Customer Reviews

Tularosa: Last of the Frontier West

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

 

 

I give this book to every friend I know who professes in interest in El Paso and Southern New Mexico. A good read, and a wealth of information.

This is a magnificent work. I was born and raised in the Tularosa Basin and I feel Sonnichsen does a remarkable job capturing the very essence of this enchanted region. I hightly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the Southwest, especially those who have lived in the Basin. -Steve Gazzoli

Great read if you are interested in South Central New Mexico or have lived in Tularosa Basin! Many of the landmark names are named after people and this book demonstrates the significance of those people. Super choice for the history buff!

I bought this book for information on the Lincoln County wars and the A.J.Fountain murder. There is little on the Lincoln County Wars. As for the Fountain family history and murder, the author seems more interested in getting every name of every participant, however minor, crammed into the pages of this book. The first chapters are a difficult read because of this. There is a great deal of information on the Oliver Lee / Sen. Albert Fall history and relationship, but it is very convoluted as it pertains to the Fountain Murder. The Fountain murder is covered extensively right through to the trial and verdict. As I now live in Las Cruces, I found it really interesting how many surrounding places got there names,and I am now, more than ever, anxious to do more exploring.

This book was recommended to me as a first book to understand the history of the Tularosa Basin, a large area in southern New Mexico from Las Cruces in the south to the Badlands in the north and flanked by the Sacramento and San Andres mountains on the east and west. This was part of the wild west with Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and others. Charles Sonnischen (sp?), the author who qualifies himself as a "grassroots historian", captures the spirit and rationale of the people along with the history. Sonnischen's writing style is easy, non-judgemental and shows his love of the people (even though he may not agree with them). Even if you're not a history buff but like westerns, you'll love this book.

This remains the best book available on the still-unsolved Fountain murders, which involved so many figures of US history. Dr. Sonnichsen is a scholar of the genre, but offers a 'semi-popular' version here; the writing flows and entertains while extensive endnotes back up his opinions and furnish materials for further research. Of particular interest is the investigation of the crime, in which locals used their 'low-tech' knowledge- and common sense- to recreate much of the incident in believable fashion.
"CSI Tularosa", indeed!

I moved to central NM about 15 years ago, and am acquainted with the various New Mexican types and their cultures. Sonnichsen knows his people. The actions of those in the book may outrage or puzzle us, but he explains the conflicting personal codes and the reasons for them. And as you read, keep in mind that even in the mid-20th-century gunfire and hostage-taking were sometimes offered as substitutes for reasoned discussion in NM politics.

My interest in this book was in the very personable account of the life and the mystery surrounding Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain. Sonnichson does not disappoint. Well written, and told with interesting detail about the real lives of people in the not so long ago old West.