I purchased this book in order to plan a 6 week trip to New Mexico and Arizona. If you want a book that will clearly and intelligently tell you about everything in these two states, this is a good option. Unfortunately, this book isn't very helpful in prioritizing sites. For example, I'm sure every single indian pueblo is listed, but it's difficult to tell which ones are worth allocating time to. Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent book, but, if this is your first visit to the area, you will need a more opinionated book to help you sift though the many, many sightseeing options.

I had earlier editions of this book and just loved them. We found the best places to stay, motels and bed and breakfasts that are really special, at a great price. I used this book for planning many trips to the Southwest, for myself and friends, and it was always a great experience. It is the best reference books on places to eat and to stay, phone numbers of attractions etc. You can find every place in the Southwest. However, I would still use another travel guide for more detailed information about e.g. national parks and monuments or specific hiking tips.

Mr. Utley's High Noon in Lincoln is an interesting book. Most of us have some idea that the western frontier could be a violent place from movies and stories read in our youth. But very few know of any of the real escapades that helped generate the material for the likes of Zane Gray, John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. Mr. Utley's book chronicles one of the most infamous episodes of western violence, the Lincoln County Range War.

This book is well researched and introduces many charactors (Lew Wallace, Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid and John Henry Tunstall to name a few). It is a solid chronology of the disputes and charactors that made Lincoln County a lawless, murderous place for a few years in the late 1870's. Warning for those expecting someone to be wearing a white hat in this tale, there is no romance in this telling of the old west.

Noted frontier military historian Robert Utley deverves credit for writing about this often professionally neglected event of Western history. The Lincoln County War is typically the domain of amateur historians and Billy the Kid enthusiasts and not professional scholars. This has resulted in what you might call a less than scholarly tone surrounding the discourse about the conflict between the Dolan and McSween factions. Utley, for the most part, avoids this partisanship and gives an even handed description and interpretation. But the work has some flaws.

The first problem is the problem inherent to historicism itself. Utley, as you might expect, views the Lincoln County War as a typical expression of violence on the Western frontier--a product of the zeitgeist as the "code of the West." By taking this position, Utley fails to see the unique character of the Lincoln County War. It must be said that Utley notes that the Lincoln County War was not a typical range war, nor a regular case of frontier vigilantism. No, it appears the mere fact that violence occured and it was on the frontier made it a "typical case of frontier violence." Considering the regularity of violence in human relations throughout history it is a bit disengenous to single out frontier violence in the 1870s in New Mexico from, say, European violence of that period, or indeed violence anywhere around the globe at that time. The second problem is that, in his desire to be neutral and not take sides, Utley fails to see the obviously more sinister character and motives of the Dolan faction. In particular, Utley, apparently under the influence a a couple of amateur historians, describes Brady as an honest and competent lawman and Col. Dudley as a blustering drunk but not necessarily as an overt Dolan supporter. If Sheriff Brady was honest and competent I would hate to see what Utley considered dishonest and corrupt. Also, there is a great deal of documentary evidence that Dolan and Dudley conspired prior to Dudley's intervention in the five day battle that resulted in McSween's death. I find it hard to believe that Utley was not aware of this evidence. For whatever reason (probably in the desire to remain neutral and not present one side as right and the fact that Utley is a military historian and therefore partial to military figures and lawmen) he chose not to include it.

All in all, I would certainly recommend this book. Despite a few flaws, it is an important step toward improving the level of debate on the Lincoln County War. Utley, as a writer of history, is second to none. He writes clearly but with an engaging sense of style and drama that gives life to his subjects without romanticizing or, just as importantly, disparaging the past.

We all "know" the story of Billy the Kid from sources like "The Left Handed Gun," "The Tall Man," and most lately "Young Guns I & II." What a surprise it becomes to learn that Billy the Kid was little more than a footnote in that bloody and lawless chapter of Western History known as the Lincoln County War.

The remarkable thing about Utley's book is that it's a scholarly study of the effects of the breakdown of law and order in a frontier community. Why, then, is it such an interesting, exciting reading experience? How can it be so entertaining when its aim was to be educational? Utley works with an intriguing subject matter and presents it in a workmanlike fashion.

