True West: An Illustrated Guide to the Heyday to the Western

9781931010481 9781931010498 Barson, Michael. True West: An Illustrated Guide to the Heyday of the Western. TCU. Nov. 2008. c.175p. illus. ISBN 978-0-87565-379-2. pap. $29.95.Nevins, Francis M. & Gary D. Keller (text) & Craig Smith & others (photogs.). The Cisco Kid: American Hero, Hispanic Roots. Bilingual. 2008. 264p. photogs. filmog. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-931010-48-1. $50; pap. ISBN 978-1-931010-49-8. $35. FILM~Verdict: Barson offers a captivating look at the stars, stories, and settings that dominated the decades-long craze for all things Western. Nevins and Keller present a focused study of the Cisco Kid's cultural and artistic significance. Both volumes are suitable for circulating libraries and large film collections. Background: Barson (Teenage Confidential) lists 101 great Western films and surveys the genre's influence on popular culture. Nevins and Keller (Hispanic Research Ctr., Arizona State Univ.) expand upon Nevins's 1998 book, The Films of the Cisco Kid, to examine the character's Hispanic origins, status as American icon, and evolution. The authors profile the major Cisco Kid films in relation to other Hispanic and Western characters and relevant folklore. Linked to a multimedia project at Arizona State University, this book is enhanced by sumptuous posters and photographs.-Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ.