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Cities of Gold: A Journey Across the American Southwest
This riveting true story recounts the author's journey on horseback across Arizona and New Mexico, retracing Coronado's desperate search for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. First published in 1992 and now available only from UNM Press, this classic adventure tale reveals the Southwest as it was when Europeans first saw it and shows how much, and how little, it has changed. "The great myth of the American West," Preston writes, "is that there was a winning of it."
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
About the author
Douglas Preston
163 books12.4k followersDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
April 1, 2021
This travelogue describes the journey of three (and then two) rather hapless guys who undertake a vigorous trek on horseback from the U.S. Mexican border in Arizona to Santa Fe in New Mexico. Their purpose was to retrace the journey that Coronado undertook in 1540-41. Some of this land is still a very remote and rugged territory interspersed with arroyos, canyons, extreme weather, and above all a lack of water – not only for themselves but for their horses. I said “hapless” because neither of them had any extensive knowledge and experience of horseback riding prior to this ambitious expedition.
It should be noted that the author did this trip in the late 1980s.
There are three alternating themes in this book. The current journey of our two cowboys (one dropped out early on because he realized it was not going to be a picnic). The other theme is on the various characters they encounter on their trip. And then of course there is Coronado and his wanderings of so long ago. We are also provided not only with the history of Coronado but of the many events that occurred in this troubled land between the Spanish, the various native American tribes in the region and then the arrival of the Americans in the 19th century. All this led to the virtual destruction of the Indian civilizations which had thrived there for centuries.
Coronado was in search of gold and he was tricked or bamboozled into believing the stories of vast cities constructed of gold always to be found over the next hill. He was to some extent victimized by the leading questions he kept posing.
This was all interesting and entertaining – however the book is just too long. It is like someone telling you every detail of his vacation. I became tired of reading of yet another of the cowboys’ horses escaping during the night or a siesta and then a search undertaken to retrieve them. I was also bored of the conversation of various ranchers who detested the National Park Service and longed for the good old days.
This book needed editing.
Nevertheless, at journey’s end I was going to miss the exploits of the author Douglas and his pal Walter who was a photographer. This leads me to remark that my edition had no photos – this is disappointing considering the remarkable beauty of the landscape of the U.S. Southwest.
It should be noted that the author did this trip in the late 1980s.
There are three alternating themes in this book. The current journey of our two cowboys (one dropped out early on because he realized it was not going to be a picnic). The other theme is on the various characters they encounter on their trip. And then of course there is Coronado and his wanderings of so long ago. We are also provided not only with the history of Coronado but of the many events that occurred in this troubled land between the Spanish, the various native American tribes in the region and then the arrival of the Americans in the 19th century. All this led to the virtual destruction of the Indian civilizations which had thrived there for centuries.
Coronado was in search of gold and he was tricked or bamboozled into believing the stories of vast cities constructed of gold always to be found over the next hill. He was to some extent victimized by the leading questions he kept posing.
This was all interesting and entertaining – however the book is just too long. It is like someone telling you every detail of his vacation. I became tired of reading of yet another of the cowboys’ horses escaping during the night or a siesta and then a search undertaken to retrieve them. I was also bored of the conversation of various ranchers who detested the National Park Service and longed for the good old days.
This book needed editing.
Nevertheless, at journey’s end I was going to miss the exploits of the author Douglas and his pal Walter who was a photographer. This leads me to remark that my edition had no photos – this is disappointing considering the remarkable beauty of the landscape of the U.S. Southwest.
July 25, 2023
This memoir of Preston's really turned out to be much more than I expected. In 1989, Douglas Preston decided to take a trip on horseback retracing the route of Spanish conquistador Coronado's journey in 1540 through the southwest in search of the mythic seven cities of gold. Walter Nelson, a friend of Preston's and a photographer, decided to go with him on a journey that they originally thought might take a month but turned into several months travel of nearly 1000 miles. Preston was inexperienced in horsemanship and Nelson was not much better so they also took along a Mexican wrangler who promised them a solid knowledge of horses and packing them but who turned out to be worthless! Along the way, the group lost their horses many times, were lucky to find water, and were generally like fish out of water. But they also met many different people who helped them out and also provided some history of the region. These included ranchers, farmers, and American Indians.
The book is filled with the history of the southwest including what happened to Coronado and his group and their brutality to the Indians. It also told the story of the ranchers and farmers including various feuds and disputes that occurred back in the 1800's. These included issues over branding and rustling which resulted in what was called the Pleasant Valley Feud in the 1880's. But probably the most interesting part of the narrative were the various histories of the Native Americans from the time of Coronado to the present day. Preston filled the book with histories of the various Pueblo Indians including the Zuni, Hopi, Navajo, Acoma, and Pecos. He also included loads of information about the Apache and their wars with the U.S. This included histories of Cochise and Geronimo who was the last of the tribe to surrender.
I've read a lot of Preston's work in the past. He is probably best known as the coauthor of the Pendergast series of novels along with Lincoln Child. He has also written several nonfiction works which I have also enjoyed including The Monster of Florence and Dinosaurs in the Attic. I would highly recommend Cities of Gold to anyone interested in the history of the southwest especially Native American history or to anyone interested in a good travel narrative.
