Santa Fe Passage

by Jon R. Bauman

During the 1800s, the landed gentry of Santa Fe developed a taste for the high life. Viewing this as a business opportunity, entrepreneur Matthew Collins fills a wagon train with expensive goods and heads out west - but the pending war between the United States and Mexico threatens Matthew's money-making initiatives.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312940033
• ISBN13: 9780312940034
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 374 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

A great read, hard to put down

This book is a fascinating look at a period of western history not usually covered by fiction writers. The author brilliantly uses real characters and events to weave a story which is both entertaining and informative. The characters are, in most cases, composites of several people who lived at the time. What struck me most was the lack of incomplete story flow - usually I have to stop and wonder why the author did not have the characters do a particular act, or glosses over some detail which would enhance the story. I am too often left having to mentally fill in a story, even one written by our foremost talents. But this author seems to anticipate the nip-picky reader, and takes care of the small details in a very-complete manner. I found it hard to put down, but he conveniently provides stopping points where the reader can lay the book down, and come back to continue the story later. A great read - I encourage those who admire L'Amour, Brand, Haycox and others to read this one. They will not regret it.

History Brought to Life

Jon Bauman gives realistic details of the old West, including the tragic and the crude as well as beautiful descriptions which cause you to empathize with the characters. The culture clash betwen Anglo and Mexican is skillfully done and his story depicts how one person's decision can influence the outcome of historic events. Having hiked the entire Santa Fe Trail, and having written two books about it, I was thrilled to go down the Trail again with his story and recognize familiar sites, now with "real" characters in the experience.

Best Novel Ever Written about the Santa Fe Trail

There have been many novels about the Santa Fe Trail, most of which tell little if anything about the historic route, but Santa Fe Passage is based on extensive research and is by far the best historical novel about the Trail. Jon Bauman, an international lawyer with special interest in Latin America, has written a readable, entertaining, and informative story that rings true. Trail historians will know the sources of many of his characters and their stories, including the first U.S. woman to travel the Trail with her family and operate a hotel in Santa Fe, a woman injured in a carriage accident who miscarries her child at Bent's Fort, a Jewish trader and merchant in Santa Fe, a Mexican woman who owns a gambling establishment and assists Mexican officials and American traders, a governor who is in and out of power in Santa Fe as changes occur in Mexico City, a village priest who opposes the Anglo influences, and the main character Matthew Collins who runs away from an apprenticeship and becomes a Santa Fe trader who marries into a prominent Mexican family and is selected by President James Polk and Senator Thomas Hart Benton to persuade the governor of New Mexico to allow Stephen W. Kearny's Army of the West to occupy Santa Fe without resistance in 1846. Bauman has a good understanding of all three cultures affected by the Santa Fe Trail, and he creates a number of realistic characters, not stereotypes, for all of them: Anglo, Indian, and Mexican. He has researched the history of the Trail, with help from historian Mike Olsen, and the book is endorsed by historian David Weber. The interaction of the American traders with Mexican citizens is done well. Purists may argue that Bauman has moved some events in time and place (for example there was no Bowie Knife in 1826 and Raton Pass was not an option for a wagon train in that year), but this is creative fiction based on history; just enjoy it. Not only is this finely-crafted, thoughtful, and sophisticated novel a good read, it will cause readers to want to know more about the history of the Trail. As one of the characters in the novel, Jack Marentette the mountain man, might say, "This is a splendiferous book."

A must read for New Mexicans!

Santa Fe Passage provides an outstanding perspective on the history of New Mexico. It brilliantly captures the cultural diversities between the Mexican and American peoples, their attitudes and expectations. The reader can eastily identify with the various characters as they progress through the tumultous times prior to the invasion by the U.S. army. It's a fascinating, historical novel. This truly should be a "must read" for all those living in New Mexico! And, a "highly recommended" read for anyone interested in the Spanish culture and its influence on the development of the United States.