We learn the real issues, the real protagonists, the real course of events, and the real winners. The truth is even more remarkable than all that Hollywood fiction. Utley pulls no punches in describing the hardship and suffering caused by strong willed parties contesting economic issues by extralegal means, and the unfortunate consequences of mixing guns, alcohol, and the "Code of the West."

Apart from the scary, unappeasing cover, the book is nice. Good addition to keep out to see and browse for the wonderful pictures. Another great thing are the sidenotes that are quite informative and detailed. The maps are GREAT, albiet slightly less detailed. There are no walking or trekking maps within this guide.

I would have preferred more details on each area. For example more detailed itineraries, or walking itineraries. Also, no trekking information is available in the text. No info on Kashmir in this one either!

An okay book. I rather prefer the other guidebook "Pakistan Handbook". Less pictures in that one, but much more details.

Extensively researched one gets the full impression of the vast nation that is Pakistan. All the varied regions, races, peoples, and languages come alive in this impressive volume. With a history as ancient as that of Mesopotamia and Egypt, modern Pakistan's history isn't merely an extension of India, but appears as a crossroads between the Mideast and South Asia. Many fought to gain a foothold in Pakistan including: Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Sikhs, and lastly the Anglo-Indians of the British Empire. The sharp contrasts between rich and poor, old and new, and the struggles of the varied population to maintain an identity come alive. All you need is this excellent guide and you can navigate Pakistan like a native!

Even though Wright's book is not the first and cannot be considered the definitive work on the McGillivray and McIntosh families, it still is a valuable volume as it provides hereunto unpublished historical details and corrections to previous works. (The individual who will benefit most from this book will be the one who has read Edward Cashin's 'Lachlan McGillivray: Indian Trader' and John Caughey's 'McGillivray of the Creeks'.)

Wright's greatest contributions are: (1) providing information on other members of the McGillivray Clan, in addition to Lachlan and son Alexander, who were resident and active in the Old Southwest; (2) presenting documentation that sheds greater light on the fate of Alexander McGillivray's only son, Alexander Junior; and (3) giving information on the lives and families of Lachlan's less famous daughters.

Be aware that Wright only spends one chapter on the McIntosh family. His primary subject matter is Lachlan McGillivray and Alexander McGillivray.

This is one of the most fascinating books I have read on the subject of Alexander McGillivray and his family. New theories on his death with strong arguments and documentation give new insight on his impact and influence on the Creek Nation in regards to the Spanish and their distrust of him. Alexander McGillivray has long been overlooked as a great Indian Chief, trying to keep peace in the Creek Nation while keeping the powers of the Spanish, British and Americans at arms length.

Although the battles of the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater garner most of the historical interest, the battles in the West were arguably more significant. In "The Road to Shiloh: Early Battles in the West," David Nevin and the Editors of Time-Life Books cover General Ulysses Grant's campaign in Tennessee in 1861-62. Chapter 1, "The Struggle for Missouri," covers the Battle of Wilson's Creek that proved pivotal for the control of this border state. Chapter 2, "The Go-ahead General," details the path by which Grant came to command the Union Army in the West (including that infamous photo of Grant with a fully cultivated square-cut beard). Chapter 3, "Clash at Fort Donelson," relates how Grant followed up his successfully attack on Fort Henry with an attack that would give the Federals control of the Cumberland River. Chapter 4, "The Devil's Own Day," covers the first day of the Battle of Shiloh, in which the Union army was almost routed one of the bloodiest days of the war; this chapter includes Theophile Poilpot's 400 foot long panoramic painting of the battle for the Hornet's Nest. Chapter 5, "An Incomplete Victory," tells how Grant and Sherman defeated Johnston's Confederate Army. Like all of the volumes in the Time-Life Civil War series, "The Road to Shiloh" provides dozens of contemporary illustrations, photographs, paintings, and the like. My one complaint is that if you read these volumes a lot, and it is hard not to, they tend to fall apart. The cover ends up being a nice gray folder. The rest of Grant's Western Campaign including the siege of Vicksburg is covered in the volume "War on the Mississippi."