The book is filled with the history of the southwest including what happened to Coronado and his group and their brutality to the Indians. It also told the story of the ranchers and farmers including various feuds and disputes that occurred back in the 1800's. These included issues over branding and rustling which resulted in what was called the Pleasant Valley Feud in the 1880's. But probably the most interesting part of the narrative were the various histories of the Native Americans from the time of Coronado to the present day. Preston filled the book with histories of the various Pueblo Indians including the Zuni, Hopi, Navajo, Acoma, and Pecos. He also included loads of information about the Apache and their wars with the U.S. This included histories of Cochise and Geronimo who was the last of the tribe to surrender.
I've read a lot of Preston's work in the past. He is probably best known as the coauthor of the Pendergast series of novels along with Lincoln Child. He has also written several nonfiction works which I have also enjoyed including The Monster of Florence and Dinosaurs in the Attic. I would highly recommend Cities of Gold to anyone interested in the history of the southwest especially Native American history or to anyone interested in a good travel narrative.
August 25, 2014
I first read this after visiting New Mexico. It is a truly awesome place - in many ways the least American part of America I have seen. I wanted to know more about the area and this book was a great find. It gives an account of a horseback ride through the remotest parts of Arizona and into New Mexico following the route taken by the first Spanish explorers several hundreds of years ago. The author has excellent descriptive powers and I thoroughly enjoyed the intertwining of the history of the region with the narrative of the journey.
November 7, 2016
Without doubt one of the finest books I've read on the American Southwest. If you are interested in history or just the story of two guys, on horseback, following Coronado's trail you'll love this book. It's underrated and a gem.
September 12, 2023
There was a lot of really cool stuff in this book, no doubt, but it was super weighed down by insanely boring stuff that made me fall asleep. The part that is a travelogue was fairly interesting, for the most part, though it dragged occasionally. The way back history concerning sixteenth century Spaniards was where the book really shone. Unfortunately, the other "history" which was mostly inane stories of how some nobody's grandfather bought land for a farm and brought in cattle and how that eventually turned into this successful ranch made me almost DNF. I have NO CLUE why the author thought he should include this. It was terrible. I can't believe there's a single person who read this who thought those sections added to the book in any meaningful way. Also, I thought some of the history of the natives didn't mesh with the rest of the narrative and seemed just tacked on to reach a certain page count. Obviously plenty of the native stuff was totally interesting and made perfect sense, but at least a quarter of it left me scratching my head as I wondered why the author thought this belonged in such a book. It's been a long time since I've read a book with such high highs and such low lows. A great book if you're willing to skim, a rather terrible book if you're going to read every single word.
February 23, 2018
entertaining, though much of the historical information is going to be lost on me
i never understood why they needed to bring a bad compass along with a good one
i never understood why they needed to bring a bad compass along with a good one
December 2, 2021
I can't believe they survived. This book is excellent.
February 9, 2017
This is an interesting travel/history book. Preston and a photographer buddy ride horses along the route followed by Coronado in his 1540 search for the seven cities of gold. Although Coronado went all the way to central Kansas, to Quivera, Preston rode from the Mexico/Arizona line to Pecos New Mexico, still nearly 1000 miles. He describes his trip, the rugged, arid country, the folks he meets, and alternates that with the history of the land he passes. That narrative covers Coronado’s time, the Spanish and Mexican colonization and then the takeover by the U.S. The Spanish and American treatment of the native cultures is shocking in its brutality and unfairness. It is clear from what is left of the archeological and small written record that the Pueblo peoples, like Zuni, Hopi, Navaho, and several now extinct cultures, had a prosperous lifestyle compared with, say, the nomadic tribes of the great plains. It is also clear that Coronado and his men were really hard men moving a small army through very tough land, although it appears that at least some parts of the southwest were greener and richer 450 years ago then they are today.
August 3, 2017
Sometimes, history has got to be pursued from the back of a horse. Douglas Preston wasn't sure what took him to New Mexico -- he had a nice life in Manhattan before he abruptly decided to move to Santa Fe, to see the adobes washed in red sunlight -- but it took him further still, to the border of Arizona and Mexico. There, along with a friend and a hired horse wrangler, he purposed to re-create the journey of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, the first Spainard to explore the Southwest. They would discover the Four Corners as the Spanish did, on horseback -- carrying their own supplies, following the water. Their mission -- to search what it might have been like to enter into these enormous spaces for the first time, and travel through them to the seven cities of Cibola. Preston and company were warned against the pursuit; there was a very real chance such a journey would kill them. The desert is kind to no one, and Preston proposed to navigate through sheer wilderness, during the summer, amid a drought. But fate is kind to fools, drunks, and Americans, and Preston's royal-flush team prospered through their wits, the kindness of strangers, and a mix of luck and grit. The product is for me the best piece of travel writing I've yet read.
