Union of Eagles: El Paso-Juarez

Rating:
Summary: Yesterday and tommorrow
Review: Since so few details are available here for this book I will try to make it's contents known for someone. First of all, it is a big oversized book, a coffee table type book with many many superb photographs in splendid color and accompanying text to further illustrate the facts about these two border cities. El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are on different sides of the border, each city a part of another state and country but they share more than the frontera(border) . Both cities share a cultural and historical heritage that dates back centuries and has been transformed in modern times into a sort of international mega city that is linked economically as well. It seems many United States citizens of Mexican desent in the southwest have relatives who live or have lived in El Paso or as it was known Paso del Norte(Passage to the North). The book begins by explaining the origins of the contemporary name for El Paso dating back toto the explorer Juan de Onate claiming the upper Rio Grande for King Phillip II of Spain in 1598 and naming the land El Paso del Rio del Norte(The Pass of The River of the North). The book goes on to explain the transformation of the name and land with the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848(where the US gained vast Mexican lands, including the states of California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and parts of others like Nevada). The Rio Grande or Rio Bravo as it is known in Mexico became the seperation point of what was once one city into two distinguishable cities. The Mexican side becme known as El Paso del Norte and was changed in 1888 to honor the "Abraham Linclon" of Mexico, Benito Juarez. The American side was first known only as "The Post Opposite El Paso, Mexico" since it was a military post and was not incorporated officially until 1873. Further history is explained including the introduction of the railroad and the opening up of trade and the mass immigration that continues to this day. The lavish book presents various topics and clearly demonstrates the common links these two rapidly growing cities have. At the time of publication(1987) the two cities populations combined made them the two biggest(side by side) international cities in the world. There is lots of history in this book that shows the intertwined relationships of these twin cities. Some of the reading is a little dry but this is one of those books that if the subject matter doesn't interest you it can be skipped over and the continuity is hardly affected. The photographs are definitely one the highlights of this book and if you have roots in either of these two cities than you will want to see them. The large photographs capture the essence of the book. The pictures are very beautiful as it relates to the humanity that is seperated by a line of demarcation that cannot erase the cultural bindings. The differences along the border are vast but the similarites are just as impressive. A very nice book that gives a candid portrayl of this international community.

Rating:
Summary: Very readable
Review: The photographs are terriffic but what I most enjoyed was the narritive that made them come together. Very well written book, it's a fine addition to my library