Legends of the Spanish Southwest

342 pages with frontispiece, illustrations map, bibliography and index. Royal octavo (9 1/2" x 6 1/2") bound in original publisher's blue cloth with gilt lettering to spine and gilt to head end pages. First edition.

The colonization of the American Atlantic seaboard and of the southwest were practically contemporaneous, and the courage, faith, and endurance displayed by the English in conquering the wilderness of New England were not greater nor more steadfast than those shown by the Spanish in facing and overcoming the hazards of the inhospitable southwest. The authors have chose from the wealth of material available only such of the old Spanish legends as were most worth to survive as a part of the national literature. Several of the stories appear to be historically verifiable. Others doubtless are more or less fanciful, although probably even the supposedly fictional one have a substantial foundation of fact. In such of the legends as were susceptible to presentation according to short-story technique, the authors added appropriate details, dialogue and setting; however they did not alter the story itself. this necessitated them preserving any prejudice or error found in a legend. Explanatory matter preceding or following the body of a legend is a part thereof, except where it bears the authors' initials. They believed that the character of a people would be more clearly reflected in its legendary lore than in the recital of its political history.

Condition:

Book plate to front paste down, former owner's name to paste downs and front end paper, corners bumped, some rubbing to extremities else about a very good copy.