Along for the ride with Preston were a cantankerous neighbor of his, Walter, and a hired woodcutter who professed to be a horse wrangler. Eusebius's only virtue for the reader proves to be his comic rage that reveals itself with every mesquite tree, barbed-wire fence, and thrown horse-shoe; the man is as experienced with horses as you or I. (His virtues for the party are practically nil, although his incompetence forced Walter and Doug to become jacks of all trades, which probably saved their lives after the fake-wrangler quit.) The country they proposed to cross was desperately hostile. The voyage opened in a thick swath of mesquite trees, for instance, which turned a proposed one-day journey into four days of hacking, cussing, and chasing horses. They crossed mountains so far off the beaten track that the closest thing to a path was a cut made by the riders of the Pony Express. Their journey takes them through the detritus of ruined civilizations and communities, the residents and their hopes long-dead -- both mysterious Anasazi remains, and the less mysterious array of abandoned silver boomtowns. They encountered an array of interesting people: rattle-snaker trappers, ranchers and cowboys, echoes of the dying Old West. They also spent considerable time visiting with native Americans as they pass through Zuni and Acoma reservations, learning some of their stories. While the travelers were sometimes greeted with a shotgun, Doug and Walter certainly didn't look like tourists after the first few hundred miles of hard riding, and after explaining their mission, virtually everyone offered them hospitality with open arms and admiring eyes -- even from old ranchers who lived over a hundred miles from everybody else and did everything around their homesteads themselves. (The only exception was a man who assured them that nobody named Coronado came this way because the road hadn't been built until last year, and anyway that would have been trespassing.)
Cities of Gold expertly mixes adventure, history, photographs, and encounters with interesting people. As Doug and Walter pass through the landscape, so we learn the story of Coronado's exploration of the Southwest, and the story of the West in general: the trials of the Hopi, Apache, Zuni, and other people through the last two centuries, the triumphs and tribulations of traders, trappers, and gold-strikers; the rise and fall of the cowboy. But there's more to the memoir than history, for both the Zuni and the cowboys have something to say about stewardship, of the husbandry of the land. They argue that the land has been much abused by outsiders who came in with great confidence and little knowledge, from the first ranches to the present Forestry Sevice. Numerous citizens condemn the heavy-handedness of the Forestry Service's no-burn rule: the attempt to keep so much of the country in stasis is smothering it to death. The antelope herds that once flourished by eating young-growth forests, for instance, have dwindled as the old-growth cedars continue to expand, unchecked by fire. As this journey was taken in 1989, I don't know if matters have improved. (What has not improved is Albuquerque traffic, which these two took horses through!)
While my prolonged fascination with the Southwest greased the skids here, Cities of Gold is most impressive. The entire premise is awe-inspiring: this is a journey of a thousand miles on horseback, through thickets and quicksand, over mountains, across barren stretches of salt lakes and desert, through valleys and up mesas. The people, as mentioned, are fascinating into themselves, both the living and the dead. I did not recognize the name Coronado before I began reading this book, and I learned enormous amounts about him, the native cultures, and the history of the West in general as I followed Doug and Walter through these magnificent, storied landscapes.
Along for the ride with Preston were a cantankerous neighbor of his, Walter, and a hired woodcutter who professed to be a horse wrangler. Eusebius's only virtue for the reader proves to be his comic rage that reveals itself with every mesquite tree, barbed-wire fence, and thrown horse-shoe; the man is as experienced with horses as you or I. (His virtues for the party are practically nil, although his incompetence forced Walter and Doug to become jacks of all trades, which probably saved their lives after the fake-wrangler quit.) The country they proposed to cross was desperately hostile. The voyage opened in a thick swath of mesquite trees, for instance, which turned a proposed one-day journey into four days of hacking, cussing, and chasing horses. They crossed mountains so far off the beaten track that the closest thing to a path was a cut made by the riders of the Pony Express. Their journey takes them through the detritus of ruined civilizations and communities, the residents and their hopes long-dead -- both mysterious Anasazi remains, and the less mysterious array of abandoned silver boomtowns. They encountered an array of interesting people: rattle-snaker trappers, ranchers and cowboys, echoes of the dying Old West. They also spent considerable time visiting with native Americans as they pass through Zuni and Acoma reservations, learning some of their stories. While the travelers were sometimes greeted with a shotgun, Doug and Walter certainly didn't look like tourists after the first few hundred miles of hard riding, and after explaining their mission, virtually everyone offered them hospitality with open arms and admiring eyes -- even from old ranchers who lived over a hundred miles from everybody else and did everything around their homesteads themselves. (The only exception was a man who assured them that nobody named Coronado came this way because the road hadn't been built until last year, and anyway that would have been trespassing.)
Cities of Gold expertly mixes adventure, history, photographs, and encounters with interesting people. As Doug and Walter pass through the landscape, so we learn the story of Coronado's exploration of the Southwest, and the story of the West in general: the trials of the Hopi, Apache, Zuni, and other people through the last two centuries, the triumphs and tribulations of traders, trappers, and gold-strikers; the rise and fall of the cowboy. But there's more to the memoir than history, for both the Zuni and the cowboys have something to say about stewardship, of the husbandry of the land. They argue that the land has been much abused by outsiders who came in with great confidence and little knowledge, from the first ranches to the present Forestry Sevice. Numerous citizens condemn the heavy-handedness of the Forestry Service's no-burn rule: the attempt to keep so much of the country in stasis is smothering it to death. The antelope herds that once flourished by eating young-growth forests, for instance, have dwindled as the old-growth cedars continue to expand, unchecked by fire. As this journey was taken in 1989, I don't know if matters have improved. (What has not improved is Albuquerque traffic, which these two took horses through!)
While my prolonged fascination with the Southwest greased the skids here, Cities of Gold is most impressive. The entire premise is awe-inspiring: this is a journey of a thousand miles on horseback, through thickets and quicksand, over mountains, across barren stretches of salt lakes and desert, through valleys and up mesas. The people, as mentioned, are fascinating into themselves, both the living and the dead. I did not recognize the name Coronado before I began reading this book, and I learned enormous amounts about him, the native cultures, and the history of the West in general as I followed Doug and Walter through these magnificent, storied landscapes.
March 4, 2023
What happens when two modern day fellows decide to retrace Coronado's conquistadorial journey across the west in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola? On horseback? Through trackless deserts with no idea where water might be found? Mind you, they know nothing much about camping OR horses. Douglas Preston packs this tome with all the details of his own journey and the journey of Coronado plus reams of fascinating details about the Indian tribes who lived in the area at the time and who, sadly, had no idea that these iron clad men on horseback had come to take their lands and substitute their own religion and government for what the Indians already had.
For years our history books have called it "the winning of the west" as pioneers and homesteaders followed, gradually moving out the original inhabitants into smaller and smaller parcels of land. By the end of this book, it became clear to me that it should have been called "the losing of the west." There was no way to stop it's momentum and I myself have ancestors who participated in creating new lives and new towns in the state of California. Yet if I am honest, I had to admit that these new "civilizations" were built at the cost of losing older, equally valuable civilizations.
Read this book if you'd like a much deeper understanding of how the American west came to be.
For years our history books have called it "the winning of the west" as pioneers and homesteaders followed, gradually moving out the original inhabitants into smaller and smaller parcels of land. By the end of this book, it became clear to me that it should have been called "the losing of the west." There was no way to stop it's momentum and I myself have ancestors who participated in creating new lives and new towns in the state of California. Yet if I am honest, I had to admit that these new "civilizations" were built at the cost of losing older, equally valuable civilizations.
Read this book if you'd like a much deeper understanding of how the American west came to be.
June 19, 2019
My version of Red Dead Redemption 2. At one point, I wanted to create a scrapbook with the images of all the trees mentioned. This takes place on American territory but apart from the two white dudes retracing the journey, the story has no white men in it. It is about the Spanish encounter of the native tribes of Arizona and New Mexico.
There are a couple of odd chapters that take the form of interview pieces in a magazine, and the author can be held guilty of excessively fawning over the virtues of some of the tribes. Realest parts of the book are those when the traveling companions having lost patience with each other and frustrated with the undertaking begin to come to blows. If there's one thing you can count on.
If I had a dollar for every time they lose their horses, I would've enough to buy a horse.
There are a couple of odd chapters that take the form of interview pieces in a magazine, and the author can be held guilty of excessively fawning over the virtues of some of the tribes. Realest parts of the book are those when the traveling companions having lost patience with each other and frustrated with the undertaking begin to come to blows. If there's one thing you can count on.
If I had a dollar for every time they lose their horses, I would've enough to buy a horse.
May 2, 2021
There are at least three stories here.
The most engaging one is of a friendship put through the crucible and emerging permanent and unshakeable.
The second is of the avarice, pride, betrayal, chicanery and violence that was the post Columbian exploration of the American West. You can point to the ridiculous notion of Coronado notionally subjugating a rota of alien cultures to a distant king and an even more distant religion, but you must note at the same time that the Indians were opportunistically co-opting the foreign forces in their own internecine wars.
Third is a wonderfully anachronistic western yarn of a thousand mile trek across hostile country with only the occasional nod to the 20th century, following the footsteps of another journey 450 years prior differing mainly in logistics and perspective.
There are many other stories here as well, glimpses into lives past and present that give you the true feeling of the old west.
An enlightening and excellent read, history combined with a profound yet amusing dissection of human nature.
The most engaging one is of a friendship put through the crucible and emerging permanent and unshakeable.
The second is of the avarice, pride, betrayal, chicanery and violence that was the post Columbian exploration of the American West. You can point to the ridiculous notion of Coronado notionally subjugating a rota of alien cultures to a distant king and an even more distant religion, but you must note at the same time that the Indians were opportunistically co-opting the foreign forces in their own internecine wars.
Third is a wonderfully anachronistic western yarn of a thousand mile trek across hostile country with only the occasional nod to the 20th century, following the footsteps of another journey 450 years prior differing mainly in logistics and perspective.
There are many other stories here as well, glimpses into lives past and present that give you the true feeling of the old west.
An enlightening and excellent read, history combined with a profound yet amusing dissection of human nature.
April 5, 2022
A treasure of history about the American Southwest. And although I loved reading about that history, my favorite parts of the book are the stories of Preston and his friend Walter's adventures as they followed the path of Coronado in the deserts of today's Arizona and New Mexico. Preston describes in detail the dangerous and arid nature of the land, the history of the explorers as far back as the 1500's, and importantly to him, the vanishing of the strong culture that had deeply cherished this land as their home.
