Bookshelf

BOOKSHELF WATERCOLORS OF THE RIO GRANDE. By Michael Frary.

Texas A&M University Press, Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843. 1984. 131 pages. $37.50, hardcover.

When the first warm sun of summer urges the winter snow to water, tiny drops begin again the 1800-mile journey to the sea. On the eastern slope of the Continental Divide, at Stony Pass, between Silverton and Creede, Colorado, the Rio Grande is born. A marshy meadow catches the first few seeps and gathers them into a crystal stream a few inches wide. It soon becomes a torrent. This is the birth process of "The Great River," the lifeline of the first civilizations of the Southwest.

The Rio Grande is a ledger of those lives - Indian, Hispanic, Anglo-and it is this which Michael Frary, a gifted Texas artist, has painted and written about. As with all flowing water, there is other life here, bird, animal, fish, and plant. Frary includes them all. With brush and pen, he follows the river south by east, and his pen paints pictures as subtle and appealing as his brush. Watercolors of the Rio Grande is a history and an 1800-mile journey, a sensory experience which delights both the ear and the eye.

Using forty-eight magnificent watercolors interspersed with text, the artist takes us through the life zones of the Rio Grande. From Arctic-Alpine he guides us to Lower Sonoran, that vast expanse of desert in Southern New Mexico and finally to the unsung sea, the Gulf of Mexico, where the river's last life zone prevails.

Along this varied route, the reader travels through huge gaps of ancient granite crowned with conifers and the rich farm fields of Colorado's San Luis Valley, drawing their liquid life from the river. The historic towns of Taos and Sante Fe are here, with their many pueblo neighbors, and downstream, the chile fields of Las Cruces. At El Paso, the River becomes an International Border and begins to swing east toward the spectacular Big Bend Country. From El Paso to Brownsville, the Rio Grande is both Texas and Mexico. When it joins the Gulf, it then becomes water of the world.

Michael Frary is a handsome, fat-free man, who is obviously no stranger in the wilderness. A professor in the Department of Art at the University of Texas, his credentials are impressive. He holds a master's degree from the University of Southern California and has studied at the Chicago Art Institute and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. Frary has exhibited in more than 200 one-man shows and is a member of numerous professional societies. Watercolors of the Rio Grande is a testament to his splendid talents.

For four centuries, those fortunate people who have lived by the verdant banks of the Rio Grande have possessed an understandable territorial attitude toward their land. They alone may find this publication alarming in its pull and appeal. All others will find it delightful, either as a field guide or as an enticing journey taken in the comfort of an armchair.

A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE MORMON BATTALION IN THE MEXICAN WAR. By Sergeant Daniel

Tyler. The Rio Grande Press Inc. P.O. Box 33, Glorieta, N.M. 87535. 1980. 386 pages. $15.00, hardcover.

The history of the Mormon people is a major segment of the history of the American West. After the tragedy of Nauvoo and the resultant exodus west by the Saints, a volunteer force of 500 Mormon men, some with their families, marched from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, California, to take part in the Mexican War. This historic march of makeshift infantry took place in the winter of 1846-47. Here is the firsthand history of that epic event. Included in the text is the only eyewitness account now in print of the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. This is both Mormon and military history at its best.

ARIZONA FACTS...AND ARTIFACTS.

By Ruth and Richard Thomas. Coles-Cumberland Press, P.O. Box 9925, Phoenix, AZ 85068. 1984. 61 pages. $2.95, softcover.

Phoenix couple, Richard and Ruth Thomas, wanted to give their marriage an acid test so they co-authored and published this little book. I have no idea how things are going at home, but Arizona Facts...And Artifacts is a thundering success. It is shirt-pocket size. Aimed at the recent Arizona resident or disoriented tourist, it contains 140 short items about Arizona. The subject matter covers fifty-five Arizona towns, including Sun City, and all fifteen counties. It is eclectic and well flavored with humor. The entries are short, running from seventeen words to the longest, 210 wellchosen words. It is, in effect, a crash course in history, mystery, and folklore of Arizona.

SOUTHWEST COOKING: NEW AND OLD.

By Ronald Johnson. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM 87131. 1985. 304 pages. $17.50, hardcover.

To quote the author, "Chiles are chic." From Santa Fe to Los Angeles and now eastward, the oldest cooking traditions of the United States have grown from satisfying and simple "bowls of red" to artful interpretations of native Southwestern cuisine.

This expanded effort by Mr. Johnson, a revised edition of his earlier Aficionado's Southwestern Cooking, is by design neither culinary virtuosity nor historical preservation. His affection and admiration is for the regional and traditional dishes he has collected and nurtured over the years. This book will serve a large portion of the cooking public quite well. The recipes are clear, complete, and rarely encompass more than one page of effort for the cook. Necessary ingredients are easily and locally accessible. In addition to the 260 pages of well organized recipes, short but helpful appendixes on regional ingredients and menus are included. With the debatable exception of the oregano in his posole, one should find little fault with this neat and tasty book.(FOLLOWING PANEL) High Country forest in an autumn mood. Hart Prairie, San Francisco Peaks, near Flagstaff (BACK COVER) On a bright morning in October, Lower Oak Creek Canyon bursts into a veritable paradise of color...under autumn's spell. See "The Colors of Autumn," this month's photo portfolio, beginning on page 25. Jerry Sieve photos

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS BOOK ARIZONA LANDMARKS

The 'Book-of-the-Year' for all who love the West!

In celebration of its sixtieth anniversary, Arizona Highways proudly introduces its latest book to show off the grandeur of Arizona's natural and man-made landmarks.

A 160-page book and a big 10by 13-inches in size, Arizona Landmarks displays more than 180 full-color photographs of the state's deserts, mountains, canyons, and plateaus. Arizona-born James E. Cook, a popular Arizona Highways contributor, has written an informative and entertaining text seasoned with history, anecdotes, and tall tales. Arizona Landmarks is an excellent choice for your home or office and a great gift certain to be welcomed by family and friends. Place your order now through the enclosed Arizona Highways catalog.$35 Hardcover

Free with every Arizona Landmarks order

You'll receive FREE a reproduction of the first issue of Arizona Highways Magazine by ordering the new Arizona Landmarks book. This is a limited offer during the magazine's sixtieth anniversary year and is available only through the enclosed catalog. Volume 1, Number 1, priced at $5, is a nostalgic, 28-page classic.

Arizona Landmarks and other Arizona Highways products can be ordered through the enclosed 1985 fall/winter catalog or by writing Arizona Highways, 2039 West Lewis Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009. Telephone orders: (602) 258-1000.