Weber has put together a selection of informative essays by different authors, all dealing with the famed Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Given that the (for a time successful) uprising took place, the question for students of history is the standard one: Why?

As the essays in this book point out, there is no one answer to that question. There are, instead, many answers, and additional questions.

In history, it's not so much a case of arriving at the "truth." Rather, it's the journey of discovery that really counts. The essays Weber has collected run the gamut, from turgid academic writing and sniping to refreshingly clearly-stated prose. His introduction is masterly, the bibliographic references invaluable, and the overall effect one of having learned just how complex and diverse the causes of an effect can be.

Highly recommended for readers interested in this area, especially for classroom use at the college and university level.

Written by Richard Melzer (Professor of History, University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus), When We Were Young In The West: True Stories Of Childhood draws upon memoirs, oral histories, diaries, autobiographies and more to uniquely present the roles that children played in taming the great frontier. From growing up among military folk, to working on a ranch or in the mines, to school life over a century ago, as well as the toll that wars took on young folks, When We Were Young In The West is a unique and fascinating "true-to-life" window of observation into American history -- and a very highly commended addition to personal, school, and community library American History collections.

This book is extremely well done with excellent photogrphic images, good field stories, and generally well written. I highly recommend it.

Wilderness: A New Mexico Legacy by wilderness expert Corry McDonald is an informative history of the conflicting forces striving to determine the fate of New Mexico's wild lands -- on one hand, the press of population growth and the desire to "tame the wilderness"; and on the other, the efforts of environmental movements and outdoor recreation groups to preserve the wilderness and its heritage. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this thoughtful and moving account which is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to Environmental Studies reference collections and reading lists.

I'm a native of this town (born there in 1923) and found Howard Bryan's book an outstanding and worthwhile account. I've recounted some of his tales to people in other states and countries, and encountered disbelief. It sounds too much like a B movie to be credible, but it's all true. In fact, it's understated.

My father had one of the original posters which is reproduced on the back of the jacket, and I can testify it is authentic.

Most people find it hard to believe such a tough town could stay that way for as long as Las Vegas NEW MEXICO did. The original Las Vegas was established a hundred years before Bugsy Seigal the mobster started his air-conditioned, neon-lit palace for city dudes, hundreds of miles away, in the Nevada desert.

The photographs are also historical artifacts of great value.
I recommend the book with great enthusiasm.

I'm Wiccan and a feminist to boot. I actually borrowed this book from my library, intending to read it on the bus on the way to work. I was hoping it would be just as ill informed and disrespectful of my religion and my gender as it could possibly be. I wanted it to get my ire up and my blood boiling so I could give up caffeine and still arrive at the office wide awake.

So why am I wandering around amazon.com looking to buy it? Because it was great! Sure, Brewer (via Bubba) pokes fun at the women of WOMB. Sure he shows entirely too much sympathy for the deprogrammer, and gives way too much credence to the guy's incorrect information about what he thinks is going on at WOMB.

Who care?!? It was a great story. It's a rare murder mystery that I can't figure out ahead of the detective in the story. (Exempting, of course, the ones where we know the ending up front, which annoys the hell out of me.) But I had absolutely no clue who had killed the second victim until about three words after Bubba figured it out. And this wasn't for lack of clues, but due to good writing. And you want to talk about funny? I was laughing hard enough to give up coffee for two whole days!

And I never felt the author was seriously contemptable of the women or their beliefs, particularly in view of the way they treat both Bubba and his girlfriend. (Whose name I have forgotten but was hoping to remember when I got my own copy of the book, dang it!)

If this ever comes back into print, I'll be there with my grubby little dollar bills in hand. In the meantime, just know that it was really enjoyable.

So many private-eye books, so little originality. But Steve Brewer has invented a character and provided a sense-of-place that puts his Bubba Maybry books well above most of the others. Bubba is a none too bright but engaging private investigator whose meager earnings barely buy him booze and a cheap motel room on Route 66 in Albuquerque. Brewer's fast paced style and Bubba's wry observations make this book (and others in the series) well worth ordering.

Frances Nunnery was a one-off. She raised cattle, drove buses, bought and sold ranches and other real estate, was a saloon-keeper and restaurant owner. She could shoot, cook, ride, fix cars and trucks, and build houses. She had two husbands, a daughter and friends of every stripe. She lived poor and well-off and she did almost everything by herself. She constantly ran into calamity and adversity and never whined or complained. This book is in her own words and it's a treat and a page-turner. She's an inspiration for just about anyone.

If you are interested in the arts of New Mexico, specifically wood carving, than this is a book for your library. Orinally written in 1980, this is a study of the the revival of wood carving in New Mexico. The book is scholarly but yet easy to understand for the layman who is interested in wood carving. Although written by an anthropologist, and in essence is a case study of various families of wood carvers, the book is an easy read. The cultural portraits of the artists, as written by the author, is fascinating. The wood carvers covered are some of the best New Mexico has produced including a large section on Jose Dolores Lopez and his family. The Lopez family is detailed extensively, including a geneology table and various works by the different generations of wood carvers. Also included are Jose Mondragon, Patrocinio Barela, Jose Rafael Aragon and Luis Tapia, just to name a few. There are color plates that show the artists work but the majority of the plates are black and white. The book is a great reference source as it even has illustrations detailing the cuts neccesssary to achieve certain carvings. The carvings covered are bultos, polychromed retablos, chip carving, niches, sculptures and figurines used in altars and nativity scenes. The book also has information about the marketing and patrons of the artists works at the Spanish Market and other outlets like the Spanish Colonial Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Super photographs and an easy enough text to read make this a handy reference piece for anyone interested in wood carving.

Hi my name is Martha Weeka. I'm from the Zuni tribe in New Mexico and I really enjoyed your book and I hope to read more books about my people.