On Rims and Ridges: The Los Alamos Area Since 1880 (TWENTIETHCENTURY AMERICAN WEST),Used

Product DescriptionNew Mexicos Pajarito Plateau encompasses the Bandelier National Monument and the atomic city of Los Alamos. On Rims and Ridges throws into stark relief what happens when native cultures and EuroAmerican commercial interests interact in such a remote area with limited resources. The demands of citizens and institutions have created a form of environmental gridlock more often associated with Manhattan Island than with the semiurban West, writes Hal K. Rothman.From Library JournalThis historical account of changes in land use on the Pajarito Plateau of northern New Mexico offers a wealth of insights into the development of Western communities. Early life on the plateau mirrored the popular image of the frontier's vast, open space and untapped resources. As white settlers and their technology colonized the area, land disputes ensued among businesses, the archaeological community, and the federal government. The government eventually won the fight to dominate the plateau, which resulted in Native Americans and nonwhites becoming its "forced dependents." Other Western communities followed parallel, though not identical, patterns of development, producing similarly devastating consequences for resident minorities. As Rothman (history, Wichita State Univ.) asserts, "the Pajarito Plateau serves as a microcosm of the social, cultural and economic experience of the American West in the twentieth century." Highly recommended for academic library collections. B.A. Kremer, Johns Hopkins Univ. Libs., BaltimoreCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.Review"A fine environmental history . . . Known more for its role in the development of the atomic bomb than for its natural resources, the Los Alamos area characterizes the struggle between institutions and environmental values common throughout the American West. . . . Rothman interweaves human and natural history in a wellwritten narrative, personally and lovingly told."Environmental History Review (Environmental History Review)"A thoroughly researched, wellwritten case study of a beautiful, yet fragile region."Western Historical Quarterly (Western Historical Quarterly)"A history book written so beautifully that it is a delight to read."New Mexico Historical Review (New Mexico Historical Review)"This is a useful study because it examines a wide variety of issues, from economic change to the role of the federal government and to environmental topics, that are important in the history of the American West."American Historical Review (American Historical Review)"This historical account of changes in land use on the Pajarito Plateau of northern New Mexico offers a wealth of insights into the development of western communities. . . . Highly recommended."Library Journal (Library Journal)About the AuthorA professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the author of Preserving Different Pasts: The American National Monuments, Hal K. Rothman has provided a new epilogue for this paperback edition.