This is a very moving story with characters that become real within the first few pages. It opens our eyes to the Maya ways of thought and to the modern struggles of all working people in a sometimes cruel and corrupt world. The ending took me by surprise but I didn't want to close the book or let go of the characters. I wanted to just begin reading this truely powerful story again. I highly recommend it!

This is a brave and beautiful book. Hard and sometimes harsh, it uses the language and imagery of an ancient people to tell a modern and eternal story of courage in the face of corruption. Shorris makes excruciating the details of two men's battle against impossible odds, and by doing so, ennobles them. No one who cares about politics or social justice in Mexico -- or the USA -- should miss this powerful book.

This is an brave and powerful book. It takes on profound issues facing all of us -- in the US as well as Mexico: economic domination, political corruption, and the meaning of courage in a world without empathy. There is no cynicism at the heart of this book; despite its sometimes gritty language and always too-accurate portrayals of the ways of power, at its heart this author must believe that there is a role for the lonely soldier of truth. Although this sometimes a hard book, I found lessons about life on every page. It should be read by anyone who cares about justice.

Jacona is the story of the Mestas family's experiences and love for New Mexico, especially Jacona, in the early years of Spanish exploration and colonization of the new world. Jacona has everything: adventure, hardship, battles, romance, family, politics and religion - a well rounded view of Spanish life and customs in the harsh but beautiful terrain of New Mexico. Growing up in Jacona myself, I was deeply touched by the story which brought to life a bit of my history and reinforced my opinion that Jacona is and always has been one of the most beautiful and enchanting places on earth.

This is an excellent novel that was very well researched. The author knows his history and apparently thought this one through before putting pen to paper. Highly recommended!!

This novel is very well researched. It covers the early Spanish settlements in Mexico and New Mexicao from 1540-1680, and is the story of a fictional family based on the author's own ancestors. The writing is formal and somewhat stiff, but many times you can't put it down. And I learned a lot.

Somebody would lilke to share the book with me? Can you pls send it as is not available. Pls contact me. Rgds benjadie@ctcinternet.cl Thanks I will appreciatte it a lot.

This book relates the political intrigues on the part of the Spanish at every step of Cortez's quest to obtain the riches that he hoped to find in the land of the Aztecs. Hugh Thomas' story details the necessary provisions that were necessary for the success of the expedition. The landing in Mexico and the harrowing journey to the Aztec capital, is one of the great historic adventures that was successful due to Cortez's leadership skills, judgement and luck. Thomas describes very well the clash of civilizations. Cortez's ability to marshal his forces when he was virtually defeated is a remarkable tale. The best part of this book is Hugh Thomas' ability to recreate this story of adventure. It read like fiction and was unbelievably true. At the end you feel that Cortez was indeed a great historic figure.

This book relates the political intrigues on the part of the Spanish at every step of Cortez's quest to obtain the riches that he hoped to find in the land of the Aztecs. Hugh Thomas' story details the necessary provisions that were necessary for the success of the expedition. The landing in Mexico and the harrowing journey to the Aztec capital, is one of the great historic adventures that was successful due to Cortez's leadership skills, judgement and luck. Thomas describes very well the clash of civilizations. Cortez's ability to marshal his forces when he was virtually defeated is a remarkable tale. The best part of this book is Hugh Thomas' ability to recreate this story of adventure. It read like fiction and was unbelievably true. At the end you feel that Cortez was indeed a great historic figure.

Apart from Paul Horgan fans, probably most people coming to this book will be doing so to learn more about the real life archbishop who inspired Willa Cather's great novel DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP. And just as Cather's novel concerns the friendship and work of two major characters--Archbishop Jean Latour and his vicar Father Joseph Vaillant--so Horgan's biography necessarily tells the story not only of Juan Bautista Lamy but also Joseph Machebeuf.

Horgan's biography succeeds magnificently in two ways. First, for those who will be coming to the book from reading Cather, one will find vastly greater depth and detail than was possible in that novel. So, the book is a boon for Cather fans. Second, even if one has not read Cather, the book tells a magnificent story of a truly heroic man and his closest friend. Their story is also the story of the West as a whole, and Santa Fe in particular.

