Arizona

Name: Luke Air Force Base
Brand: Rick Griset
SKU: 9781467104708
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Starry skies leap into closer proximity at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. And the past comes into equally stark focus through the lens of our Arizona history books. Direct your gaze to the pioneers of early Tucson before water began trickling into Flowing Wells. The relief of a tuberculosis patient finding sanctuary with Sunnyslope’s Desert Mission. A twitchy trigger finger in Tombstone’s O.K. Corral. The widened eyes of a motorist zipping by the Grand Canyon. All rendered in our Arizona catalogue with the clarity of Sedona’s red rocks on a cloudless day. [View all Arizona books]

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Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon

$24.99

Hidden History of Prescott

$21.99

Arizona Wine

$21.99

Harvey Houses of Arizona

$21.99

Historic Tales of Territorial Tucson

$21.99

Historic Tales of Flagstaff

$21.99

Glendale

$24.99

Chiricahua Mountains:

The Whiskey Row Fire of 1900

$23.99

Miracle on the Salt River:

$21.99

Wise Animal Handbook Arizona, The

$16.99

Luke Air Force Base

9781467104708

$24.99

Luke Air Force Base, created in less than a year from desert scrub and farmland, stands some 20 miles west of Phoenix. On March 31, 1941, months before the United States entered World War II, construction began. That summer, the Army Air Corps named Luke Field after World War I hero and triple ace Frank Luke Jr. Some pilots from Luke Field's first class flew from airfields in Hawaii during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. From the beginning, Luke Field trained fighter pilots, as it does today. Over the years, Luke Air Force Base was home to 14 primary fighter aircraft, graduated over 60,000 students, and accounted for millions of training flight hours. Of the pilots who trained at Luke Field, a number became aces, including the all-time US leading ace, Maj. Richard I. Bong. For decades, Luke Air Force Base has been home to more fighter aircraft than any other base in the United States, earning the moniker "Fighter Country."

Yuma Proving Ground

9781467104500

$23.99

The Yuma Proving Ground's early history began in 1849 with the establishment of Army outposts in the region. When the United States entered World War II in 1942, the Army established a large-scale training center that expanded from eastern California into western Arizona. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. was assigned to develop the Desert Training Center as a location to train personnel and test equipment in the harsh desert for the war effort. As part of the Desert Training Center, Camp Laguna and the Yuma Test Branch were founded to conduct specific training and testing in support of the war effort. In 1951, the Yuma Test Branch was renamed the Yuma Test Station, and by 1957, the Army began training personnel on military freefall. In 1963, the Army renamed the Yuma Test Station as the Yuma Proving Ground. Today, the Yuma Proving Ground stands near the original sites with the continued task of testing equipment and training personnel.

Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon

9781467104784

$24.99

Most visitors travel to Sedona to view the towering red rock sandstone formations dotted with juniper pines and to hike and explore Oak Creek Canyon, along with other beautiful canyons that were once showcased by the Westerns filmed in Sedona. After the ancient peoples who farmed departed the area, the Homestead Act of the 1870s advertised free land and lured cattle ranchers and farmers, but by the 1960s, tourism reigned, and Sedona became a destination for outdoor activities, art, fine dining, unique shopping, relaxation, and luxury resorts.

Hidden History of Prescott

9781467146807

$21.99

Prescott, known as the "First Capital of Arizona Territory," has a history rife with colorful characters and notable events. The growing town included members of the Yavapai Tribe, early inhabitants whose reservation was established in 1935, and Chinese immigrants, who were rumored to have built an entire network of underground tunnels. Fraternal organizations and secret societies sought to wield influence over the community, including the Masons, who held their first meeting in 1865. Explore the origins of the controversial Smoki People and the rise and fall of the Prescott Rifles, a short-lived vigilante group. Join author and historian Parker Anderson as he delves into the fascinating past of this unique town.

Arizona Wine

9781467140843

$21.99

Arizona's flourishing wine industry may surprise those who think of the Grand Canyon State as a desert landscape dotted with cacti.

From the high-country vineyards of the Verde Valley to the rolling plateaus of Sonoita and Willcox, pioneering winemakers are producing nationally acclaimed, award-winning wines. While the 1970s are recognized as launching the modern-day industry, Arizona's viticulture dates back much further. The Spanish and Jesuit missionaries introduced European winemaking to the Southwest, and the 1800s saw the introduction of Arizona's first wineries. Join author Christina Barrueta on this fascinating journey and meet the pioneers and visionaries who are forging their own paths to build America's newest wine region.