Time-Life always does a solid job. Great illustrations, readable text, a little short on detail but always entertaining and educational. A good introduction to the early Western actions on the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers.

Billy the Kid is one of the West's most famous outlaws, yet there is little in the history books to detail his short but very violent life. In addition, most of what has been written has been written in the later part of the 20th century and relies not so much on true knowledge as on what can be found here and there.

This book, original written in 1924, is wonderful because the author actually found people still alive who had known Billy the Kid and who had lived through the Lincoln County Wars. While these people were hardly young when interviewed, they still had very good memories of Billy and his life style. This provides a look that is often missing in history.

One area that was missing was any detailed information on the early life of Billy the Kid, but, as the author points out, much was lost and may never be known.

The language in the book is, at times, difficult to process, as it was written in the style prevalent in 1924, not 2002. And it is a language that is caught between the older American English and modern American English. Generally it is a smooth read, but does have a couple of rough spots.

This is a MUST READ if you really want to know about the portion of Billy the Kids life that ocured during the Linclon County Wars!!

THIS IS TRULY A WORK OF ART. HE BEGINS WITH THE RIVALRY BETWEEN JOHN CHIUSUM AND MAJOR A.G. MURPHY AND THE WAR THAT ESCALETS FROM THEIR RIVALRY. IT INTRODUCES WILLIAM BONNEY AS AN INNOCENT MAN WHO'S LOVE/RESPECT FOR HIS BOSS LEADS HIM TO HIS LEGENDARY LIFE AND DEATH. WRITTEN WITH PRECISE DETAIL AND ARRESTING INTENSITY.. A MUST HAVE

This particular portrayal was a mandatory reading in a History course in college, and by far, the depiction from Campbell is astounding, and amazing. He brings to the surface far more than just the fable you hear about in junior high Texas history. The man was tall, but this piece makes him larger than life.

Texas's Savior Ever since Texas was a territory in the middle of no where, one man stood up to lead the way to statehood. That man who rose above the rest and conquered endless, unimaginable barriers was Sam Houston. Rudolph B. Campbell wrote a chronologically correct book about Houston entitled Sam Houston and the American Southwest. He became the most popular and most honorable man in Texas. The battle of San Jacinto, acquiring Presidency of the Republic of Texas, and obtaining a place in the United States Senate all proved that Sam Houston was a competent and trustworthy leader. First and foremost, the battle of San Jacinto was one Houston's greatest accomplishments, defeating Santa Anna and shamefully returning him to Mexico. This battle turned out to be the turning point in Texas's becoming a Republic and Sam Houston's popularity beginning to soar across Texas. Even though the revolution was a failure and Mexico still didn't recognize Texas as a republic, Houston still received the recognition that he deserved. It happened "...at three o'clock in the afternoon, Houston ordered his 'effectives' into battle formation that stretched across the prairie" (Campbell 68). After this strategic move, Sam Houston attacked and eighteen minutes later ended the battle. With this fight under his belt, Houston slowly arose to become a powerful and noteworthy man. This rise in power enabled Houston to become the first President of the Republic of Texas on September 18th, 1836. He was basically the only man for the job, supported by a landsliding "5,119 vote to Smith's 743 votes" (74). Houston saw himself as the candidate who could bring unity to Texas, despite its ambiguity and immense size. With Mirabeau B. Lamar at his side as vice president, Sam Houston would find as much

