Mapping old trails has a romantic allure at least as great as the difficulty involved in doing it. In this book; William Foster produces the first highly accurate maps of the eleven Spanish expeditions from northeastern Mexico into what is now East Texas during the years 1689 to 1768.Foster draws upon the detailed diaries that each expedition kept of its route; cross-checking the journals among themselves and against previously unused eighteenth-century Spanish maps; modern detailed topographic maps; aerial photographs; and on-site inspections. From these sources emerges a clear picture of where the Spanish explorers actually passed through Texas.This information; which corrects many previous misinterpretations; will be widely valuable. Old names of rivers and landforms will be of interest to geographers. Anthropologists and archaeologists will find new information on encounters with some 139 named Indian tribes. Botanists and zoologists will see changes in the distribution of flora and fauna with increasing European habitation; and climatologists will learn more about the "Little Ice Age" along the Rio Grande.
#3961473 in Books 2007-09-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.55 x .91 x 6.48l; 1.22 #File Name: 0275993574232 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great book for readers interested in historic military issues.By Andres J. SantanaVery well written; excellent detailed descriptions of facts related to Spain's military traditions emerging from the 19th century and continuing throughout the 20th. Highly recommended as a historical rediscovery of the modern military involvements of a nation which created one of the most powerful empires in the history of the world.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Military History of Modern Spain is a welcome contributionBy Midwest Book ReviewA Military History of Modern Spain: From the Napoleonic Era to the International War on Terror is an anthology of essays by a variety of learned authors that live up to the collection's title. The first chapter discusses the nineteenth century Spanish Army; subsequent chapters discuss the Spanish Military throughout the twentieth century and into the modern-day war on terror; through 2006. Individual essays include "World War I: Unarmed Neutrality"; "The Spanish Military During World War II"; "Rejoining Europe: From Isolation to Integration; 1945-2006" and much more. Extensively researched; with a bibliography and index; A Military History of Modern Spain is a welcome contribution to international history and college library shelves.
