College employee D.H. Figueredo publishes new book

By: Andrew Mees, Director of Institutional Communications and Campaign Marketing                           communications@bloomfield.edu

Bloomfield College Director of Library and Media Services D.H. Figueredo is educating readers on how the West was truly won, as the scholar published his latest book, “Revolvers and Pistolas, Vaqueros and Caballeros: Debunking the Old West” in December of 2014.

“This book is not a revisionist history,” said Figueredo of his latest work. “It is a retelling of the history of the West accenting the nuances that made the adventure a multicultural experience. But the value of my book, though, is the attempt at giving credit where credit is due.”

Showcasing findings that have been overlooked by popular American history, Figueredo puts forth that the language of Spanish actually was the first European language spoken in the Old West, and the original cowboys and pioneers of the time period were not Anglos, but Spanish and Mexican conquistadores and adventurers. 

The longtime College employee also illustrates the original Forty-Niners who rushed to California for gold in 1849 were not from the East Coast, but were from Mexico, Chile and Peru – with a song they sung while mining in the region eventually becoming the popular song “My Darling Clementine”, one of countless historical tales told throughout the full-length work.

A decorated scholar in addition to his role at Bloomfield, Figueredo holds master’s degrees in Caribbean and Latin American studies from New York University and library science from Rutgers University. An accomplished author, his published works include Greenwood’s “Encyclopedia of Caribbean Literature”, “Encyclopedia of Cuba: People, History, Culture” and “A Brief History of the Caribbean”.  

“I have been told the book is a good read, and that is important,” he said of “Revolvers and Pistolas”. “Ultimately, though, I want the reader to enjoy the adventure of the Wild West and to remember that it was the effort of many nations – also including Native American nations and tribes – that create what today we call the Southwest.”

“Revolvers and Pistolas, Vaqueros and Caballeros: Debunking the Old West” is available for purchase through all major book retailers. Click here to read more about D. H. Figueredo’s latest book.

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