Legends of the American Desert: Sojourns in the Greater Southwest

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... Read Full Review

It's easy to say what this book is not: scholarly treatise, reasoned argument, paean to the glory of the West. It's harder to explain just what it is: lode of notes, memoir, non-linear travelogue, a really good yarn. Interweaving ancient and modern human history, often from first-person accounts, may be confusing but it creates a richly textured, multi-layered impression of a region that most Americans know only by its stereotype... Read Full Review

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... Read Full Review

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... Read Full Review