The Great Taos Bank Robbery and Other True Stories

by Tony Hillerman, Don Strel (Photographer), Anne Hillerman (Foreword by)

Overview

This classic collection of nonfiction essays about life in New Mexico by the great Tony Hillerman remains a must read for anyone looking to understand the state's unique charm. The vivid pieces in The Great Taos Bank Robbery paint an indelible portrait of life—with all its magnificent quirks and foibles—in the Land of Enchantment.

Celebrating fifty years since its original 1973 release, this anniversary edition offers an introduction by Anne Hillerman and a new foreword by noted Hillerman biographer James McGrath Morris, introducing a new generation of readers to the magic of Tony Hillerman and New Mexico.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826351920
Publisher:	University of New Mexico Press
Publication date:	04/15/2012
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Tony Hillerman (1925-2008) was an award-winning author and newspaperman, best known for his mystery novels set on the Navajo Nation.

Don Strel, a photographer, has been published in numerous books and magazines. He has taught art and design at the university level and has served as the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico. He is currently the director of the Southwest Assignments photography, design and public relations agency, which he founded in 1991.

Anne Hillerman's debut novel, Spider Woman's Daughter, received the Western Writers Spur Award for Best First Novel. That book and the six novels that followed were all New York Times best sellers. Her eighth mystery, The Way of the Bear, will launch in April 2023. Her books continue the Navajo detective stories her father, Tony Hillerman, made popular. When she's not working, Anne likes to read, cook, hike, ski, and travel. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, and makes frequent trips to the Navajo Nation.

Hometown:

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Date of Birth:

May 27, 1925

Date of Death:

October 26, 2008

Place of Birth:

Sacred Heart, Oklahoma

Place of Death:

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Education:

B.A., University of Oklahoma, 1946; M.A., University of New Mexico, 1966

Website:

http://tonyhillermanbooks.com

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Great Taos Bank Robbery: A Foreword Anne Hillerman xi

Chapter 1 The Great Taos Bank Robbery 1

Chapter 2 The Navajo Who Had So Many Friends He Couldn't Get No Wire Strung 13

Chapter 3 The Very Heart of Our Country 15

Chapter 4 The Mountain on the Guardrail at Exit 164B 25

Chapter 5 We All Fall Down 27

Chapter 6 The Messenger Birds 42

Chapter 7 The Conversion of Cletus Xywanda 46

Chapter 8 The Apache Who Wouldn't Be Missed 53

Chapter 9 The Hunt for the Lost American 55

Chapter 10 How Quemado Got Quemado 77

Chapter 11 Las Trampas 79

Chapter 12 Black Jack Ketchum and the Sixteen Faithful Bartenders 95

Chapter 13 Othello in Union County 98

Chapter 14 The Committee and the Mule Deer 110

Chapter 15 Quijote in Rio Arriba County 113

Chapter 16 Keeping Secrets from the Russians 135

Chapter 17 Mr. Luna's Lazarus Act 138

Author's Notes 149

Editorial Reviews

"Amity and kindness of heart are the essentials of this Hillerman classic, illustrating that he was a writer who wrote of his fellow man, both good and bad, with empathy and unflinching analysis, never striking a false note."—Craig Johnson, New Mexico Magazine

"Each essay showcases [Hillerman's] deep love and understanding of New Mexico's mountains, people, history, anthropology, law enforcement, hunting, fishing, and sometimes politics. All are portrayed in his clear writing style combined with a zesty sense of humor."—True West

"What newcomers sometimes find irritating in the general incompetency and charm of this capital of mañana, Hillerman portrays with simple accuracy: it is hilarious."—Taos News



"Mr. Hillerman was that rare figure: a best-selling author who was adored by fans, admired by fellow authors, and respected by critics."—New York Times

From the Publisher