Myth and the History of the Hispanic Southwest
University of New Mexico Press
These essays explore the common roots of myth and history. Going back to the earliest Spanish explorers of the Southwest, Weber looks at some of the myths that informed the thought of Coronado and Fray Marcos de Niza. He then discusses the practice of history and the influence on historiography of such respected scholars as Bannon, Bolton, and Turner.
Students of that area of southwestern history known as borderlands studies will find the essays collected here reveal the need for interdisciplinary study of the land once contested by Mexico, native Americans, and the United States.
David J. Weber is The Robert and Nancy Dedman Professor of History and the Director of the Clements Center for Southwest Studies at Southern Methodist University.