September 16, 2020
A splendid compilation of stories and histories covering 450 years along 1000 miles of trail-less desert. Part of my fascination lies in this being my home and part lies in the humor of two men who love and hate their horses and each other in equal measure depending on weather and latest disaster.
January 3, 2020
This book really captures the complex, nuanced and ultimately heartbreaking story of the American Southwest.
It could also be named Zen and the Art of Losing Your Horse in the Desert.
I enjoyed this book immensely.
It could also be named Zen and the Art of Losing Your Horse in the Desert.
I enjoyed this book immensely.
December 7, 2010
While Preston may not be my favorite thriller writer, he’s written one of my favorite non-fiction books ever. In the mid-1990s, Preston and a companion decided to re-trace Coronado’s exploration of the American Southwest – from the Mexican border with Arizona to the pueblo at Pecos. They opted to do so by horseback, covering the inhospitable desert in as much the same way as they could as the Spanish had 450 years before.
Along the way, Preston interweaves their personal stories (learning how to deal with horses, how to find water, how to deal with the elements etc.) with stories of the Native American peoples they encounter (much of the journey is over Reservation land), and of the history of the area from the 16th century into the 20th. It is incredibly absorbing.
In this non-fiction setting, Preston really shines. He is disarming and you feel like he’s telling you this great story over a beer and a meal. He has a natural snarky wit that makes following this “tenderfoot” on the trail incredibly fun and informative. And just when you’re happy and smiling, Preston will come in with a tale that will make your heart ache.
I think this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Southwest, or any American interested in this far-too-often overlooked part of our past. I don’t read a ton of non-fiction, but I loved this book.
5 stars out of 5
Along the way, Preston interweaves their personal stories (learning how to deal with horses, how to find water, how to deal with the elements etc.) with stories of the Native American peoples they encounter (much of the journey is over Reservation land), and of the history of the area from the 16th century into the 20th. It is incredibly absorbing.
In this non-fiction setting, Preston really shines. He is disarming and you feel like he’s telling you this great story over a beer and a meal. He has a natural snarky wit that makes following this “tenderfoot” on the trail incredibly fun and informative. And just when you’re happy and smiling, Preston will come in with a tale that will make your heart ache.
I think this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Southwest, or any American interested in this far-too-often overlooked part of our past. I don’t read a ton of non-fiction, but I loved this book.
5 stars out of 5
February 11, 2013
As interesting as this historical ride was to read about, it is way too long. Unfortunately all of the nasty stuff that the Spaniards & U.S. Military did to the natives over and over in the various locations became too repetitive to read about. I am not to sure which was worse... religion, greed, power or arrogance. Too bad that we can't learn from it.
June 30, 2024
Two guys on horseback retrace Coronado's trip, nearly die, and retell the history of New Mexico. Fascinating, absorbing. My favorite part: Twelve years after the Pueblo Revolt in 1680 that drove the Spaniards out of Santa Fe, Diego de Vargas recaptured it by sheer moxie, riding up to the gates by himself, and sitting there in full shiny armor, demanded that they open the gates and surrender. Geez. I realize that he must have heard that there was a strong sentiment inside the walls for surrender, and there was a lot of internal disorganization and dissatisfaction among the rebels, but geez. That mental picture has inspired me to tiny braveness from time to time.
Other favorite moments from the book: the two modern riders smelling asphalt long before they heard or saw the Interstate, since their senses had been free of modern civilization for several weeks; former slave Esteban who fabricated stories for attention, convinced the Spaniards to let him lead an expedition to find the cities of gold he bragged about seeing, and finally being killed by Puebloans who had enough of his gourd-shaking mysticism and bossiness; the inflexible insistence of the rebel leader Pope on Puebloan cultural purity - after tossing out the Spaniards, he tore up orchards and farms to force a return to only "native foods" (beans, squash, and maize) and drove off Spanish horses...which were captured by their enemies the Apaches and used against them. There are many nuggets like that.
This book singlehandedly drove me to New Mexico to get a firsthand look at the history and culture and landscape. When I got to the place where the city gate of Santa Fe once stood, I time-travelled a little bit, for a moment, in celebration of moxie.
Other favorite moments from the book: the two modern riders smelling asphalt long before they heard or saw the Interstate, since their senses had been free of modern civilization for several weeks; former slave Esteban who fabricated stories for attention, convinced the Spaniards to let him lead an expedition to find the cities of gold he bragged about seeing, and finally being killed by Puebloans who had enough of his gourd-shaking mysticism and bossiness; the inflexible insistence of the rebel leader Pope on Puebloan cultural purity - after tossing out the Spaniards, he tore up orchards and farms to force a return to only "native foods" (beans, squash, and maize) and drove off Spanish horses...which were captured by their enemies the Apaches and used against them. There are many nuggets like that.
This book singlehandedly drove me to New Mexico to get a firsthand look at the history and culture and landscape. When I got to the place where the city gate of Santa Fe once stood, I time-travelled a little bit, for a moment, in celebration of moxie.
June 24, 2020
A great adventure by an amateur, and a great eulogy for the Red Indians of the North America.
Adventurer Douglas Preston's bravado in taking up such an adventure over a territory that is mostly uncharted, lack any kind of roads or paths, water, food sources, human habitation for most of its parts is brave.
