This work reveals the historical heart of one of the world's unique regions - the enormous mesaland of the Southern High Plains in Texas and New Mexico. From the Canadian River in the north to the Edwards Plateau in the south the fifty thousand square miles of ""the Llano"" are chronicled over three centuries.

Winner of seven awards, El Llano Estacado reveals the historical heart of one of the world's unique regions--the enormous mesaland of the Southern High Plains in Texas and New Mexico. From the Canadian River in the north to the Edwards Plateau in the south, from the Pecos River in the west to the fantastic canyonlands of the Red, Pease, Brazos, and Colorado Rivers in the east, the fifty thousand square miles of "the Llano" are chronicled over three centuries with an eye to the history and compelling mystery of this special land. Armchair detectives will especially relish the comprehensive discussion of the lost--now possibly rediscovered--Coronado expedition route across the plains. El Llano Estacado is more than a good read; it is also a native son's meditation on the role of imagination and myth in how we perceive this unique environment. From the dawn of historic contact with the Southern High Plains, a remarkable series of Spanish, French, Mexican, and Anglo-American explores and adventurers attempted to make sense of its curious environment. Now available in paperback, El Llano Estacado is grand history and geography told in an imaginative, interdisciplinary style. The mysteries and mirages of this great Southwestern landscape are the stuff of adventurers' quests and now readers' dreams.