money for Texas as he could, balance the budget, and keep good relations with Mexico. In order to make and save money, Houston sold Texas's navy. Even the money gained from this sale didn't help the budget at all. By the time Houston's term of presidency was over, the debt had grown to roughly two million dollars. As far as keeping relations with Mexico, Houston must have apparently done a very good job because they did not attack again for a long period of time. Plus, he helped the Indians, especially the Cherokee, as much as he could, considering how he U.S. was driving them farther and farther away from their land. After Houston's three-year term was over, he resigned and moved to a higher position. In addition to already being President of the Republic of Texas more than once, Sam Houston became one of the first senators of Texas as well. Nothing is more suitable for a man with Houston's recognition and fame than to represent "his" state in the United States Senate. Even a more powerful and demanding job than president of a republic, Houston represented Texas better than any man possible. As a senator, and included in his inaugural address, Houston believed that "...finance, Indian policy, and relations with Mexico" were the most important things needed to be taken of in Texas and all over the United States (93). In the interest of finance, Sam Houston recommended that suspending all payments of interest and principal on the debt should be done. In addition, signing treaties, describing boundaries, with the Indians would depress war and bring on peace. Finally, the Texas senator thought it would be best to "...leave the Mexican nation alone," since "diplomatic relations had not been improved" (93). Overall, Sam

Houston improved Texas by taking its troubles all the way to Congress by using his intelligence and popularity to serve as a weapon for political listeners. Rudolph B. Campbell showed how Sam Houston became the most prominent, influential, and powerful man of his time. Houston basically devoted his entire life to serving other people's needs and wants. There wasn't a man during his time that was even close to becoming as great a hero as Sam Houston.

Having moved from the Southwest to the Midwest, I was so excited to find a southwestern vegetarian cookbook. The recipies are interesting, and with a few minor exceptions, pretty simple and straightforward to execute. The pictures are beautifully photographed. My complaints are largely editorial. The index isn't particularly useful for looking things up by ingredients and the recipies themselves require reading through a couple of times. The quantities of ingredients and number of servings are sometimes difficult to discern.

Restaurant quality, but easy to make. Jalapeno Cheese bread is particularly good. A great survival cookbook for Southwesterners stranded temporarily on the East Coast.

This book is really not worth getting, unless you liked sad endings. It is very descriptive though and you can learn a lot from this book aout the struggles the main character faces. Yet, I wouldn't waste the time reading this book, again.

I thought this was a great book. It was easy to read and I loved it! I recommend this book.

The distant howl of the wolf seems at home alongside campfires under a brilliant moon. The echoes of those cries ring with loneliness and pain. They are forever linked with the wildest of the wild, nature untouched and pure. The Southwestern U.S. to Mexico is a wild and natural area, but far from untouched and pristine wilderness areas. Moon-filled nights are no longer punctuated by the wolf's plaintive calls due to a century of persecution that eliminated all species of wolf from the South West. With the attempts to reintroduce wild packs and the subsequent controversy regarding this issue a new edition of the David E. Brown's brilliant 'The Wolf in the Southwest - The Making of an Endangered Species' has been released by High Lonesome Books. Originally published in 1983, 'The Wolf in the Southwest' documents the fervor to rid the wolf from the wilds of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas from the late 19th century until the late 1970's. David E. Brown has painstakingly researched his book from decades of archival records documenting the plight of the southwest cattlemen. These ranchers whose heavy losses to cattle depredation lead to a government sanctioned declaration of war on all predators. It is a grimly fascinating tale of the sad history of the wolf in the southwest. David E. Brown's 'The Wolf in the Southwest' is the definitive resource on the various species of southwestern wolf, covering their biology, territory and first hand descriptive accounts of their place within their historical environment. These coincide with various trapper reports, techniques and encounters. Thorough and complete with many historical photos and documents, David E. Brown brings this shortsighted era to life. 'The Wolf in the Southwest - The Making of an Endangered Species' is a bitter read for it eulogizes, not celebrates the wolf. A dramatic reminder of how destructive the world was and still is and how once we set foot in pristine natural areas we slowly begin to lose them.

As always, David Brown's revised edition of The Wolf In The Southwest, meets the highest standards in wildlife writing! This updated version is the 'cornerstone' of information on the history of the Mexican Gray Wolf in the southwest, and has practical insight included for the wolf's current status in Arizona and New Mexico. It is an unbiased, factual representation of historic gray wolf management and biology, and a valuable resource on this large carnivore, which once again roams the manificently rugged Arizona-New Mexico border country.