This classic collection of nonfiction essays about life in New Mexico by the great Tony Hillerman remains a must read for anyone looking to understand the state's unique charm. The vivid pieces in The Great Taos Bank Robbery paint an indelible portrait of life—with all its magnificent quirks and foibles—in the Land of Enchantment.
Celebrating fifty years since its original 1973 release, this anniversary edition offers a new introduction...

Based on a 1912 publication about Texans who fought for the South in the Civil War, “Texas Boys in Gray” presents a collection of fascinating remembrances of those who were there. Sometimes humorous and sometimes heartbreaking, the experiences of these men are documented as a tribute to Texas war veterans. “Texas Boys in Gray” captures, in their own words, the patriotism, the fear, the confusion, the bravery, the terrible wounds, the desperate...

Austin isn't just the live music capital of the world; it's the trailer food capital of the world too. Tiffany Harelik, Austin's own Trailer Food Queen, offers a road map to exploring "trailer food" within the setting of her hometown's rebel charm. Meet the chefs bringing nostalgia to the al fresco experience as they share their favorite recipes from around the globe. No matter what part of town you are in, and no matter what you are craving, these...

From true cowhands who stood tall in the saddle as the prototypes of the American myth, historian Patrick Dearen has collected priceless, spellbinding stories of a simpler era when a man's word was his bond and a cowhand rode hard and lived harder. Within the pages of this book these genuine legends who rode through a golden moment in American history live on. From true cowhands who stood tall in the saddle as the prototypes of the American myth,...

In the mid-1800s, land speculators said that Western Travis County in Texas would be a paradise, a perfect place to grow crops, raise livestock, and build a life. Settlers were seduced by such stories, and many of them including a large segment of German immigrants made their way to this promised land. What they found was, for the most part, an arid area of cedar trees, poor soil, rocks, and snakes. Still, these hardy people carved out a good life...

Established in 1892, nine miles northwest of Phoenix in the Salt River Valley of Arizona, Glendale at first attracted farmers with strong Protestant religious convictions. Soon, however, others began to settle in the town and on the rich farmlands of the area. Although predominantly Anglos, the settlers that came in the latter 1890s and early decades of the 1900s included various ethnic minorities. Each group had a significant role in the city's development...

Local historian Ron Melugin has roamed this frontier Texas cemetery for over a decade, collecting fascinating stories about the "residents" laid to rest here. Spanning the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these tales of extraordinary people with ordinary causes of death and ordinary people who died in extraordinary ways illustrate the uncertainties of life on the edge of the Confederacy and next door to Oklahoma Indian Territory. From the...

The commander of the three-hundred-wagon Union supply train never expected a large ragtag group of Texans and Native Americans to attack during the dark of night in Union-held territory. But Brigadier Generals Richard Gano and Stand Watie defeated the unsuspecting Federals in the early morning hours of September 19, 1864, at Cabin Creek in the Cherokee nation. The legendary Watie, the only Native American general on either side, planned details of...

Fort Worth exudes a vivacious Western spirit founded upon a rich history. In 1849, four years after the Republic of Texas became the 28th state, the Army built a fort to keep native tribes west of the Trinity. That fort grew into a focal stop on the Chisholm Trail and later became the western terminus of the railroad. In World War I, Fort Worth housed one Army and three aircraft training bases, while Fort Worth Stockyards, which became one of the...

“It Happened in Arizona” features thirty-six episodes from Arizona's history-from the thirteenth-century creation of the Hohokam's irrigation canals to the building of the Hoover Dam, and from explorations of the Grand Canyon to a stagecoach robbery. This revised edition includes two new chapters, a locator map, an updated design, and new/updated facts and figures.