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In this superbly rich epic of fact and reflection, Alex Shoumatoff records his quest to capture the vast multiplicity of the American Southwest. From the Biosphere to the Mormons, from the deadly world of narcotraffickers to the secret lives of the covertly Jewish conversos, Shoumatoff explores the many alternative states of being that have staked their claim in the Southwest. Full of profound sympathy and unique insights, Legends of the American Desert takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey into the most complex and myth-laden region of the American landscape and imagination.
Legends of the American Desert: Sojourns in the Greater Southwest Reviews
Legends of the American Desert: Sojourns in the Greater Southwest Reviews
| 14 of 16 people found the following review helpful  Biased, but perhaps helpful..., By Andre Shoumatoff (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Legends of the American Desert: Sojourns in the Greater Southwest (Paperback) I have to admit that what I write may be somewhat biased because I'm the author's oldest son, but I have some information which may be helpful to some readers who might otherwise be disillusioned regarding some of the facts and errors in the book, sloppyness of the editing, and other factors of the book which may contribute to an otherwise "sloppy" read.For one, the book is (hardcover version) exactly 533 pages long. And in each page are at least 3 astute facts or contain at least something interesting, usually odd, but at least ammusing to keep the reader going. In any case, the read actually does work, as seen from evidence from various critics and from many of you guys. Despite your pet peeves (looks like the theme of critics on this particular page is "people who know about the area who are annoyed"), it actually does read well and while one might get bored or be occationally mislead, it is fairly comprehensive, and most importantly ties together the... Read more 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful Great raw material; needs more processing., By This review is from: Legends of the American Desert: Sojourns in the Greater Southwest (Paperback) At the end of "Legends" Alex Shoumatoff mentions that the book had 8 editors in the course of its making. Nine must have been the magic number, for I've rarely seen a book published in sloppier form. Misspellings, typos, convoluted grammar, dates flung hither and thither without the slightest regard for accuracy... on p.35 he implies that Teotihuacan was built over 5000 years ago and that corn from this culture reached what is now known as New Mexico by "3600". I enclose that in quotes because he doesn't specify whether he means before the present or before Christ. Either way, it's a long time before Teotihuacan was built. Pre-Columbian history is one of my favorite topics, so I pushed on in spite of this blundering. But on p.45 he pranced right into another pet peeve of mine, the reporting of populations of continents that had no census bureaus. He states the population of the Americas to be "fourteen million or so", at the time of... Read more 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful A Good Read, But Not a Reliable Source, By This review is from: Legends of the American Desert: Sojourns in the Greater Southwest (Paperback) There have been many books written on deserts. Unfortunately few have been both engaging and accurate (I have searched in vain for a good up to date book on the Sahara, but have always been disappointed.) Thus when I found Alex Shoumatoff's "Legends of the American Desert: Sojourns in the Greater Southwest" I was impressed initially by his no-nonsense style and the recommendations on the back cover. Indeed, he catches the spirit of place in the American Southwest, much like Edward Abby did in "Desert Solitaire" and one is drawn from chapter to chapter by the flow of descriptions and ideas. However, as has been noted by a number of reviewers, Shoumatoff (being a newcomer) really needed a knowledgeable editor or fact checker. His facts sometimes (but perhaps not as often as implied by some reviewers) get all tangled up and in spots are totally wrong. This is a great pity as the book is well conceived and well written. Certainly its very size probably contributed to the... Read more |
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