The Spanish Missions of San Antonio [Paperback]

Lewis F. Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

This is a concisely written, lavishly illustrated account of the founding, growth, decline and restoration of San Antonio's five Spanish colonial missions, a national treasure. Built by Franciscan friars and their Native American charges on the far frontier of New Spain, they stand today as the largest cluster of Spanish missions in the United States. One is preserved as the Alamo. The others form San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lewis Fisher, journalist, author and chronicler of San Antonio's history as preserved in its buildings, gives the reader a fresh approach to a theme that has been visited often but not always this well. . . . Spanning the centuries from the missions establishment along the San Antonio River to the creation of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Fisher relates in outline fashion the rise and demise of the mission communities, with special focus on the structures left as a reminder of their heyday. The book is lavishly illustrated with historical photographs and images, some of which have not been published before, as well as original drawings of the mission compounds based on recent archaeological findings.

What sets this book apart from others in this genre are the interesting sidelights that Fisher interjects that are so familiar to readers of his earlier works. . . . What also sets this book apart from the usual coffee table book is the tracing of attempts to preserve the four remaining missions in a national park. Fisher's book is not designed to give extensive detail and analysis of the evolution of historic preservation with regard to the missions nor to the creation of the national park. The extent to which these subjects are presented and dealt with, however, gives the general reader a taste for what may be found in greater detail in more scholarly works.

The history narrative is in a simple, straightforward style reminiscent of Fisher's training as a reporter. . . . It is a fine book, with high quality color illustrations. The effort to contract with a prominent historical illustrator to provide birds-eye views of the mission compounds in the eighteenth century is reflective of the author/publisher's high standards in producing quality work.

This book is well worth the getting for those interested in mission history and for the general reader and visitor to the area. --Southwestern Historical Quarterly

This book, with its rich photographs and informative text, is just the kind of book that an intelligent traveler craves at historic sites. --David J. Weber, author of The Spanish Frontier in North America (Yale University Press), New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year 1992

Lewis Fisher, journalist, author and chronicler of San Antonio's history as preserved in its buildings, gives the reader a fresh approach to a theme that has been visited often but not always this well. . . . Spanning the centuries from the missions establishment along the San Antonio River to the creation of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Fisher relates in outline fashion the rise and demise of the mission communities, with special focus on the structures left as a reminder of their heyday. The book is lavishly illustrated with historical photographs and images, some of which have not been published before, as well as original drawings of the mission compounds based on recent archaeological findings.

What sets this book apart from others in this genre are the interesting sidelights that Fisher interjects that are so familiar to readers of his earlier works. . . . What also sets this book apart from the usual coffee table book is the tracing of attempts to preserve the four remaining missions in a national park. Fisher's book is not designed to give extensive detail and analysis of the evolution of historic preservation with regard to the missions nor to the creation of the national park. The extent to which these subjects are presented and dealt with, however, gives the general reader a taste for what may be found in greater detail in more scholarly works.

The history narrative is in a simple, straightforward style reminiscent of Fisher's training as a reporter. . . . It is a fine book, with high quality color illustrations. The effort to contract with a prominent historical illustrator to provide birds-eye views of the mission compounds in the eighteenth century is reflective of the author/publisher's high standards in producing quality work.

This book is well worth the getting for those interested in mission history and for the general reader and visitor to the area. --Southwestern Historical Quarterly

This book, with its rich photographs and informative text, is just the kind of book that an intelligent traveler craves at historic sites. --David J. Weber, author of The Spanish Frontier in North America (Yale University Press), New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year 1992

About the Author

Lewis F. Fisher is a longtime San Antonio journalist, suburban newspaper publisher and author. His other books include San Antonio: Outpost of Empires, ;Saving San Antonio: The Precarious Preservation of a Heritage; and River Walk: The Epic Story of San Antonio's River, winner of the national Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Regional Book.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Maverick Publishing Company; 2nd Printing edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965150763
• ISBN-13: 978-0965150767
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of The Spanish Missiond of San Antonio, April 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Spanish Missions of San Antonio (Hardcover)

This guidebook gives a great, detailed history of the missions of San Antonio as well as providing large historical photographs. The layout is excellent; however, the size of the guidebook is not practical for carrying on a tour of the missions, but does serve well as a coffee table book and as a valuable source of information.