THESE IS MY WORDS by Nancy E. Turner

THESE IS MY WORDS is a classic adventure of one courageous woman’s life and struggles in the Arizona Territories during the late 19th century. This book takes the form of the semi-fictional the diary of Sarah Agnes Prine as she records her experiences in the Arizona Territories from 1881 to 1901. As Sarah travels by wagon across a harsh, unfamiliar frontier, she scrupulously details the family’s trials and tribulations in the prose of an intelligent but uneducated observer. From child, to determined young adult, to loving mother, Sarah shares the turbulent events that mold her personality, and recalls the enduring love of a cavalry officer that gives her strength and purpose.

This moving, exciting and heartfelt American saga was inspired by the author’s own family memoirs. Rich in authentic everyday details and alive with truly unforgettable characters, THESE IS MY WORDS brilliantly brings to life the vanished world of the Arizona Territories.

$14.95

THE OLD IRON ROAD by David Haward Bain

David Bain and his family left their home in Vermont and headed west in search of America's past. From Omaha to San Francisco, they retraced the entire route of the first transcontinental railroad. Following abandoned railroad tracks and the traces of old wagon trails, cruising down back roads and main streets, they discovered the deep, restless, uniquely American spirit of adventure that connects our past to our present.

In THE OLD IRON ROAD: An Epic of Rails, Roads, and the Urge to go West, Bain conjures up the marvelous sense of coming unstuck in time as he lingers in the places that line the old emigrant routes of the railroad. Here one of the greatest of all American stories has found a chronicler truly up to the task of telling it. Bain has managed to portray the genuine heroism along with the brutal dispossession, both the utopian vision and the rampant corruption, as well as the constant battle between technological wonders and the natural elements. Anyone interested in the fabric of the American character will not want to miss this story.

$14.95

TIGER FORCE by Michael Sallah & Mitch Weiss

During the Vietnam War, TIGER FORCE was the code name for an elite platoon of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry. The 45-man volunteer force was organized in 1966 to “out-guerilla the guerillas” and soon became one of the war's most highly decorated units, paying for its reputation with heavy casualties. But for seven months, beginning in May 1967, the TIGER FORCE unit descended into a moral abyss. Operating in enemy country, the platoon engaged in activities that defy our comprehension today.

Two of the key players, Ken Green and Sam Ybarra, were from Globe and San Carlos, Arizona, respectively. Green was killed in Vietnam on September 29, 1967, which friends claim threw Ybarra over the edge, vowing to avenge his friend's death. He died in 1982 on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, reportedly contrite and depressed over his role in the war.

The army mounted an investigation, eventually deciding that "nothing beneficial" could result from prosecuting platoon members. And so, the story remained the stuff of rumor until reporters Michael Sallah, Mitch Weiss and John Mahr started interviewing former TIGER FORCE members. The resulting newspaper series won a Pulitzer Prize in 2004, and forms the basis of an outstanding book of the same name.

In TIGER FORCE: A True Story of Men and War, Sallah and Weiss have crafted a compelling, chilling story. The narrative is drawn from interviews with victims' families and over 40 former members of TIGER FORCE, as well as a previously suppressed document from the original army investigation. The authors visited the sites of many of the atrocities, pinpointing them through old radio logs. The result is one of the most important books on the Vietnam War.

$15

GHOST WARRIOR by Lucia St. Clair Robson

In GHOST WARRIOR, Lucia St. Clair Robson tells the story of Lozen, the sister of Chiricahua Apache chief, Victorio, who called her his wise counselor and his right hand. He said she had the strength of a man and was a shield to her people. Even in a society possessing extraordinary courage, endurance and skill, Lozen was unique. In the Apaches’ thirty-year struggle to defend their homeland, the people came to rely on Lozen’s strength, wisdom, and supernatural abilities. Because of her special gifts, Lozen was the only unmarried woman allowed to fight alongside the warriors. After her beloved brother, Victorio, died, she joined Geronimo's band of insurgents, where she continued her courageous battle to defend her people.

Robson says,”…even in the worst of times, individuals with extraordinary strength of character appear and leave a legacy that persists. The Apache Wars certainly qualified as the worst of times. Many of the leaders who waged those battles are now household names, but one who isn't so well known was just as exceptional as any of them. Besides having the power to heal, Lozen was believed to possess the gift of Far Sight - the ability to sense the presence of enemies before they came into view. She was also reputed to have horse magic that made her an excellent horse thief.”

