Empires Lost and Won: The Spanish Heritage in the Southwest [Hardcover]

Albert Marrin (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

The author of Unconditional Surrender chronicles the Spanish conquest of the American Southwest, detailing early Spanish expeditions into the region, the Texas struggle for independence, the war with Mexico, and the lasting Hispanic influence in the area.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up. A 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
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-10. Spiced with extensively footnoted primary sources, this vivid narrative is a historical journey across three centuries of struggle for control of the American Southwest. Marrin flexes his capable storytelling skills to paint a rich portrait of the cruel conquistadores who thirsted for gold, the Pueblo Indians whose cities were destroyed, and the traders and mountain men who walked a fine line between cultures. His telling is as lively as the best fiction writing; the psychological details he plucks from diaries, letters, and autobiographies help his historical figures leap to life; and the physical details he includes will grab the reader's attention (a vivid description of how mountain men made culinary use of an entire buffalo is a good example). The final chapters about the battles between the U.S. and Mexico's General Santa Anna are a welcome improvement over dry textbook accounts of the Alamo and the Mexican War. Randy Meyer

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1st edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689804148
• ISBN-13: 978-0689804144
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,945,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Albert Marrin is an award winning author of over 40 books for young adults and young readers and four books of scholarship. These writings were motivated by the fact that as a teacher, first in a junior high school in New York City for nine years and then as professor of history and chairman of the history department at Yeshiva University until he retired to become a full time writer, his paramount interest has always been to make history come alive and accessible for young people.

Winner of the 2008 National Endowment for Humanities Medal for his work, which was presented at the White House, was given "for opening young minds to the glorious pageant of history. His books have made the lessons of the past come alive with rich detail and energy for a new generation."

Dr. Marrin's numerous other awards include the Washington Post Childrens'Book Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, the James Madison Award for Lifetime Achievement, several Horn Book awards by the Boston Globe, consistently appearing on the best book of the year lists of the American Library Association, frequent recognition by Book Lists, and the Western Heritage Award for best juvenile nonfiction book presented at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame among others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Spanish heritage of the Southwest., December 29, 2003

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Empires Lost and Won: The Spanish Heritage in the Southwest (Hardcover)

This is the second Marrin book I have read. This author does a good job summarizing the important aspects of this history. Along the way, he brings some interesting stories into the overall historical summation. I like his writing style as it can be understood by a teenager or an adult. The overall message in this book was how the Southwest was first lost by the Spaniards, then the Mexicans, and won by the United States. The Southwest is defined as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and California.
As mentioned, Marrin always brings interesting stories into his narration. You find out the origin of Texas, how Ps and Qs became a phrase, Taylor's reaction to a self important Lietenant, and others. These stories liven up the historical summation. They are a joy to read.
This is a good read for both teenagers and adults. Although the history is not covered in depth, it gives the reader a base from where to go.