This book has tons of color and B&W pictures and some of the best pictures of the southwest ruins you are ever going to find. It also has numerous site maps illustrating the ruins and their vicinity. The pictures are not just your everyday tourbook photos. They are spectacular. The author mixes numerous aerial shots that show you overviews of the sites and mixes in a generous amount of detail shots to help you see what the sites look like when you are there. There are also sketches and conceptual drawings which tell about the history. Just because there are a lot of photos, do not think the text is lacking. The book has all you would ever need to know about the sites including history, archeological finds etc. It accomplishes this amazingly enough without boring the reader. The most important thing about this book is that it is comprehensive. An example is its description of Mesa Verde park which is 44 pages of text and pictures. The section includes a detailed description of the stops you can make off ruins road as well as maps and pictures of sites you can't even access. Overall, this is the book you want to have when you plan your trip and the one you want on your coffee table to show your friends and family where you have been. A must have for anyone fascinated by the Anasazi culture.

I have found this to be an excellent resource for finding sites of interest and a faithfull companion for exploring the site once I have arrived. The information provides a nice addition to any anasazi library

*RECOMMENDED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE **CHOSEN BY SOUTHWEST PARKS & MONUMENTS ASSOC. ***SELECTED BY SANTA FE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ****DISTRIBUTED BY MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO, MUSEUM OF INDIAN ARTS & CULTURES, MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA, CHACO CANYON, BANDOLIER, PECOS, HUBBELS TRADING POST, LA FONDA HOTEL, ALBUQUERQUE AIRPORT & OTHER LOCATIONS.

If you're planning to travel through the American Southwest, Ancient Ancestors will guide you through 33 National Park sites. This book is unique in offering what Indian elders say about these places based on oral history tradition. Author Dr. Gregory Schaaf has served as tribal historian for over 15 years. Supported by scientific data, Ancient Ancestors offers an educational, yet fun way, to learn about Indian country in the American Southwest. Be dazzled by the color illustrations of award winning photographer Lewis Kemper. A great book for a great price.

Buy this book if you have any interest at all in Southwest ruins. This book is not for the expert but can be used extensively by all who are interested-especially vacationers.

I became fascinated by the wealth of archaeological resources in the American Southwest while working as an archaeological photographer and editor at a research institute in New Mexico. I found that the Southwest is a veritable archaeological museum! I wrote this guidebook to offer people interested in American Indians and America's cultural heritage much more information than is available in standard travel guidebooks.

I did a lot of research on the sites, consulted with archaeologists who excavated them, and had all chapters professioanlly reviewed to make sure they are accurate and current. Using this guidebook will give you a unique cultural and historical framework for discovering the scenic beauty of the Southwest. I include current directions to sites (only sites that are open to the public, accessible, interpreted, monitored), suggest other nearby places to visit further reading.

This book has sold nearly 90,000 copies over to date. Happy exporing!

David Grant Noble: Author of "Ancient Ruins of the Southwest"

I received this book several years ago from my father. Andele was married to my grandmother's cousin. My father has told me about his memories of Andele as an old man, and of his gentle spirit and kindness. I finally got the opportunity to read this book recently. It sheds light on native American history I have studied with my children as a homeschool mother. You feel as if you were there experiencing what Andele experienced. I have also seen a copy of the original book written in 1899. It has many original pictures of Andele and others he lived with in captivity. I wish this edition still had those pictures.

Andele, The Mexican-Kiowa Captive is a very factual and interesting book. Andele was married to my Great-Great Aunt. I was raised 3 houses from their home. From my studies and research on my family, this book is a very acurate account of Andele's life. If you are interested in Oklahoma History or Native American History, you will enjoy reading Andele.

It is not often one can read of the intermingling of cultures so successfully combined as in Eva Wilber-Cruce's work. It is remarkable for its objectivity, its vivacity, and as a lesson of how best to get along with one's neighbors. Eva's recollections as a child and woman are remarkable and is a person easily taken to one's heart. Her considerable life is a valise which contains a portfolio of memories of the most meaningful sort. I would compare her book with Mari Sandoz' Old Jules; both about frontier life, one in the SW, the other in Nebraska. The reader has the added benefit of increasing his or her Spanish vocabulary that reflects the lifestyle in which Eva was raised. Beautifully written. An added plus for me was the reference to Archbishop Salpointe who was the heir to "Lamy of Sante Fe." It's a treat when a book ties in with another source written by a respected historical author like Paul Horgan.

