Dead in Their Tracks: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands

On assignment for Newsweek, noted photojournalist John Annerino journeyed deep into one of the least hospitable spots on the planet — the scorched 4,100-square-mile "empty quarter" that straddles Mexico and Arizona. There he met four Mexican nationals determined to cross a 130-mile trail illegally to find work to feed their families. Dead in Their Tracks is the record of their experience. Annerino's unflinching camera and sensitive text capture the lives of these men, along with the ranchers, Border Patrol trackers, and drug runners whose livelihoods also depend on this grim realm. Dead in Their Tracks' unforgettable images of anonymous travelers who may survive, and the bleached bones of those who did not, show the ultimate price sometimes exacted by an unforgiving nature — and by those who make policy in this area. 70 photographs and maps are featured in this harrowing chronicle of the dangers and struggles fought for a better way of life.