A vibrant account of the Spanish search for the French colony on the Texas coast (1685–89); Robert S. Weddle’s Wilderness Manhunt is an indispensable source on Spain’s “rediscovery†of the Gulf of Mexico’s northern coast.Weddle’s narrative documents the Spaniards’ six land expeditions and five sea voyages that sought the French settlement from points as widely scattered as San Augustine; Florida; and El Parral; Chihuahua. It also examines the schemes of Spanish expatriot Pealosa; whose treason augmented Spanish determination to find La Salle’s settlement. A new introduction includes recent insights gleaned from the excavation of La Salle’s sunken ship La Belle.Weddle has a firm grasp of the setting for the search for La Salle in the power struggle that left France and Spain grappling for control of the Gulf Coast. He shows how early Spanish expeditions had produced little in the way of easy fortune and; therefore; little interest. Rumors of French activity along the Mississippi; however; coupled with Pealosa’s allegiance to France and to La Salle; inspired the leaders of New Spain to bypass royal authority and take matters into their own hands.Wilderness Manhunt won the Presidio La Bahia Award; presented by the Kathryn O’Connor Foundation; when it was first published in 1973. Weddle’s narrative contributed to the rebirth of interest in the La Salle expedition and laid the foundation for his own future investigation.Described here is the finding; by Spanish seamen in 1686; of La Salle’s ship La Belle; the wreckage of which was found in 1995 by the Texas Historical Commission and has since been excavated and preserved. Told also are the later lives of the few colonists who survived the tragic La Salle expedition. This classic is enhanced by sixteen illustrations; including reproductions of maps and documents from the period.Wilderness Manhunt is filled with vivid battle scenes; pirate tales; and intricate details of the Spaniards and their quest. It is as timeless as the story of La Salle himself and is a worthy addition to any library.
#1451203 in Books Schiffer Publishing; Ltd. 1994-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 11.30 x .85 x 8.79l; 2.77 #File Name: 0887406645208 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Best Plane We No Longer Have...By KenThis author has real credentials!! I have read several l of his books ;especially "Feet Wet". This book covers the Mighty Tomcat...designed and built her in Bethpage and Calverton on Long Island; New York for the Navy. Outside of Stealth; we have NO plane today; nor in the future with this plane's "long legs" ; multiple capability and long range Phoenix missile [six of 'em] to shoot down intruders from 100 miles away....."WE got nutin' baby!" Good luck with that!! A great book; enjoy!!9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. OutstandingBy Steve DietrichThe book is a magnificent celebration of the birth; life and early demise of the F-14. Well written and filled with outstanding photographs this is the definitive F-14 book. The only problem is that the supply appears to be limited.Forty years ago I sat in class reading the case study on General Dynamics and the TFX; McNamara's one plane fits all solution to military procurement. Fortunately for our country seval Navy admirals sacrificed their careers to prevent that disaster from being imposed on the nation. Grumman stepped into the breach and delivered the F-14 which evolved to become one of the premier fighters and ground attack aircraft.My personal belief is that when the history of the 2000-2015 period is written; perhaps 30 or 40 years into the future; military historians will look back on the forced retirement of the F-14d's and follow on models as one of the tragic mistakes that cost the nation dearly. The premature retirement of the F-14d and the failure to follow on with a next generation fighter to carry the improved Phoenix missile increases the risk that the history of the next two decades night be written by the others; as is the privledge of the victor.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A very interesting readBy P. S. BreenIf you are looking for a highly technical book covering the inner workings of the F-14 Tomcat; this is not it. This book is a written history of the F-14 by an aviator who flew them. It's covers behind the scenes details of the struggle to upgrade engines and systems of the F-14 that would have made it into the aircraft it was intended to be. Most of the book covers operational deployments and the authors experiances.
