Empires Lost and Won : The Spanish Heritage in the Southwest

ANNOTATION

Discusses the history of the southwestern region of the United States from the sixteenth century to the Mexican War, examining the interactions between the Spanish, Indians, and American pioneers.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A vivid examination of the Spanish influence in the American Southwest by a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner

Albert Marrin, prize-winning historian, presents the sweeping tale of the Spanish conquest of the American Southwest. Early in 1540, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado left Mexico City to claim the fabled cities that lay to the north. The cities were really Pueblo Indian villages, but by 1610, Santa Fe was firmly established as the capital of New Mexico. In the nineteenth century Texans voted for independence from Mexico, the United States declared war, and in the end Mexico lost its entire northern empire. Martin sets this powerful tale firmly in its period and place, making dramacticly clear the importance of the unfolding events.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

Marrin tells a fascinating tale of the conquest of what is now the American Southwest. Kids, who spend about three minutes in history class on the conquistadors, should get really excited reading the true dirt (masterfully compiled, explained, and quoted from period sources) of the blood, greed, and guts involved in of the process of conquest over the centuries. From Cabeza de Vaca's long walk through unknown territory to the Mexican War of 1846-48, Marrin holds back little. This is history the way it should be written.

VOYA - Gloria Grover

This book focuses on the first three hundred years of history of the American Southwest, from the time the Spanish conquistadors came searching for gold in the new world to the acquisition of the West following the Mexican War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Marrin recounts in detail the actions and decisions made by the conquistadors and later the officers of the American army to gain the advantage over the Native Americans and then the Mexicans in the struggle to expand the United States. He also describes the treatment the prisoners of war received, the different types of execution, and the mountain men and fur traders who explored the vast wild territories on horseback. Marrin writes in a clear concise manner and has religiously documented all citations. Black-and-white illustrations are hard to judge, seen only in galley, and unfortunately the cover is unappealing. Teens who have homework assignments on conquistadors and exploration will like this book. I recommend it as a supplemental title for large collections. Index. Illus. Maps. Source Notes. Further Reading. VOYA Codes: 3Q 1P J S (Readable without serious defects, No YA will read unless forced to for assignments, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

School Library Journal

Gr 7 UpA colorful narrative enriched by salient details. Beginning in A.D. 711 when Catholic bishops fleeing the Moors first told stories of cities of gold, inspiring Spanish exploration and conquest for 1000 years, this inclusive account stretches across centuries, all the way to the mid-1800s and the Mexican War. Marrin offers realistic descriptions of Spain in the late Middle Ages, the perils and hardships of seagoing travel, the everyday life of the Native Americans and their abuse at the hands of the explorers, Coronado's expedition, and more, all told with close reliance on clearly cited sources. After dealing extensively with 16th- and 17th-century events, the author moves quickly to the sweeping panorama of the 19th-century westward expansion and the inevitable confrontation between east and west. The powerful text, written by a gifted storyteller, is beautifully blended with vivid, carefully placed, firsthand accounts. Poems and songs of the various time periods clearly convey the moods of the ages, and frequent illustrations include helpful maps, original drawings, and portraits. This book has wide appeal, partly because the narrative is so engaging, and also because this information is not readily found in other sources. This is an excellent portrayal of life as it really was, and how the lust for gold, land, and riches so strongly affected human behavior and altered the course of history.Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, Kingwood, TX

Kirkus Reviews

Marrin (The Sea King, 1995, etc.) retraces the Spanish conquest of the American Southwest in this distinctive, authentically illustrated volume. His approach capitalizes on the drama inherent throughout human struggle, providing a dense, compelling narrative inhabited by such dazzling figures as the 16th-century nobleman, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, whose expedition resulted in battle with the Zuni and whose scouts were the first outsiders to stumble across the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. Marrin's clear-eyed research presents a three- dimensional portrait of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, easily the most despised figure of Mexico in the 19th century, who, after promising political reform, seized power as military dictator and subsequently led Mexico to defeat in the war against the US and Texas. Although this history is enlivened by such personalities, it is also brimming with details of day-to-day living, e.g., the supplies a trader packed for the eight-week journey to the first stop on the Santa Fe trail.