He broke his first bone before he could even ride his horse. He did not know the first thing about a horse, where to stand beside it.
His wrangler left him in the middle of the journey, his horses left him on several occasions, flash flood almost wiped him out, thirst almost killed him, but he did not quit.
However, it is rather his empathy for the demise of the great Indian civilization of the American continent that surfaces over the adventure.
He wanted to mimic the journey of a Conquistador of the Indian lands, but his footsteps turned into that of an Amigo- a friend of the Indian people.
I loved the passages from the history he added into his narrative, the pictures of the Indians as a great culture, the defeat of the Indians in the hands of the advance war technology of the Europe, the sad, hearth wrenching demise of the great brave people, great warriors like Geronimo, great cities like Pecos and the greed of gold in the hearts of the European Conquistadors.
They would even believe a child if he spoke of gold some hundreds of miles away!
We have such great eulogies for the aboriginal people in Bangla literature too. In fact many of them. At this moment I remember Mahishkurar Upakatha by Amiyabhushan Majumdar which I reviewed for a literary magazine 'Littlemag', 'Nirman' in 1997.
Adventurer Douglas Preston's bravado in taking up such an adventure over a territory that is mostly uncharted, lack any kind of roads or paths, water, food sources, human habitation for most of its parts is brave.
He broke his first bone before he could even ride his horse. He did not know the first thing about a horse, where to stand beside it.
His wrangler left him in the middle of the journey, his horses left him on several occasions, flash flood almost wiped him out, thirst almost killed him, but he did not quit.
However, it is rather his empathy for the demise of the great Indian civilization of the American continent that surfaces over the adventure.
He wanted to mimic the journey of a Conquistador of the Indian lands, but his footsteps turned into that of an Amigo- a friend of the Indian people.
I loved the passages from the history he added into his narrative, the pictures of the Indians as a great culture, the defeat of the Indians in the hands of the advance war technology of the Europe, the sad, hearth wrenching demise of the great brave people, great warriors like Geronimo, great cities like Pecos and the greed of gold in the hearts of the European Conquistadors.
They would even believe a child if he spoke of gold some hundreds of miles away!
We have such great eulogies for the aboriginal people in Bangla literature too. In fact many of them. At this moment I remember Mahishkurar Upakatha by Amiyabhushan Majumdar which I reviewed for a literary magazine 'Littlemag', 'Nirman' in 1997.
May 20, 2021
In April of 1540 a Spanish adventurer named Francisco Vasquez de Coronado set out into the brutal wilderness of what is now Arizona to search for what was believed to be the Seven Cities of Cibola, the subject of rumors of fabulous wealth. He traveled with a large contingent (250 men, 70 soldiers, 1300 servants, and corresponding numbers of horses, sheep and cattle). His expedition ultimately covered a thousand miles through some of the most difficult conditions imaginable, and resulted in nothing better than the discovery and conquest of the various Southwest Indian tribes who had built reasonable civilizations in these hostile conditions. Thus, the only result of Coronado's exploration was to damage and ultimately decimate the indigenous tribes they encountered. Douglas Preston set out with a friend to retrace Coronado's route on horseback, hoping to find traces of the adventurer's passage, better understand what he experienced, and reflect upon the changes wrought in that part of the country and its population in the 350 years which have elapsed. His account cuts back and forth between what is known about Coronado's journey from contemporaneous writings, fascinating histories of the various Indian tribes from then until now, and interesting, sometimes harrowing, anecdotes of his own (Preston's) journey and the locals he met and came to know along the way. Some of his experiences were as daunting as Paul Theroux's various trips. It's perhaps a bit of a mish-mash, but Preston is a very entertaining writer and has really done his homework. Highly recommended.
September 10, 2021
I really liked this book, but let me get the things that bugged me out of the way. Preston does not come across well, in fact he seems reckless and arrogant. He had something against planning even though it’s their first long-distance horse packing trip, travelling through deserts unknown to them, during an extreme drought. There are many times when they were unable to find water, but were saved by generous strangers; they could easily have died. He treats his partner, Walter Nelson, horribly; they have several fights yet they are utterly dependent upon each other. Nelson is a photographer, but the only photograph included in my edition is the beautiful cover shot; I would have loved more. They are absolute greenhorns at horse wrangling: I lost count of the number of times their horses ran away and they had to spend hours tracking them down. This and other things (Preston includes his dreams) make the book too long.
The good stuff: it’s a great story. And it’s interleaved with the history of the Southwest, from Coronado’s journey to the present. Preston talks to everyone they meet (mostly ranchers and native Americans) and records their stories, so along with the broad picture we get very personal perspectives. So it includes two of my favourite things: a travelogue with a rip-roaring story, and a history of the place they’re exploring to provide context; for bonus points, it’s set in a place I love: the Southwest. Highly recommended for Southwest aficionados.
The good stuff: it’s a great story. And it’s interleaved with the history of the Southwest, from Coronado’s journey to the present. Preston talks to everyone they meet (mostly ranchers and native Americans) and records their stories, so along with the broad picture we get very personal perspectives. So it includes two of my favourite things: a travelogue with a rip-roaring story, and a history of the place they’re exploring to provide context; for bonus points, it’s set in a place I love: the Southwest. Highly recommended for Southwest aficionados.
June 17, 2017
I picked up this book because I just moved to Arizona. Often as we've driven through the strange desert landscape, I've wondered about this land, how a place with the powerful monsoon season here can still be such an arid, thirsty desert. Fortunately, this book explains--and explains--and explains.
The journey Douglas and Walter made through Arizona is one of those stories that will haunt my consciousness for a long time. Rather, this book is a series of stories. Sometimes the stories are episodes of adventures on the trail, sometimes poignant, often funny. Sometimes they're stories of Coranado, or the various Indian tribes, or quotes from a settler or a silver baron or a cowboy.
Largely, this is a snapshot of how the white man has destroyed Arizona. Whether it was the gold rush bringing in people to gut the land, or the cattle ranchers who let their cattle overgraze the land, or the environmentalists who put a halt to the annual burning of the grass (the same burning that still goes on every year in the Plains), causing toxic cedar forests to spring up that poison the grass ... It's eye-opening. And cryingly sad.
Overall, this book has opened my eyes to the wonder of the Southwest. There are still so many mysteries out here.
The journey Douglas and Walter made through Arizona is one of those stories that will haunt my consciousness for a long time. Rather, this book is a series of stories. Sometimes the stories are episodes of adventures on the trail, sometimes poignant, often funny. Sometimes they're stories of Coranado, or the various Indian tribes, or quotes from a settler or a silver baron or a cowboy.
Largely, this is a snapshot of how the white man has destroyed Arizona. Whether it was the gold rush bringing in people to gut the land, or the cattle ranchers who let their cattle overgraze the land, or the environmentalists who put a halt to the annual burning of the grass (the same burning that still goes on every year in the Plains), causing toxic cedar forests to spring up that poison the grass ... It's eye-opening. And cryingly sad.
Overall, this book has opened my eyes to the wonder of the Southwest. There are still so many mysteries out here.
August 30, 2023
I'm always a fan of Preston's nonfiction stories, particularly given how many Preston and Childs novels I've read. This one was an interesting peek into his early career living in New Mexico and setting off on an extremely ambitious (perhaps misguided) journey to retrace the steps of Coronado 500 years after his initial expedition across the Southwest.
He does a great job weaving in the broad history of the land he covers, from prehistoric indigenous peoples, through the time of the Spanish Conquistadors, and into more modern American history. Throughout, I feel that he had a sensitive and balanced view of the actors, refraining from painting the indigenous peoples, Spaniards, or American homesteaders with too broad of a brush as heroes or villains.
Beyond providing an overview of the history of the region, this is also just a great adventure buddy story. The fact that he and Walter set out on a thousand-mile horseback journey with no idea what they were doing leads to plenty of misadventure but also makes it an approachable story written for those of us who have never experienced that type of horseback travel across the open desert and mountain ranges of the Southwest.
He does a great job weaving in the broad history of the land he covers, from prehistoric indigenous peoples, through the time of the Spanish Conquistadors, and into more modern American history. Throughout, I feel that he had a sensitive and balanced view of the actors, refraining from painting the indigenous peoples, Spaniards, or American homesteaders with too broad of a brush as heroes or villains.
Beyond providing an overview of the history of the region, this is also just a great adventure buddy story. The fact that he and Walter set out on a thousand-mile horseback journey with no idea what they were doing leads to plenty of misadventure but also makes it an approachable story written for those of us who have never experienced that type of horseback travel across the open desert and mountain ranges of the Southwest.
May 11, 2017
A monumental piece of work by Douglas Preston, it chronicles the 950 long horse journey that he and a friend took from the Mexican border with southern Arizona all the way to Pecos Pueblo outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico back in 1989, retracing the route supposedly taken by Cornado in 1539 and 1540 on his quest to find the fabled "Seven Cities of Gold." Traveling along some of the remotest and least hospitable landscapes in the lower 48 states, Preston provides excellent historical backgrounds to not only Coronado's journey in the sixteenth century, but of other historical episodes in Arizona and New Mexico history. The first Americans in the region did not arrive until the coming of the mountain men in the 1820s, but his was centuries after the Spanish and Indians had clashed throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. All through the long and difficult trip, (Preston had little experience riding and wrangling horses) he and his friend meet interesting people, ranchers, Indians, miners, hermits--and are almost always greeted with warm hospitality, and a story.
February 28, 2020
This was a very interesting read not only as an adventure of two novice horsemen riding in challenging circumstances to retrace Coronado's expedition into the new world from Mexico, but with the history of the American Southwest "the Old West" woven in. The advancement of civilization at the expense of the Native Americans is vividly recounted and brings a new appreciation for the people who have come before us.
Quoting Seathl, a chief of the Dwamish tribe, to the governor of Washington territory in 1854 about the demise of his people "But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come...At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled and still love this beautiful land. There is no death, only a change of worlds."
Quoting Seathl, a chief of the Dwamish tribe, to the governor of Washington territory in 1854 about the demise of his people "But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come...At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled and still love this beautiful land. There is no death, only a change of worlds."