There are biographies that record the rote facts about an individual, and unfortunately most fall into this category. And the there are biographies that almost manage to bring you into contact and introduce you to someone you have never met. Lamy emerges almost as someone you know, instead of someone you merely know things about.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in either history of the American West or in Willa Cather's great novel. Although I am not myself Roman Catholic, it would probably also be enjoyed by those whose main interest is in Church History. It is a tragedy that this book is not currently in print. With so many much weaker and less interesting biographies available, it is unfortunate that many of the truly excellent ones are not.

It would be difficult if not impossible to overpraise this book. As a narrative of what the southwestern United States was like during the nineteenth century, as a triumph of research into a multitude of different sources spread out all over the United States and western Europe, and as a biography of an undeniably great man (the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe, whose life this book tells from his departure from France around 1839 to serve as a missionary to the United States to his death in New Mexico the late 1880s), this book succeeds wonderfully. It's one of the best books I have ever read.

This outstanding book on the first Archbishop of Santa Fe - the French-born Jean Baptiste Lamy , details Lamy's tireless efforts at rebuilding the Catholic church in New Mexico from the state of shocking neglect which he found it to be in. It delineates the work Lamy did to improve both the spiritual and material lives of the people under his care. It also enumerates the many hardships Lamy endured. Evidence of the tremendous devotion, unwavering faith and sterling character of this man of God can be found throughout the book. If there is one word which can best describe Lamy, that word would be - Saint!

Author Paul Horgan won a Pulitzer prize for this book and it is not difficult to see why. It was readily apparent that Horgan had done exhaustive research from the numerous details contained in the book.

All in all, a meticulously researched book on a most remarkable individual of the American Southwest written by a diligent author.

I have been to workshops with John Van Auken and he has
a tremendous capacity and knowledge of ancient wisdom...that
seems to supercede what one can learn from distilling normal
history books, on site investigations, and even reading the
Edgar Cayce material...its as if he "lived there, lived then,
and has a remarkable capacity to remember it all and reveal it
clearly and effectively"....
This book is another splendid example of John's crystal
clear and profoundly deep capacity to share his knowledge
in a manner that both layman and passionate scholar can grasp.

