David J. Weber

First Impressions: A Reader's Journey to Iconic Places of the American Southwest tells the story of fifteen iconic sites across Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and southern Colorado through the eyes of the explorers, missionaries, and travelers who were the first nonnatives to describe them. Noted borderlands historians David J. Weber and William deBuys lead readers through centuries of historical, cultural, and environmental change at sites ranging from Carlsbad Caverns, the Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde to such living Native communities as Ácoma and Zuni. Lovers of the Southwest, both residents and visitors alike, will delight in the authors' skillful evocation of the region's sweeping landscapes, its rich Hispanic and Native heritage, and the sense of discovery that so enchanted its early explorers.

A compact synthesis of David J. Weber’s prize-winning history of colonial Spanish North America, from the first Spanish-Indian contact through Spain’s gradual retreat Praise for the previous edition: "I cannot imagine a single book giving a more comprehensive and balanced study of Spain's presence in North America."—Louis Kleber, History Today "For readers seeking to understand the larger meaning of the Spanish heritage in North America, Weber's vivid narrative is a must. This is social and cultural history at its best."—Howard R. Lamar, Yale University "A superb study."—Choice "[A] deeply researched and splendidly conceived and written survey."—Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., New York Times Book Review

In this widely praised collection of essays, Weber explores the complex ways that myth and history have intersected in the remembrance of the Southwest's Hispanic past. Weber's engaging essays on the works of such respected scholars as Herbert Eugene Bolton, Frederick Jackson Turner, and John Francis Bannon examine the practice of history, particularly its myth-making power. Other essays reconsider specific moments in the region's past, such as his provocative reassessment of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution.

In this comprehensive history, David J. Weber draws on Spanish, Mexican, and American sources to describe the development of the Taos trade and the early penetration of the area by French and American trappers. Within this borderlands region, colorful characters such as Ewing Young, Kit Carson, Peg-leg Smith, and the Robidoux brothers pioneered new trails to the Colorado Basin, the Gila River, and the Pacific and contributed to the wealth that flowed east along the Santa Fe Trail.