NMSU journalism professor and media historian Mary Lamonica, who writes professionally under the name Mary M. Cronin, published two new books over the summer. 

The first book is titled, "Adventure Journalism in the Gilded Age: Essays on Reporting from the Arctic to the Orient." The 249-page book is a collection of essays written by adventure journalists of the late 19th century.

According to the book's back-cover synopsis, "These new essays tell the stories of daring reporters, male and female, sent out by their publishers not to capture the news but to make the news -- indeed to achieve star billing -- and to capitalize on the Gilded Age craze for real-life adventures into the exotic and unknown."

Lamonica served as one of three editors who researched, compiled and edited the collection. The book was published in June 2021. 

Lamonica's second book is titled, "The Western Press in the Crucible of the American Civil War." Published in August of this year, the book examines how newspapers in the western U.S. responded to secession, war, and the postbellum aftermath. Lamonica served as one of two editors who conceived of, produced and edited the book. 

Professor Lamonica (aka Mary M. Cronin) is the author, editor or co-editor of four previous books and numerous scholarly articles on media history. She holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Miami.