The Far Southwest, 1846-1912

Book Notes

Kyle E. Ciani, Reviews Editor

The Far Southwest, 1846-1912: A Territorial History.

By Howard Lamar. Revised Edition, Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2000. 576 Pages, maps, notes, bibliography, index. $24.95 Paperbound.

Ever since it originally appeared in 1966, distinguished western historian Howard Lamar's The Far Southwest has been the standard general history of the territories of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Organized by each territory, the book covered, in over five hundred pages, the political history of each unit, emphasizing the introduction of United States' political and economic institutions, and the interaction of those impositions with the original culture of each area. Avoiding parochialism, he stressed the interaction between the territory and the nation as a whole. In this new edition, Lamar has updated the introduction, made some changes in the text, and -- perhaps most importantly -- has brought the bibliography up to date. In so doing, he has assured that The Far Southwest will continue for another generation to be the starting place for the exploration of its topic.

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