Eva Wilbur-Cruce describes memories as far back as when she was three, and captures the wild yet captivating valleys of the Arizona/Mexico border, painting word pictures of Mexican ranchers, Tohono O'odham Indians and many other cultures intermingling. It is a story of how to live life to the fullest, as she learned it from nature, her family and those around her. She has learned well what the beautiful cruel country has to teach and she passes it on through artistic imagery.

Xeriscape doesn't mean ugly. This book will help you find plants that are pretty and that won't take up a lot of water. IT's a great book.

This is our reference book for when we are adding something to our yard. We have a full acre that we are working on (slowly!) and this book has helped us every step of the way.

The color pictures make it easy to see exactly what a plant looks like. The color pictures also help when you are trying to find the name of the tree in some yard that you thought was pretty. The information it has on each plant is very useful- it gives you the area it will grow best in (example: Albuquerque or statewide in the shade or statewide up to 800 feet elevation). The other thing that makes this book a good buy is the plant list for different areas. For example, there is a plant list for Gallup/Grants area. These lists give you trees, grasses, shrubs, flowers and more that will grow well in your area.

This is the best resource out there if you live in New Mexico and want to have a lovely landscaped area.

Keeping plants alive in New Mexico is very difficult. If you're thinking of buying this book you already know this. If you do buy it you'll find out how to solve all of your yard and garden problems. This book tells you everything you need to know to successfully surround your home with attractive plants instead of the tiresome and difficult to maintain bluegrass lawn or gravel pit one sees so often in New Mexico.

Most importantly, the book lists plants suitable for every inhabited part of New Mexico. If you've learned to garden in Gallup but want to know what to plant in Deming or Santa Fe, this book is for you.

The plant lists and photographs make this book an essential money and water saving gardening tool for the New Mexico gardener. Buy it for yourself and give a copy to to your new neighbors!

This is a great book because of the adventures envolved in it. It was full of excitment and humor. It is about a boy going into the southwest (in the 60's) with his older brother searching for his Uncle Clay who he has not seen in years. I enjoyed this book because it kept me reading all of the time.

The Big Wander is a humorous, thoughtful trip through the American southwest amidst the tumultuous 60's. If that era wasn't enough to fuel the author's creative palette, our hero, Clay, is euphorically approaching adolescent replete with starry eyed infatuation and an all-to-well-remembered awkwardness in his approach to young ladies. The novel sets out as an summer adventure ("The Wander") for Clay and his older brother, Mike. But, the story strays from its origins and delights the reader with its creative insight into the workings of a young teenager's imagination; too young to give up John Wayne, but well on the way to his first lovesick romance. Natural beauty, native american lore, and the love and loyalty of distant family are woven into a rewarding tale. The plot is best shared with a young reader, an excellent bedtime "chapter book" for Dad to read each night. Oh, I imagine the rigidly fixed realist may have problems with the unfolding of events that defy a likely outcome; but the child you read to (and the one kept deep inside) will receive each and every adventure Clay encounters with a smile, a giggle, and a brief reflection on life as they have known it.

Billy the Kid was neither the most romantic of western desperadoes nor a vicious killer. He was, for his time, a reasonably well-educated young cowboy who went to work for legitimate rancher/businessmen who were in conflict with agents and friends of a local and state government that were so incredibly corrupt that even Governor Lew Wallace couldn't save him. He wound up being 'outlawized' by an equally corrupt and sensationalistic press. Ironically, he was the only participant in the Lincoln County War who was sentenced (railroaded) to hang. Ever since the Kid was ambushed by Pat Garrett in 1881, historians, storytellers, and filmmakers have depended primarily on Pat Garrett's self-serving 'Authentic Life of Billy the Kid'. Jon Tuska, basing his work on documentary evidence, separates what is known of the facts from the fiction about Billy to produce the most accurate account of Billy and the Lincoln County War. He then turns to the standard legendary elements and shows wherein they differ from known facts. Tuska goes on to critique the standard histories, novels, and films that feature Billy. I consider this book to be the standard against which all other Billy the Kid materials are to be measured.

