Arizona is a fascinating land of lofty mountains, spectacular canyons, ponderosa forests, living deserts, great rivers, mighty dams, broad mesas, mines, ranches, farms and orchards -- a land of contrasts and contradictions, never fully understood, but always loved by those who know the state. In this inaugural volume, Patrick Lavin explores and illuminates this 'land of contrasts', whose history is varied and fascinating as its landscapes. Complemented by illustrations and photographs, this volume traces Arizona from the prehistoric days of the Paleo-Indians to its admission into the Union in 1912, and beyond into the twenty-first century.