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Santa Fe Passage
IT WAS A LIFELINE AND A TRAIL OF DEATH
In 1823, one long trail connected the backwater colony of Mexico with a booming America. Here, only the most daring, ambitious and lucky would survive--transporting goods at enormous risk and for bigger profit. One who made the trip was an orphan named Matt Collins. In Mexico, Matt came of age, made a fortune, chose a woman, and lived between two worlds...
AND IT WAS THE WAY TO THE FUTURE
Matt was both an outsider--an enterprising Yanqui--and the face of the future. As the Santa Fe colony was buffeted by chaos in Mexico, and threatened by Manifest Destiny from Washington, Matt was forced to choose between his two nations. War was brewing in Texas, and President Polk himself needed someone to lead New Mexico into the union--without a single shot being fired...
SANTA FE PASSAGE
This epic novel captures the forces of history, politics, nature and religion that forged a unique corner of the new world. At the foothills of the Sangre de Christo Mountains, Jon Bauman leads us among aristocrats, scoundrels and adventurers--as a man makes a choice that will shape the future of two countries...
"A consummate storyteller...a scrupulous historian, Bauman faithfully recreates the powerful social and political forces that converged on New Mexico."
--David J. Weber, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated The Spanish Frontier in North America
"Beautifully researched...all woven into a memorable plot."
--Jane Roberts Wood, author of Train to Estelline and Roseborough
In 1823, one long trail connected the backwater colony of Mexico with a booming America. Here, only the most daring, ambitious and lucky would survive--transporting goods at enormous risk and for bigger profit. One who made the trip was an orphan named Matt Collins. In Mexico, Matt came of age, made a fortune, chose a woman, and lived between two worlds...
AND IT WAS THE WAY TO THE FUTURE
Matt was both an outsider--an enterprising Yanqui--and the face of the future. As the Santa Fe colony was buffeted by chaos in Mexico, and threatened by Manifest Destiny from Washington, Matt was forced to choose between his two nations. War was brewing in Texas, and President Polk himself needed someone to lead New Mexico into the union--without a single shot being fired...
SANTA FE PASSAGE
This epic novel captures the forces of history, politics, nature and religion that forged a unique corner of the new world. At the foothills of the Sangre de Christo Mountains, Jon Bauman leads us among aristocrats, scoundrels and adventurers--as a man makes a choice that will shape the future of two countries...
"A consummate storyteller...a scrupulous historian, Bauman faithfully recreates the powerful social and political forces that converged on New Mexico."
--David J. Weber, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated The Spanish Frontier in North America
"Beautifully researched...all woven into a memorable plot."
--Jane Roberts Wood, author of Train to Estelline and Roseborough
- GenresWesterns
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 12, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 3, 2013
Not the best writing but interesting to me since I live close to Santa Fe. Historical fiction account of Santa Fe in the early 19th century.
April 24, 2017
Although this was shelved with the Westerns in my library, it really is historical fiction rather than the typical shoot-em-up oater. Although the characterization is weak and the Horatio Alger story line predictable, I found the depiction of life in Santa Fe in the period from 1822 through 1848 interesting.
Mexico, having declared its independence from Spain in 1810, is going through the growing pains of a new nation. The venal and feckless politicians in Mexico City have little interest in or support for the border regions in New Mexico where the locals have to deal with marauding Comanches and American "immigrants" whose not so secret agenda is to take over all the area from Texas to the Pacific. Any one who passed Fourth Grade geography knows how that turned out.
I was most interested in the cultural conflict between the Mexican aristocrats who have held land grants for centuries and the more mercenary American entrepreneurs who are making fortunes on the Santa Fe Trail. Life on the frontier is portrayed in all its nitty gritty, literally; the senoritas prepare for the governor's ball by helping each other remove the lice and nits from their hair. Other hygenic shortcomings of the time and place are also graphically described.
Mexico, having declared its independence from Spain in 1810, is going through the growing pains of a new nation. The venal and feckless politicians in Mexico City have little interest in or support for the border regions in New Mexico where the locals have to deal with marauding Comanches and American "immigrants" whose not so secret agenda is to take over all the area from Texas to the Pacific. Any one who passed Fourth Grade geography knows how that turned out.
I was most interested in the cultural conflict between the Mexican aristocrats who have held land grants for centuries and the more mercenary American entrepreneurs who are making fortunes on the Santa Fe Trail. Life on the frontier is portrayed in all its nitty gritty, literally; the senoritas prepare for the governor's ball by helping each other remove the lice and nits from their hair. Other hygenic shortcomings of the time and place are also graphically described.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews