted it for trout fishing info, to my surprise he talks about all of the different fish. The book was a great book for the beginner to the inexperienced, but not for an expert.

This book provides the basis for someone not already familiar with flyfishing opportunitites in Arizona to get a handle on the primary areas of interest (with good maps). Trout are important, but that's not all of life, so Glenn covers the entire range of possibilities (this ain't Alaska!). If you're looking to see what's available, this is an excellent start; contact any of the good flyshops to get the details, current conditions, other options.

In fairness and response to the PA reader, I would like to point out that unlike the majority of the country, almost all fly fishing available is on lakes only, therefore Tinnin's focus. When the season does not support trout fishing (it gets hot here y'know) we concentrate on other species.

Having read the orginal version of Helldorado 20 years ago, anticipation of again reading this first hand account of Tombstone days quickly lead to disappoint due to the blatant revisions in this book. For example, the chapter about John Ringo has been completely omitted and substitutions based on author Jack Burrows's derogatory comments from the Gunfighter Who Never Was have been substituted. Orignal photographs have also been omitted. Since William Breakenridge was actually acquainted with the people and times he wrote about, why should a modern revisionist feel compelled to correct his original observations and opinions and thus distort history? If an author has a different viewpoint, then let him/her write their own version, not use the title of another's work.

If you would like to read about how the non Wyatt Earp supporters felt about "Tombstone" back then read this book.

The only truly first hand account of the vendetta between Earp and the Cowboys. Breakenridge is obviously sympathetic to the Cowboys therefore his work has constantly been belittled by the Earp worshippers. Of course what does he know? He was only there. The Earp Idolators can't stand that he has left a first hand account of what really happened. They'd rather see the events through the filter of Burns and Lake. But this book is the real deal. Read it and understand.

I generally love "coming of age" stories. The problem with this one is I had a hard time trying to find the story through all the contrived language that I assume the author intended to be deep and full of profound insight. Toward the end of the book, the story's young protagonist proclaims: "I tried to sound mysterious."

Too bad the author did, too.

Three years ago (1997), in Edinburgh, I read a review -in a UK national newspaper - of Donald Rawley's "SLOW DANCE ON THE FAULT LINE", a book of short stories published in Britain but inexplicably delayed for a couple of years in the US. The review was so enthusiastic I bought "SLOW DANCE", sight unseen, and read it in grateful gulps. Despite some odd little carelessnesses of syntax, the mood and flavor of the stories enthralled me (living as I do in LA, the setting of Rawley's meditations). I'm sad to report that the eagerly-awaited novel "NIGHT BIRD CANTATA", is a big disappointment after the heady excitement of the short stories. The novel wasn't really Rawley's ideal format - he was/is too galvanized, too involved in the precisions of the moment, to sustain a long narrative. Experience hits him in explosive chunks, and his strength is in the art of immediacy. I actually feel a little embarassed at the memory of insisting that a toal stranger should buy and read "CANTATA", when the hapless guy, browsing at my local bookstore, asked if I could recommend anything - I was so enthralled by "SLOW DANCE" I was certain the novel would be as good - I hadn't read it at the time I recommended it - there's a lesson to be learned there .... what is saddest about reading Rawley lies in the awareness that he is no longer physically with us. God rest him, and may he be secure in the knowledge that in "SLOW DANCE ON THE FAULT LINE", at least, he created a work of art that will survive the years and that continues to ripple in ever-widening circles in the consciousness of its happy readers. May he not be one whose name is writ in water.

From the opening paragraph (above) of The Night Bird Cantata (1998) by Donald Rawley, readers will know they have entered a magical world of wonderful writing. Filled with metaphor and simile, The Night Bird Cantata is the fictional memoir of the summer in 1968 that L.P. (short for Lindsay Paul) spends with his grandmother's black maid in Phoenix. Separated from his mother who has had the "scent of a man drifting through" her "hair for almost six months," and who has married "a timid Irishman" named Bob Rafferty, L.P. finds himself shipped off to "the wrong side of the tracks" in a segregated city where "colored people lived south of the Gila River, a dry, shabby canal, only good for floods." At the age of ten, L.P. spends "three months of days whose clarity is both perverse and frightening, held without photographs or postcards or any other telling semblance to prove I existed, there, in Phoenix in 1968, and that I survived." Kept away from his real dad because "he isn't a nice man. he's a liar and he hits people," L.P.'s mother has remarried because L.P. isn't "masculine enough." "Besides," his mother adds, "I'm pretty sure I love him." L.P. stays with his grandmother's maid, Betty, who once cared for Errol Flynn's son and "played in a band in the late thirties" and is still known to raise her voice in song in church-- if she is sober enough while his mother is on her honeymoon. L.P.'s summer is filled with new discoveries. L.P. gets to be a kid, climb trees, dive into catfish holes dreaming "it was an ocean. Chinese junks were drifting by. There were steamships in the distance. I knew somehow that this canal led west to the ocean. That if I had to, I could swim until I reached the Pacific." L.P. goes to church with Betty and Frank, her husband, realizing he is "the only white boy there. And I liked it. It made me special." Summer is also for going bowling with Betty, her friends, and two boys that L.P. befriends, Samuel and Grover. It is also a summer in which L.P. goes without hearing from his mother for a month. "Sometimes I cried, but by July I began not to care. A clarity had enveloped my legs and arms. My heart followed." It is also during the summer of 1968 that L.P. learns about death and grieving.

Running throughout The Night Bird Cantata are two major focuses. One has to do with L.P.'s effeminate nature and the gender confusion which plagues him. In fact, throughout the book he suffers the taunts of his peers for his mannerisms and looks and he wishes that he was a girl, fantasizing about growing up and becoming a beautiful woman like his idol, Sophia Loren. Another theme that runs throughout the book is the fact that L.P. believes he is unloved. Unfortunately, this proves to be true. With the exception of Betty, adults have tolerated L.P. at best, if they haven't openly rejected him. The Night Bird Cantata is such a beautifully written, lyrical novel that readers will be shocked when these two on-going focuses of the novel run up against stark realism. L.P.'s near sexual encounter with a fifteen year old boy -- an incident which L.P. declares is life altering for him-- will startle and stun readers. But as surprising and explicit as that scene is, it cannot compare to the painfully horrid tirade of hate and revulsion that L.P. overhears spilling from his own mother's mouth about him to his grandmother. It is a scene of horror that no child should ever be exposed to and readers will not help but be moved.

It is clear that at the end of The Night Bird Cantata, that L.P., like the night bird of the book's title, has fallen from the nest and that the night is filled with silence. Readers are left with the hope that this ten year old boy who, throughout the novel has been given keen powers of perception well beyond his years, will fashion for himself a life worth living that is filled with strength and love-- two qualities his childhood certainly are without. Then the singing will be able to start up again. The Night Bird Cantata is an impressive first novel. Readers of this little work filled with so much beauty, truth, tragedy, and spirit are bound to find themselves looking forward to future work from Donald Rawley.