What is a myth? Perhaps it's a story that isn't true on the outside, but is true on the inside. The tension between what our heart's intuition tells us and what we can actually experience on the outside is a source of great creativity and development, both personal and for the human race. Cayce's story of the history and destiny of humanity is a lesson here. Not only does his story include our spiritual creation and its purpose, but also the external history of life on planet earth, including predictions about major changes ahead. Is this story a myth? For many of those who contemplate it, his story is stimulating and spiritually fulfilling, which is what a good myth should do, whereas traditional religion has lost its ability to inspire. But Cayce presents his story as being literally true. Did things really happen the way he tells it?One of the fascinating aspects of his story concerns the existence of "Halls of Records," where this history is recorded. He said that one such Hall of Records was in Yucatan, Mexico. Furthermore, he said that at this site, there was also evidence of another key element in Cayce's story--the (in)famous "Firestone Crystal" of Atlantis, which was their source of power, but which had been misused and helped bring down that civilization.I vividly remember discovering the Edgar Cayce material and having my imagination sparked as never before by the story of the Firestone and its connection with Mayan imagery. Soon I was making pilgrimages to Yucatan to search for the Hall of Records. Whereas the external search was expensive and proved beyond my skill range, an inner search was also in progress and was more rewarding. I developed a symbolic meaning for the Firestone crystal; namely, that there is a dormant power of consciousness that can be awakened in spiritual community. Through group dream work (such as Atlantic University's Sundance: The Community Dream Journal) and interpersonal intuition of the heart, I was able to verify the tremendous creative power and wisdom that may be unleashed through cooperation when individuality is given equal footing with the unitive effort. As I became more involved with researching the inner meaning of the Firestone, my fascination with Yucatan and prehistory faded.But today I am inspired to turnabout, to look again with interest toward the outer side of the story. What motivates this revival comes through the publication of a significant book, The lost hall of records: Edgar Cayce's forgotten record in the ancient Yucatan (Eagle Wing Books). The author's, John Van Auken, a past executive director at A.R.E., and Lora Little, Ed.D., a psychologist, have spent years correlating information in the Edgar Cayce material with archaeological findings. In their meticulously researched book they have integrated a panoramic view of Cayce's spiritual story with scientific findings that take the story out of realm of pure myth and into the realm of history. Archaeological research, including advances in the interpretation of Mayan heiroglyphs and what they reveal about the Mayans' astonishing astronomical observations, has made it possible as never before to suggest that Cayce's story just might be true on the outside. Moreover, Van Auken and Little's research has made a significant breakthrough that makes their book as newsworthy as it is inspiring.A key point in Cayce's remote viewing of the Mayan archaeological findings concerned some artifacts, emblems of the Firestone, that were stored in the University of Pennsylvania museum. Previous investigations had failed to locate these artifacts in the museum's collection. The authors make a strong case, however, that the artifacts in question were those found in the site known as Piedras Negras, a Mayan ruins in Guatamala. Not in the state of Yucatan, Mexico, but part of the Mayan civilization in the general area of the Yucatan pennisula, nevertheless Piedras Negras could easily be described by Cayce's psychic perception as "Yucatan." Making this slight shift in focal point has unleased a provocative set of new findings. Athough there isn't space here to detail all the nitty gritty that the authors combine to paint a credible hypothesis about the external validation of Cayce's story, suffice it to say that they've excited me again to the possibility that there just might be a Hall of Records in that tropical jungle, as well as a model of the Firestone crystal.I am reminded of Cayce's statement that the records would be found and could be read only when the consciousness of the seeker matched the contents of those records. The lesson for me is that while an inner search is important, not to be forgotten is that it is equally important to look to the outer reality as well. Maybe it is time for me to make a return trip to the Mayan ruins to see what I shall see.

If you are interested in broadening your horizons from more traditional ideas and take a look at what they did not teach you in school in your history classes then this book is a great read. If you already have some background as I did it will fill in some of the blanks for you. It certainly is well documented and detailed. This book definitely challenges my Catholic School view of how things began...probably not the way the Protestants taught it either. Having "knocked around" the "psychic" literature (Cayce, Seth, and a few others) I already was quite familiar with Edgar Cayce. This book deepens my understanding of the man and his work. Over the last 10 years my massage therapist has been telling me about all things Mayan and what is said to be coming in 2012 and beyond. I thought he was a bit "out there" if you know what I mean. Now I have some understanding of what he has been talking about at a more "rational" level. I particularly liked the sections of the book on the Akashic records and the Cayce "reading" of those records. I also appreciated the parts of the Bible that were discussed and what the Bible's authors were trying to say in story form. I would recommend this book for those who are interested in furthering their knowledge in the area of spirituality, psychic phenomena, archeology, and anthropology. It will leave you with plenty of food for thought.

Not only was it great to find a book on Malinche, but also a book that looks at her in a light other than as the evil betrayer we all thought she was. I started the book thinking "How could she have done that?" and ended up feeling sorry for her predicament in life. Or at least understanding why she made the choices she did. This book wasn't just a defense of her actions, but it explained why she became the enemy she has become and who and why made her that way. She was used while she was alive for political purposes and she was manipulated and used for political purposes hundreds of years after her death also.

For a brief moment in the 16th century, a teenage slave was the most influential woman in the world. Malinche, to use one of her many names, was the translator and go-between in perhaps the pivotal cultural drama of the last millennium - the moment when the Old World represented by Hernan Cortes, conquered the New World in the form of Montezuma's Mexico.

Anna Lanyon, an Australian backpacker, stumbled onto the story of Malinche while travelling in Mexico in the 1970s. Intrigued, she returned home, studied Spanish and Portugese to literary translation level, and revisited Mexico in search of this enigmatic woman.

