Colorado: A History of the Centennial State, Fourth Edition

"[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 this revised edition, co-authors Carl Abbott, Stephen J. Leonard, and Thomas J. Noel incorporate more than a decade of new events, findings, and insights about Colorado in an accessible volume that general readers and students will enjoy.

The new edition tells of conflicts, new 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 balanced coverage 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, this new edition broadens its coverage. The authors expand their discussion of the twentieth century with several new chapters on the economy, politics, and cultural conflicts of recent years. In addition, they address changes in attitudes toward the natural environment as well as the contributions of women, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans to the state. Dozens of new illustrations, updated statistics, and an extensive bibliography of the most recent research on Colorado history enhance this edition.

Praise for Colorado: A History of the Centennial State, Third Edition"

"Abbott pulls no punches; his insights are perceptive and refreshing...This book is worthwhile; it turns up nuggets in the pan and keeps the reader searching for more"
- The Journal of American History

"A challenging, informative, scholarly, and thoroughly engaging study that will be of great use to students."
- Pacific Historical Review

"An exciting, professionally competent history of the State of Colorado that far exceeds the traditional state history."
- Journal of Historical Geography

Thomas J. Noel, also known as "Dr. Colorado", teaches history at the University of Colorado at Denver where he is the director of Public History, Preservation & Colorado Studies, and is a columnist for the Denver Post. He has served as a Denver Landmark Commissioner and chair during the 1970s and 1980s and is a National Register Reviewer for Colorado. He is the author or coauthor of forty-one books on Colorado.

Carl Abbott is professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University.

Stephen J. Leonard is professor and chair of the Department of History at Metropolitan State College.