Praise for the previous editions:
"[A] well-illustrated, well-balanced volume. . . . The three authors incorporate the right quotes to paint the essence of the moment, provide insight, or capture the life and times. . . . [A]n excellent volume for students and the general public to learn the history of Colorado."
—New Mexico Historical Review
"[A] diverse and comprehensive reference book that belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the state's history."
—Boulder Daily Camera
"For those of us who tour the Rockies on vacation, a good one-volume history of Colorado is essential. We now have a new edition of Colorado: A History of the Centennial State, a thick and well-illustrated history."
—Westerners' Signals
Since 1976, newcomers and natives alike have learned about the rich history of the magnificent place they call home from Colorado: A History of the Centennial State. In the fifth edition, coauthors Carl Abbott, Stephen J. Leonard, and Thomas J. Noel incorporate recent events, scholarship, and insights about the state in an accessible volume that general readers and students will enjoy.
The new edition tells of conflicts, shifting alliances, and changing ways of life as Hispanic, European, and African American settlers flooded into a region that was already home to Native Americans. Providing a balanced treatment of the entire state's history—from Grand Junction to Lamar and from Trinidad to Craig—the authors also reveal how Denver and its surrounding communities developed and gained influence.
While continuing to elucidate the significant impact of mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism on Colorado, the fifth edition broadens and focuses its coverage by consolidating material on Native Americans into one chapter and adding a new chapter on sports history. The authors also expand their discussion of the twentieth century with updated sections on the environment, economy, politics, and recent cultural conflicts. New illustrations, updated statistics, and an extensive bibliography including Internet resources enhance this edition.