So few are the clues, and often so contradictory, that Lanyon works like an archeologist with a soft-haired brush to bring Malinche's life into relief from its bedrock of myth.

In official Mexican history, Malinche is the "betrayer". Her name forms the root of a modern-day word for traitor. Lanyon finds a teenager blessed with intelligence, intuition and a sharp instinct for survival. Her options were few. Given as a sexual slave to the conquistadors, Malinche became Cortes's concubine, adviser, and mother of his first child. She died in obscurity, probably before she was 30.

But those close to her admired her. Lanyon makes the point often forgotten in facile renderings of the conquest: to vast numbers of people in what now is Mexico, Montezuma's "Aztecs" (more accurately, the Culua-Mexicans) were the feared and hated enemy. Malinche was therefore not a betrayer so much as a warrior, within her own context. But even more than that, she was a woman, condemned to slavery as a child, "assigned" to alien men when not yet 20, who simply did the best she could.

While the full personality of Malinche may be irretrievable from what history has left us, Lanyon does great work in debunking many of the myths about her and in exploring how national myths come about. And tantalisingly an impression emerges of this accidental figure of history: a woman we would like to have known, a woman from the lowest rungs who took a hand, for better or worse, in changing the world.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I have since bought several copies for friends and family members. It is a wonderful look at the way that society views one of the most important women in the Americas in the past 500 years. People are quick to judge her as a traitor or whore, but after reading more about her life as a slave and the conditions around her, I feel that she was an incredible survivor who became the mother of a new generation of people. This book which chronicles Anna Lanyon's journey through Mexico to discover who Malinche was, inspired me to learn more about the Conquest and Mexico's history, as well as more about who the flesh and blood woman "Malinche" might have been. I have since read, "La Malinche in Mexican Literature - From History to Myth", and "The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico" by Bernal Diaz. I recommend it highly.

MARÍA FÉLIX Descrita por Octavio Paz. A pesar de que en México es un país en el que han imperado los valores masculinos -el padre, el patriarca, el abuelo, el jefe, el macho-, muchas imágenes femeninas han encendido la mente y la fantasía de los mexicanos. Unas son dulces como la Virgen de Guadalupe, colina maternal, amparo de huérfanos; otras son abismales e insondables como la Malinche; otras son un aullido inconsolable, un río negro en la noche, como la Llorona; otras son risueñas y denodas como la Adelita de los revolucionarios. El mito de María Félix es distinto. En primer lugar, es moderno; enseguida, no es enteramente imaginario, como casi todos los del pasado, sino que es la proyección de una mujer real. Nació ante nuestros ojos y nació como un relámpago que desgarra las sombras. Fue y es un desafío ante muchas conversaciones y prejuicios tradicionales. María Félix es una mujer muy mujer que ha tenido la osadía de no ajustare a la idea que se han hecho los machos de la mujer. Es libre como el viento; dispersa o congrega a las nubes, las parte o ilumina con una centella, con la de su mirada.

Hay una diferencia entre los mitos de ayer a los de hoy; la Ninfa se convierte en constelación por la voluntad de Zeus, mientras que María es el resultado de lo que hizo con ella misma, con su cuerpo y con su cara, con su alma y con su vida. María pertenece a la raza de las divas y de los ídolos. Ella nació dos veces; sus padres la engendraron y ella, después se inventó a sí misma, es por eso que la gran creación de María Félix es ella misma.

Maria Felix the most popular Diva in the Mexican Film industry tells her story and her true life. This is one of the most important biography in the mexican life about a life leyend. LA DOÑA

In Todas mis guerras (all my wars) Maria Félix thalk about her life, her work and her reality. is one of the most wonderful biography in the mexican life. She not jut open her life, she even ones her heart and her leyend.

