In Spain, the words el camino real translate to “the road to the king.” In America, El Camino Real was an important road that began in Mexico City, where the king's representative lived, and ended at the north end of Front Street in Natchitoches, Louisiana. 

Although unknown to many, this road has shaped the history of the Southwest, from the founding of the state of Texas to the lawlessness of the Sabine Free State, a neutral strip that separated Louisiana from Texas before its independence. Once trod by herds of traveling buffalo, El Camino Real, also known as the Old Texas Trail, saw the union of Victoria Gonzales and Jean Baptiste DerBonne, a marriage that led to a temporary peace between the Spanish and the French. The road also influenced the career of outlaw and murderer John A. Murrell, who terrorized the neutral strip and searched for buried treasure.

Driven by the excitement and thrill of Nardini's writing style, readers will discover the adventures that took place on the Southland's busiest highway.

About the Author
Louis R. Nardini was born in Natchitoches in 1914. He attended St. Mary's Academy there and later Natchitoches High School. He studied at what is now known as Northwestern State University and was an active member of the university's football, basketball, baseball, and track teams. An avid student of history, Nardini has become a renowned scholar of the South.

NO MAN'S LAND
    A History of El Camino Real
By Louis R. Nardini
HISTORY / United States / General
HISTORY / United States / State & Local / Southwest
192 pp.  5 x 8
15 illus.  7 maps  Appendix  Biblio
ISBN: 9781565546110 pb