New Mexico is a land with two faces. It is a land of enchantment, legendary for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. But it is also a land of paradox. In America, New Mexico, Robert Leonard Reid explores deep inside New Mexico's landscape to find the real New Mexico—with all of its gifts and challenges—within. Having traveled and hiked countless miles throughout the state, Reid knows New Mexico's breathtaking landscape intimately. But he knows the human landscape as well: its artists and poets, medicine men and businessmen, preachers and politicians, Hispanics and Anglos. He knows that amid the glittering mansions of Santa Fe there are homeless shelters, that the Indians of myth and legend combat alcoholism and poverty, and that toxic waste lurks beneath a land of almost surreal beauty. America, New Mexico is a book about land, sky, and hope by a writer whose passion and inspiring prose invite us to see the promise and possibilities of reconnecting with the natural world. It is unflinching in its depiction of the adversities facing New Mexicans and indeed all Americans. But above all, it searches behind and beyond these troubling issues to find, standing staunchly against them, a quiet and unshakable confidence rooted in New Mexico's natural world. For anyone who has ever been moved by the incomparable beauty of New Mexico, for anyone concerned with the landscape in which all Americans live, America, New Mexico is an unforgettable book.

In 1941, New Mexico was an agrarian state with just over half a million people, many of whom lived without electricity, running water, indoor plumbing, or paved roads. However, the state provided more military volunteers per capita--including eight Medal of Honor winners--than any other state and had the highest casualty rate per capita in the country. New Mexico provided essential resources ranging from oil and coal to potash and copper. The state is often remembered for being the location where the first nuclear weapon was designed and tested in 1945, but more important at the time were the development of the proximity fuze and the testing of the top-secret Norden bombsight. The state also housed German and Italian prisoners of war, and, in one of the darkest moments in US history, incarcerated American citizens of Japanese descent in several concentration camps.

Establishing New Mexico as a U.S. territory was anything but bloodless. The Mexican-American War brought ferocious battles, brutal sieges, guerrilla warfare and scorched earth tactics. More than three hundred Mexican and American forces were killed or wounded in a single battle near Santa Fe. During the Taos Revolt, Governor Charles Bent was scalped and murdered in his home, and American forces fired cannons into a church where Pueblos and Mexicans sought refuge. Soldiers destroyed entire villages like Los Valles, killing or forcing residents to flee. Author Ray John de Aragón recounts these and other dramatic stories behind the birth of the Land of Enchantment.

The third series of America the Beautiful is back in a revised edition. The books in this series are bursting with fascinating facts, updated statistics, and brand-new full-color photographs. America the Beautiful's dynamic design and editorial approach to the geography, history, people, economy, and government of each state will continue to make this award-winning series the one that students turn to first for researching school assignments. Located along the Mexican border in the southwestern United States, New Mexico is home to some of the country's largest Hispanic and Native American populations. Readers will explore the history and culture of this diverse state, from its settlement by Native Americans thousands of years ago to its important position within the United States today. Features: Updated statistics reflect the latest census data Brand new sidebars present profiles of people who had a major impact in recent years Breathtaking new photos and artwork Words to know, FAQs, mini-bios, interactive sidebars, maps, and graphs

The arid New Mexico landscape is home to some of the most marvelous landforms in America. The Carlsbad Caverns house one of the largest caves in the country. In southern New Mexico, the white sand dunes draw many visitors. Explore the Enchanted State today!

Abandoned New Mexico: Ghost Towns, Endangered Architecture, and Hidden History encompasses huge swathes of time and space. As rural populations decline and young people move to ever-larger cities, much of our past is left behind. Out on the plains or along now-quiet highways, changes in modes of livelihood and transportation have moved only in one direction. Stately homes and hand-built schools, churches and bars--these are not just the stuff of individual lives, but of an entire culture. New Mexico, among the least-dense states in the country, was crossed by both the Spanish and Route 66; the railroad stretched toward every hopeful mine and outlaws died in its arms. Its pueblos are among the oldest human habitations in the U.S., and the first atomic bomb was detonated nearly dead in its center. John Mulhouse spent almost a decade documenting the forgotten corners of a state like no other through his popular City of Dust project. From the sunbaked Chihuahuan Desert to the snow-capped Moreno Valley, travel through John's words and pictures across the legendary Land of Enchantment.--Back cover.

"Discover the haunted mesas, the eerie, bloodthirsty canyons, and the scorching wastelands that are beyond the freeways, away from the cities in surreal New Mexico"--Cover