As the curator of artemaya has pointed out this is the book to have. I concurr with everything he has said and find this book indespensible when studying the ancient or modern Maya. Without a doubt this is my favorite book on the subject and even after twenty three years in my possession I still open it up and gaze upon the magnificent pictures. Carmen Pettersen's paintings were done in the early 1970's and are of the highest and utmost quality. Her personal observations on the culture reflect her sensitivity to the subject which in turn is refleted in her art. For example, when describing the toursist hot spot Chichicastenango, with its beautiful marketplace and church where pagan and Christian religion is practised, she comments on the "disintegration of this tribe" and "the complete degeneration of the people who wrote the Popol Vuh" as "the older people and leaders stand fast and steady, suffering silently with sullen hatred in their eyes." The models used in the book are of such exceptional quality and life like that it is as though they will begin moving . She depicts her subject matter as strong and proud, in spite of a humbling history of European influence. Pettersen obviously was in tune with her subjects in art as the expressions on their faces come to life. The details of the clothing are superb and exquisite artistry. The pullouts pages have even more detail as she shows an entire village scene like a marketplace or the people gathered in Chichicastenango. If you are familiar with Maya clothing and the various tribes that continue the ancient traditions, including embroidery sewn with a bone needle, you are probably aware of of colorful and intricate patterns achieved on these textiles. These are not the products sold to tourists but the authentic attire that the people themselves wear. Nothing is lost or compromised in the paintings and are exact reproductions of authentic dress. If you are planing a trip to Guatemala it is highly recommended that you get this book before you go or if nothing else before you leave country to return home. It is preferable to have the book before so you can understand what you will see as you step back in time and enter the remote jungles and ancient customs of the Maya. This is THE BOOK on the contemporary life and dress in Guatemala. If you have anything more than a passing interest in the people of Guatemala than this is the book to have, get it NOW, you will not be dissappointed.

This is my favorite book! We were living in Mexico and had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala and and visit the Museo Ixchel in Guatemala City, where we found Carmen Pettersen's beautiful book. We also had the wonderful opportunity to see some of Carmen Pettersen's original water color paintings of the Mayans in their "traje," or indigenous apparel, in a friend's home in Antigua!

The water color depictions of the "traje" are incredibly detailed, and the text so intimately describes the culture of the Mayans. It is amazing how much the indigenous dress tells about the ancient and "modern" life of the Mayans.

Every traveler to Guatemala would benefit immensely by reading this book--easy to read and with sixty water color pages (some are fold-out pages) and thirteen photographs to guide the reader through the daily life, religion, and cultural practices of the Mayan families in their villages.

The Maya of Guatemala is THE classic book on the "traje tipico" (native dress) of the Mayan Indians of Guatemala. The exquisitely beautiful paintings produced by Carmen Pettersen over many years constitute the best illustrations ever done of the Mayan "traje". The sixty colorful full page paintings face parallel texts in English and Spanish telling about the particular "traje" and the customs of the Mayan people. Pettersen writes the informative text rather like a diary of her travels to the various towns so while concentrating on the traje and traditions we see something of the individuals and the writer. The paintings, the real point of the book, succeed better than photographs because the detail of the "traje" is not obscured by light and shadow. While accurately detailing the "traje," the paintings at the same time are intensely personal portraits of the individuals. Although there is no book yet which shows the traje of all the different Mayan towns in Guatemala (and Mexico), this book illustrates more than any other. It is my book of first reference to find out about the "traje" of a particular town. If among the many books I have on the Mayan culture I could keep just one book this book would probably be it.

Carmen Pettersen, born in Guatemala of an English father and Mexican mother, learned to paint in England. As a young woman her family moved back to Guatemala where she lived among the Mayan Indians for the rest of her life. The paintings and the text reveal the high regard she had for the Mayans. The original gouache paintings now reside in the Ixchel Museum of Traje in Guatemala City.

Joseph Johnston, Curator, Arte Maya Tz'utuhil

www.artemaya.com

When I read this book, Simon Ortiz's voice came from the pages. Simon Ortiz writes like he speaks and his stories are rich and beautiful. As a student of his I have had the unique opportunity of hearing many of these stories orally, but they have not lost their beauty and depth being written down. If you like this book, check out Simon Ortiz's poetry. You won't be disappointed.

