A Writer's Eye: Field Notes and Watercolors

The 60 watercolor sketches and eight line drawings, published here for the first time, were made during Horgan's research trips for three of his books on the history of the American SouthwestGreat River, Conquistadors in North American History and Lamy of Santa Fe. In these sketches he recorded his impressions of the places he visited, and later, while he was writing the books, the material served to remind him of his feelings about what he had seen. The watercolors, beautifully reproduced and accompanied by brief descriptions as well as passages from the books, evoke with delicacy and spontaneity the limpid light and sparkling colors of the Southwestern landscape. In his introduction, McCullough traces Horgan's career as one of this country's most distinguished writers. It is a pleasure to discover that Horgan is also a gifted artist. (April)