January 23, 2018
I went into this book thinking it would be good to read prior to a nap. I could not have been more wrong. Douglas Preston takes a trip along the path that Coronado took some 450 years ago. Over desert, mountains, Mesquite groves, arroyos, quicksand and numerous other things trying to make a trip miserable. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the Southwest, the Spanish, all of the Native-American tribes, gunfighters, corrupt government officials, drought, windmills, ranching, grazing, water holes, and horses. That was just a small part of what this book is all about. I never really spent any time down in the Southwest but this book definitely makes me want to go. Not the way Douglas went, on horseback for about one thousand miles. That was remarkable for a greenhorn from New England. Great job, great book, thanks for making me a smarter and more aware person of the Southwest and the amazing history.
July 15, 2019
Quite a Journey!
I am a big fan of the Southwest and love adventure stories, so this book really appealed to me. For the most part I really enjoyed this book - it was well written, exciting, interesting and always informative. I learned so much about Southwest history, especially the Native Americans and journey of Coronado. The book was excellently researched and presented. Sometimes it became a little more than I could take in as there were so many tribes and people involved in Coronado's travels. It was also interesting to read about the transformation of the cowboys and ranches through the years in Arizona. The concern I had with the book was how the horses fared on the trip. It seemed almost cruel putting them through such hardship and fear over horrible terrain. Difficult to read at times. The author also doesn't mince words on the treatment of Native Americans - the cruelty toward them was inconceivable. A fascinating but gritty book!
I am a big fan of the Southwest and love adventure stories, so this book really appealed to me. For the most part I really enjoyed this book - it was well written, exciting, interesting and always informative. I learned so much about Southwest history, especially the Native Americans and journey of Coronado. The book was excellently researched and presented. Sometimes it became a little more than I could take in as there were so many tribes and people involved in Coronado's travels. It was also interesting to read about the transformation of the cowboys and ranches through the years in Arizona. The concern I had with the book was how the horses fared on the trip. It seemed almost cruel putting them through such hardship and fear over horrible terrain. Difficult to read at times. The author also doesn't mince words on the treatment of Native Americans - the cruelty toward them was inconceivable. A fascinating but gritty book!
August 23, 2020
Second Read, More Clarity and Wisdom
Doug Preston is a fabulous writer, bringing forth a chronicle of wilderness travel and historical relevance that few have experienced since the end of the death of the western settlers, ranchers, and "The Wild West."
An accurate account of Coronado's search for gold as well as domination of The New World in the name of Spain. A special read for historian and adventurer both.
My second read of this book occurs as me and my wife settle in New Mexico, a dream we have had for decades. I now must restrain myself from jumping on a horse and following Doug and Walter's travels so I can experience their incredible journey first hand. With the wisdom they shared, I will resolve myself to visiting some of the highlights with my wife in our modern day camper.
A sincere thanks to Doug and Walter, RIP Acomita.
Doug Preston is a fabulous writer, bringing forth a chronicle of wilderness travel and historical relevance that few have experienced since the end of the death of the western settlers, ranchers, and "The Wild West."
An accurate account of Coronado's search for gold as well as domination of The New World in the name of Spain. A special read for historian and adventurer both.
My second read of this book occurs as me and my wife settle in New Mexico, a dream we have had for decades. I now must restrain myself from jumping on a horse and following Doug and Walter's travels so I can experience their incredible journey first hand. With the wisdom they shared, I will resolve myself to visiting some of the highlights with my wife in our modern day camper.
A sincere thanks to Doug and Walter, RIP Acomita.
August 16, 2017
This book was fabulous; I could not put it down! Preston shares the history of the American Southwest through the stories of ranchers who love the land and work hard to continue to stay on it, of Native Americans who struggle to maintain their identity even as the worst parts of modern-day culture encroach upon their communities, and through engaging re-telling of actual events from centuries ago. He offers an unvarnished and often painful history of the settling of America, with all the horrors and exploitation brought upon natives by the White Man and by religion. He also carries the reader to the desert, describing in breathtaking language the beauty - and the dangers - of the countryside.
May 28, 2021
A compelling account of a 1989 recreation of Coronado's expedition through Arizona and New Mexico.
Preston carefully weaves together retelling from historical accounts of Coronado's expedition, historical and archaeological research, and his own arduous horseback journey from Mexico, through Arizona, and through New Mexico, following possible routes taken by Coronado. As it happened, I started reading it while traveling along part of the Coronado Trail in Arizona myself (though I was in a van, not on horseback). A stunning achievement, and Preston is skilled at painting the story in words - having lived 10 years in Arizona and visited many of the places mentioned, I can confirm that he gives a very accurate *feel* of it, and tells a great story as well.
Preston carefully weaves together retelling from historical accounts of Coronado's expedition, historical and archaeological research, and his own arduous horseback journey from Mexico, through Arizona, and through New Mexico, following possible routes taken by Coronado. As it happened, I started reading it while traveling along part of the Coronado Trail in Arizona myself (though I was in a van, not on horseback). A stunning achievement, and Preston is skilled at painting the story in words - having lived 10 years in Arizona and visited many of the places mentioned, I can confirm that he gives a very accurate *feel* of it, and tells a great story as well.
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