Mr. Simon J. Ortiz's work, "Men On The Moon", is a collection of three earlier groups of his short stories. The tales are not just of contemporary Native American life but also of their History, and specifically their History with the, "Mericano".

The History of Native Americans cannot be written without the experience of loss, displacement, internment, and racism to mention just a few. The Native Americans are one of the Genocides that this Country is responsible for, and even though we who made read this History took no part in the atrocities, we also are the only ones who can make amends. Those responsible, the dead, are not terribly productive.

These stories are not complaints nor are they a cry for pity. They are each brief statements of fact that no matter how tragic maintain a sense of hope. Justice, fairness, acknowledgement of the crimes committed against them are perhaps some of the redress they illustrate/seek.

The book is not grim; it is full of irony, sardonic moments, and even humor. The short story that is also the title for the book is wonderful. An elderly man muses about the first information he sees on viewing his first TV. A series of questions follow with answers from a younger family member. If NASA had to answer these questions as put forward by this wise old sage, the groping for answers would be amusing, and the space program would be doubtful. I don't believe the Author was actually questioning the merits of the space program, rather illustrating how easily things may happen despite failing the most basic of queries.

There are stories of heroic service for the United States during her wars, and too there is a story of one man that went to prison rather than serve. I mention these as I found this book very balanced. This is not one Native American's list of complaints, rather a reasoned and balanced view of their History and what that History has wrought.

The book is great reading that communicates its message in an informal conversational way consistent with Native American Culture. It loses nothing to the extent its format is not structured in the traditional manner of, "scholarly", History. Nonetheless this man is a wonderful writer, a poet, role model, and eloquent representative for his people.

Last night I had a dream. It was about this unpublished book. I read it there and it was wonderfull

Gloria Fraser Giffords does an excellent job in researching an often ignored corner of art history, Mexican folk art. She provides insight into how these images were made, but also helps the reader understand the devotional context in which these images were used by people in the nineteenth century (and are still used by people today). A must for a student in this area, especially as there is not yet abundant information in this field. The images are compelling and beautifully reproduced and the book is easy and interesting to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This book isn't large, but it's full of the incredible beauty of Mexican folk art with 82 color illustrations. It's well written, very detailed, and in three sections.

Part 1, "The Mexican Folk Retablos": The origins of these small religious oil paintings, usually on tin, are described, as well as terminology, materials, the artists (mostly unknown), and much more. The chapter is completed with 28 images of the Holy Family, and each plate is described on the facing page. The wonderful piece depicted on the cover, "La Inmaculada", is one of them.

Part 2, "Saints as Subjects": This starts with the problem of identification, as finding out which saint is pictured is quite a feat. It goes into the function of these retablos, and their changing popularity as time progressed. It concludes with 36 images of saints, that are inspiring and beautifully executed. I find # 31, "San Antonio de Padua", extraordinary.

Part 3, "The Mexican Ex-Voto Painting": An ex-voto is a story painting, done as a commemoration to answered prayer. This chapter deals with the characteristics of these lovely pieces, their development and decline. It gives 17 examples of this unique art form, along with a description, as well as a legible printing of the writing on the painting, in Spanish and English. The back of the book has bibliography, notes, indexes, etc.

If you appreciate Mexican art, this will be a wonderful addition to your library, and if you like Russian icons, as I do, it makes a fascinating comparison, especially plate # 4, "Nuestro Señor de los Trabajos", and plate # 62, "Santiago", pictured with sword in hand and on horseback.

The author, Gloria Fraser Giffords, has done a marvelous work with this volume, bringing us an area of Mexican culture that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves.

I can't believe this is the 1st review...This inspirational, beautifully put together book was awesome. The research into the art work alone, is masterful. Then Ms. Giffords tells you a story about the pictures content and the symbolism in each artists work. This book alone, has inspired me to delve further into the lost art of retablos' and the lives of the saints. I recommend this book to art students, theologians, and anyone interested in igniting their sprituality!!!