Customer Reviews

New Mexico: An Interpretive History

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great little book, and possibly the best overview available of the long and fascinating history of this region. There are Pueblo villages encountered by Coronado in the 16th century that are still inhabited today, and Simmons skillfully portrays the interactions over the centuries of these and the other cultures that have mingled in this harsh region. Those readers who are inspired to study this subject in more detail (and that will probably include most who read Simmons' book!) may then want to delve into a longer classic such as Paul Horgan's "Great River."

I loved reading this book. It presented the highlights of the rich history of the southwest from the Spanish colonization to the recent decades in a essay-like tone that is very readable. The story itself is exotic and very compelling,as anyone who has lived in or vistited the area should know. I imagine that Mr. Simmons is the "dean" of New Mexico history. His knowledge of the broad sweep of centuries of history, comprising numerous diverse cultures, is impressive. More impressive is his ability to convey his personal feeling for the subject matter. A reader can tell by his personal epilogue about camping in the New Mexico desert that Mr. Simmons loves working in the shadows of the Conquistadors, the Pueblos, Navajos and American mountainmen and pioneers. This book brings the history alive. I am on the hunt for other books about southwest history, and for books by Marc Simmons.

This book was a very easy to read book.It displayed a different perspective about the history of New Mexico and it's people.Also,many significant events New Mexico helped shape are described in detail.The book covers the different periods in NM in a clear and focused manner,from Spanish conquest to Statehood and beyond.This book is perfect for persons wanting to learn about NM and the southwest.

Marc Simmons wrote his book as a bicentennial project, one of 51 books for each state and the District of Columbia, and each designed to produce "a thoughtful, interpretive and personal account that would appeal to general readers. ... each volume, soundly written, should serve students and scholars who were in need of a good overview."

There is no doubt in my mind that Simmons succeeded in this goal; the book has been in print for over 40 years from two different publishers, and I've found it immensely interesting and filled with excellent suggestions for further study. Simmons recognizes that fact, and in his Preface to the new edition, adds a number of suggestions for additional reading.

He also criticizes his book: "[I] would give more weight to the significance of violence in public life that stretches like a strong thread through all of New Mexican history.... More than one historian has observed that New Mexico was the only place in America where assassination became an integral part of the political system during its territorial days."

Two weeks ago I asked the owner of Collected Works, a great bookstore in Santa Fe for the "essential" books needed to understand Santa Fe. Her list: New Mexico: An Interpretive History by Marc Simmons; Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya; The Wind Leaves No Shadow by Ruth Laughlin; The House at Otowi Bridge: The Story of Edith Warner and Los Alamos by Peggy Pond Church; and Santa Fe, History of an Ancient City: Revised and Expanded Edition edited by David Grant Noble.

Simmons's own conclusion to his Preface captures the essence of his success for this reader; "The effort to summarize [New Mexico's long] story in this slim book and impart something of the spirit of the people who made history here in the Southwest has been for me an adventure filled with pleasure and discovery."

Robert C. Ross 2008

I agree with the reviewer who said it was a good overview book...If you want more detail then there are other Simmons books that are out there..The "Albuquerque" book has a lot more info for example..If you want a quick read about the history of NM..Then this book will work well

This book is good reading, well written but is abridged to fit a 300 page format soon much is skimmed over. A good book to start with to gain some knowledge of New Mexico history, but i would rather have bought a more in depth book by this author, Marc Simmons

New Mexico: An interpretive History book contains much about New Mexico's history. It is a resourceful book for students and very informational for other wishing to learn about New Mexico and it's history. It is an excellent source for essays. Great book and a great resource to have.

If this author can write that it was not Hernan' or Hernando but Fernando Cortez who was the conqueror of the Aztecs (and not a utility infielder with the Kansas City Royals), if he and the publisher have let this error ride unmolested through multiple editions for 30 years of this book being in print, then I would say that, until now, there has never been another anal compulsive reviewer who has taken Mr. Simmons to task for this ridiculous and amateurish mistake or that it has been thought to be an insignificant flaw and, as such, undeserving of new typesetting. Even though it's only switching an "F" for an "H" in the text and the index, this is like writing that Herbert Custer fought and died at the Little Bighorn; it's like Ronald Reagan talking about Nicolai Lenin. In all cases the point gets made but is that enough?
I am necessarily left to conclude that if this kind of error in discussing one of the most famous or infamous characters in the history of this hemisphere is in evidence, against what other factual errors must we be on guard? As readers, we shouldn't have to deal with that kind of baggage and legitimately may and ought to demand that authors proof read their manuscripts and have them read by historian colleagues for comment and accuracy.
Now that that is out of my system, I am enjoying the book nonetheless and can recommend it. It has been succinct and readable - just what I was looking for in a brief history of New Mexico. Mr. Simmons loses a star for the error but still gets three - so far. And may I recommend that this mistake be rectified in future editions? Someone? Marc Simmons? Are you still out there?