Harvey Houses of Arizona

9781625858566

$21.99

Valuing food quality as much as quality service, Harvey Houses changed the culture of western railroad towns. After Fred Harvey's death in 1901, sons Ford and Byron expanded the family business along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail lines. El Tovar opened in 1905 on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, signaling the arrival of the iconic brand to Arizona. New railroad depots and Harvey establishments reminiscent of the Spanish Colonial-Indian pueblo style of architecture followed. Well-paid European chefs trained every kitchen, and waitresses hailed from every walk of life. Author Rosa Walston Latimer celebrates hospitality the "Fred Harvey way" through the personal stories of the famous Harvey Girls and staff of luxury Harvey hotels in Ash Fork, Seligman, Williams, Winslow and beyond.

Historic Tales of Territorial Tucson

9781467145053

$21.99

The Old Pueblo's history is full of colorful characters and fascinating folktales!.

Tucson was originally settled in 1775, and the Gadsden Purchase brought the tiny settlement on the Santa Cruz River into the United States in 1854. In the decades leading up to Arizona's statehood in 1912, the territory's largest city was rife with excitement. A seven-headed, four-hundred-foot-long sea serpent prophesied to the townsfolk. Lady bicyclists caused an uproar with their "divided skirts.'? The new railroad brought three presidents to town. From the city's brief time in the Confederacy to its crusades against drinking and gambling, from bullfighting rings to sanitariums, author Dave Devine relates stories of the little-known, sometimes lighthearted and often unusual events and personalities of Tucson.

Historic Tales of Flagstaff

9781467142410

$21.99

Flagstaff, Arizona, was originally settled in the 1870s as a railroad and lumber town on the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau, amid the ponderosa pines. Now most noted for its proximity to the Grand Canyon, the city offers a tantalizing combination of history and progress. Theodore Roosevelt, the Apollo astronauts, Walt Disney filmmakers, Navajo code talkers and Pluto-discoverer Clyde Tombaugh all feature in the area's fascinating past. Join authors Kevin Schindler and Michael Kitt as they relate the trials and triumphs that have given this town its charm, from the tumultuous days of the Wild West to the fast-paced twentieth century.

Chiricahua Mountains:

9781609498009

$21.99

With elevations above nine thousand feet, dense vegetation and unique rock formations, the Chiricahua Mountains are a unique wildlife refuge and natural botanic reserve. Inhabited by Apaches and then homesteaders, the U.S. Cavalry, miners, outlaws and tourists, this range has retained its allure through time. Apache legend Geronimo surrendered in 1886 to General Nelson Miles in Skeleton Canyon, on the east side of the Chiricahuas in the neighboring Peloncillo Mountains. Johnny Ringo and Curly Bill Brocius led the outlaws in the short-lived town of Galeyville. Chiricahua National Monument was created in 1924, and the Civilian Conservation Corps arrived in the 1930s to build trails, rock structures and fire lookouts. Join author William Ascarza as he tours the natural and human histories of this magnificent Arizona mountain range.

Greeks in Phoenix

9780738556345

$24.99

The Greek community in Phoenix began in 1907, when the Sanichas brothers, Charles and Chris, arrived in the city to establish the Sanichas Confectionery Store. By 1912, the year of Arizona's statehood, the community had grown to nine families, including the Georgouses family of five brothers. In 1930, ground was broken for the construction of the Hellenic Community House, where religious services were held until l947, when the Hellenic Orthodox Church was built. Today the legacy of the area's Greek pioneers lives on through the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which has established a research archive and museum to preserve and celebrate the Greek history of Phoenix.

Falcon Field

9780738571379

$24.99

Mesa's Falcon Field began during World War II when a small group of Hollywood celebrities financed pilot training facilities (Southwest Airways) in the United States for American Allied forces. Thousands of British Royal Air Force pilots, joined by pilots from Russia, China, and 24 other nations at neighboring airfields, earned their wings in the Arizona desert. In 1945, the City of Mesa purchased the facility for $1, and then for the next 20 years leased it to Rocket Power, Inc., which manufactured a solid fuel rocket propellant. Today Falcon Field is a bustling municipal airport and a growing business center, with companies like Boeing, Nammo Talley, and MD Helicopters. The airpark also features the Commemorative Air Force Museum, home of one of the last flying B-17 bombers.

