Maynard Dixon's American West: The Thunderbird Resurrected

Twenty-five years ago, I sat in a quiet room at what was then known as the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum. For two productive, intriguing days I served as a witness, prompter and eventually editor of the outpouring from the two others that occupied the small space–John and Daniel Dixon. At the end of the 48-hour marathon, I thought I knew their famous father. That was until I read Mark Sublette's Maynard Dixon's American West: Along the Distant Mesa (Maynard Dixon Museum, $95). Other titles haved covered this prolific artist, including a pair of coffee table books of note. Sublette's latest entry into the field surpasses them all. Magnificent color reproductions, a well-researched narrative and excellent design elevate this 525-page masterpiece into a work worthy of one America's greatest artists.

-John Langellier, editor of The Thunderbird Remembered: Maynard Dixon, the Man and the Artist