Ever since I moved within an hour and a half of Lincoln County, New Mexico, where that famous jail that imprisoned Billy the Kid before his escape is now a tourist attraction, I've been enveloped by stories of this legendary killer and romantic guy. Jon Tuska adds more research and investigation in this new book. For Billy the Kid enthusiasts who really want to know more about the legend, the book is probably the most important one I've read. Tuska explores the man's life and death, historical views and fiction based on his life. One of my favorite parts is his description of how he escaped detection by the law once when he went to a friend's house and woke them from their bed. He got in bed with them, and they covered him up with covers, then got back in bed as if they were alone. When the law questioned them, it appeared they were alone! Talk about a threesome!

But the best aspect of the book for historians and perhaps for Tuska's future books on Billy the Kid is his determination that to get the true story of what happened during the Lincoln County War, researchers need to focus more on the actions of Alexander A. McSween and Susan Hammer McSween and answering questions like, what happened to the Fritz inheritance money? What happened to John H. Turnstall's numerous high investments? Tuska's work suggests Susan McSween's financial success might have come from extortion from the Fritz and Turnstall estate.

Tuska's theories ring true, and make the reader want more. From his suggestions, the reader almost anticipates another book from Tuska exploring these issues. Readers should follow Tuska's career and future writings about Billy the Kidd.

A very fascinating read. As a classic movie fan, I enjoyed reading about the existence of these films. The photographs and lobby cards provide a sneak peek into a historical time.

IN THE READING OF THIS BOOK I FOUND THAT IT GAVE A CLOSE SUMMARY OF THE BLACK MOVIE INDUSTRY,AS IT,WAS, AS NEW AS A BABY BOTTOM COMING INTO THE WORLD. FROM DAY ONE,I WISH THERE WERE MORE BOOKS OF THIS NATURE IN THE LOCAL LIBRARY,IN DOWNTOWN WHITE AMERICA, JANEEN CURRY

Once in a while a book attains benchmark status in the historiography of a particular subject. "Bound for Santa Fe," by Stephen G. Hyslop, might well do so. It has many of the necessary ingredients. Its palate is sweeping, and the author's handling of the story both complex and captivating. More than any other recent work of history on the Santa Fe trail and trade, it captures the essence of the story and relates it to an audience removed from it by some 175 years. Most of all, "Bound for Santa Fe" is an exceptionally well-written work of history, tantalizing in its depictions and seductive in the power of its narrative.

Beginning with the earliest exploring parties from the United States into the Southwest, Hyslop takes the reader through the origins and development of the Santa Fe trade, using narratives from the trail as the centerpiece of a journey from Missouri to New Mexico. Along the trail readers meet the native peoples who had made the region their homes for centuries, the Santa Fe culture and its sometimes uneasy coexistence with Anglos from Missouri, and the unique world these various cultures made through their interactions.

At the same time, the interactions proved surprising to both sides. As only one example, Missourians expressed dismay at the mores of the New Mexicans, and that cultural divide never seemed to end despite years of close contact. When trader John Scolly hauled his Latina wife, Juana Lopes, before a Mexican judge for adultery the outcome was remarkably different to what Scolly had expected. Lopes did not deny the charges, instead offering the belligerent explanation, as reported in the court record, that "it was her ass, she controlled it, and she would give it to whomever she wanted" (p. 266). The judge told her to quit "roving" and stay with her family but stopped short of punishing her, as would have undoubtedly been the case in the U.S. Such cultural differences sprinkle this work, demonstrating the oddity and attraction of these two civilizations.

Hyslop completes his work with a discussion of American conquest of New Mexico in 1846-1848. He follows the path of the Army of the West under Stephen Watts Kearny, the experience of Alexander Doniphan and Sterling Price and their Missouri volunteers, the creation of a territorial government under Charles Bent, and the bloody Taos revolt.

In 1979 John D. Unruh Jr. published "The Plains Across: The Overland Emigrants and the Trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60" (University of Illinois Press), unraveling the complex story of the overlanders on America's longest trail. Hyslop offers a work very similar to Unruh's in style and substance for the Santa Fe trail, and it may become a standard on the subject for many years.

This authoritative volume from Stephen Hyslop sheds new light on an important aspect of the American story. Well-written and full of interesting facts, analysis, and captivating stories, this book is no dry history, but a thorough work that should have great appeal beyond the academic market. It is a book all American history buffs should enjoy. I know I did.