Mexicans in Tempe

9780738570563

$24.99

San Pablo was settled in the early 1800s by Mexican pioneers, also known as "Tempeneños," south of the Tempe butte. By the 1870s, Mexicans were vital to Tempe's economical growth, assisting in the construction of the C. H. Kirkland and McKinney Canal and the Hayden Flour Mill, and with agriculture soon after the establishment of Fort McDowell. The agricultural field cultivated by the settlers of San Pablo is now Arizona State University's main campus. Over time, the Mexican settlers of San Pablo were subjected to eminent domain and were dispersed throughout Maricopa County. To this day, the Mexican population has assisted in the economic development of Arizona ranching, agriculture, private industries, the public sector, and in the defense of the United States in time of war.

Hotel San Carlos

9780738571416

$24.99

On the corner of Central Avenue and Monroe Street, in the center of downtown Phoenix, is the historic Hotel San Carlos. Local Native Americans once worshipped a god of learning in this same area, and so early white settlers chose the site for the city's first school, the Little Adobe School, in 1873. After the Little Adobe School, the location served as a ballpark, a brick schoolhouse, the Central School, and finally the Hotel San Carlos, which opened in March 1928. The first hotel in Phoenix to boast steam heat, elevators, and air-conditioning, Hotel San Carlos has a remarkable story and has even seen its share of movie stars, including Mae West, Gene Autry, and Marilyn Monroe. Clark Gable always stayed in the same corner room on the fourth floor so he could people-watch. Even the friendly ghost of Leone Jensen, who appears regularly at the foot of the guest beds, has added to the unique legacy and continuing popularity of Hotel San Carlos.

Phoenix Beer

9781467140980

$23.99

Phoenix's brewing history dates back to the mid-1800s, when small breweries had to contend with brackish water, searing desert heat and no refrigeration. By the time Prohibition arrived, the state's breweries were tapped out. It wasn't until the 1930s that Arizona Brewing Company left the first indelible mark on the Copper State's thirst. When its last call came, a new force called Four Peaks rose from the ashes as majestically as the mountains for which it is named. Author Dave Clark guides you from the area's beer icons of yesterday to the rapidly evolving brewing scene of today. Discover and appreciate Phoenix beer, from the classic, clean pilsner from Helton Brewing that rivals Germany's best to Fate's local taste of the Southwest, Hatch Chile Gatos.

Nogales:

9780738524054

$24.99

Nogales inhabits La Frontera, the Arizona-Mexico border country that exists as much as a state of mind as a place. Here among the saguaro under the Sonoran desert sun came conquerors under the flags of Spain, Mexico, the United States, and the Confederate States. From the arrival of Fray Marcos de Niza in the Ambos Nogales territory in 1539 when Nogales was part of New Spain, through the marches of Conquistadores along Spain's El Camino Real or Royal Road, to the exploits of Apache warriors and the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, Nogales has been at the center of life on the frontier.

Nogales: Life and Times on the Frontier explores the rich history of this area seasoned by cultures from across the border and around the world. Tales of the bustling ranching, railroad, mining, military, and produce industries are brought to life through the eyes of figures like rancher Pete Kitchen and West Point's first African-American graduate Henry Ossian Flipper. These unique stories are highlighted by striking images from vintage postcards, period photographs, detailed maps, and other illustrations that chronicle the journey from lonely Spanish outpost to thriving modern gateway.

The Whiskey Row Fire of 1900

9781467143158

$23.99

A fire of frightening magnitude was not a question of "if" but "when" in young Prescott, and on July 14, 1900, the feared conflagration found its spark. After several years of drought, a candle slipping from its holder was all it took to utterly destroy Prescott's business district, red-light district and famous Whiskey Row. People grabbed what they could to rescue it from the flames, but the party didn't stop. Even the piano from one saloon was moved to a new location, and people continued to play. Author Bradley Courtney explores the conditions leading up to the disaster, the surprising details of its effects and the amazing recovery that shapes the town today.

Miracle on the Salt River:

9781626196940

$21.99

Following enactment of the Reclamation Act, the first federally constructed dam broke ground in Arizona's Salt River Valley in 1905. With the inauguration of Roosevelt Dam, the distant dream of an abundant life in the desert became a reality. The dam and farmer-operated water distribution system tamed the vicious drought, created arable land and became an irrigation model for the West. With the water came farmers and families, all eager for the chance to build new lives and communities. Many were just like the Haley family, farmers from Kentucky and Missouri who settled in the area and whose descendants still call the valley home. Follow their journey and discover a snapshot of the life and community that grew from the ditches of the valley. Author Meredith Haley Whiteley explores this story from the ordinary person's perspective, weaving valley history through drought, loss, plenty and joy.