Reading about the things Lozen and her people endured puts our own everyday problems into stark perspective. It strikes me as amazing that the spirit of a woman who died 120 years ago can influence our lives even today.

$15

PLEASANT VALLEY WAR by Jinx Pyle

The Pleasant Valley War, also known as the Graham Tewksbury Feud, was fought in the northern part of what is now Gila County, Arizona. “During the 1880s the entire north-central Arizona was under lead and smoke confrontation between the sheep raisers and the cowmen, the Hashknife Outfit and the homesteaders, the horse thieves and the Mormons, the cinch-ring artists and the ranchers. To add a little fuel to the fire, a few bronco Apaches could be counted on to keep everyone on their toes. Men rode with their rifles in hand, and in town the tie-down loops were clear on the tops of the six-gun hammers,” says author Jinx Pyle in his latest book PLEASANT VALLEY WAR.

State historian, Marshall Trimble says “Jinx Pyle is a walking encyclopedia of information on events in Gila County, Arizona and now he’s written a history of the notorious Pleasant Valley War – one of the most complex and vile blood feuds in America’s history. But parts of the Pleasant Valley War have never been told and Jinx brings many new facts to light. Pyle’s history of the Pleasant Valley War is destined to become one of the definitive works on the subject.” This great book includes historic Pleasant Valley War maps and helpful GPS coordinates.

Jinx is a sixth generation descendant of Gila County cattle ranchers and a full-time student of Arizona history. He grew up on stories handed down about the Pleasant Valley War, having descended from the culture that spawned the fighting factions. He and his wife, Jayne, have written numerous books that document local history, including RODEO 101, MOUNTAIN COWBOYS, COOKING FOR ZANE GREY UNDER THE TONTO RIM, CALF FRIES AND COWPIES, and HISTORY OF GISELA, ARIZONA.

$25

SUPERSTITION WILDERNESS TRAILS EAST

Lush Canyons with sycamore and cottonwood trees; rugged mountains with towering ponderosa pines and alligator junipers; creeks and waterfalls; majestic deserts and wildflowers; prehistoric ruins; prospector camps and remote ranches. All this and more can be found in the National Forest Wilderness right here in our own back yard. Authors and avid hikers Jack Carlson and Elizabeth Stewart include trips to Reavis Ranch, Rogers Canyon, Pine Creek and the Roosevelt Lake area in their newest hiking guide, SUPERSTITION WILDERNESS TRAILS EAST: Hikes, Horse Rides and History.

Here you will find historical details about individual events that took place in the areas of these trails. Their intent is to show how the Superstition Mountains are closely connected to the surrounding communities. The trail descriptions include information about potential hazards for horses and riders, and other details that might be helpful to stockmen. Recognizing the widespread use of technology, Carlson and Stewart have included GPS coordinates for trailheads and points of interest that will make travel in the mountains safer and more precise. “We hope you have many fine trips in the Superstition Wilderness. See you on the trails!” is the message Jack and Elizabeth send out to each of us.

$16.95

BUMFUZZLED & BUMFUZZLED, TOO by R. Lewis Bowman

Will Rogers once said “Those were the great old says. Darn it, any old days are great old days, even the tough ones.” R. Lewis Bowman has made it his business to capture the unique humor of the great old days of an incurable way of life – the life of the rancher, the cattleman and the cowboy. Bowman refers to this life as “part of Mother Earth”. The author’s family, and others like them, accepted the challenge to uphold the true American spirit as they settled, homesteaded, improved and cared for the Southwestern frontier, making it “ the best it could be” for those of us who came afterwards.

BUMFUZZLED and BUMFUZZLED,TOO represent a compendium of cowboy quips and phrases presented in the cowboy manner of speech that comes from Bowman’s lifetime association with what he calls “the greatest people in the world...honest, caring, unsurpassed outdoorsmen.” Here he has artfully preserved some of that old time cowboy wit and philosophy in the style in which it was delivered, along with a bit of education, history and a collection of wonderful old photographs, “for what it’s worth” to the rest of us.

$25 Each