Texas Books

The author does and excptional job on cleaning up some of the objectionable language, and brings to the readers a truly enjoyable book on early "African safari" type activities. Something that young readers as well as old can enjoy.

November 2000, p 554 History of Science & Technology

38-1532 QL61 99-86898 CIP

Buck, Frank. Bring 'Em Back Alive: The Best of Frank Buck, ed. by Steven Lehrer. Texas Tech, 2000. 248p bibl index afp ISBN 0-89672-430-1, $28.95

In many ways, this is a delightful book. Buck was a familiar and heroic figure to many growing up in the 1930s and 1940s; the numerous illustrations recapture those days. The great zoos of the day owed much to him, partly for the specimens he obtained for them but even more for the publicity he generated and shared. His exploits could not and should not be repeated today, but that should not detract from the sense of adventure his stories evoke. His persona was mirrored in the white hunter in King Kong (the Fay Wray version), but his real life adventures were even more thrilling. The comments by Lehrer (Mount Sinai School of Medicine) are interesting and useful, and his choices of episodes from various of Buck's books are well done. All in all, this is an extremely entertaining book, illustrating a different time and written in a way that brings that time to life. General readers. -F W. Yow, emeritus, Kenyon College

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A timeless classic of adventure and daring for anyone who 'likes to sit on the edge of his chair and gasp for breath.'-New York Times, 1930 In 1930, the publication of Bring 'Em Back Alive, an instant best seller, made its author, Frank Buck, an international celebrity. These animal stories told by the intrepid Texas animal collector and jungle adventurer enraptured generations of boys. Buck spent his life capturing alive every kind of animal, from birds to snakes to elephants. Because there were no tranquilizer darts in those days, he learned to build traps and snares in ways that prevented injury to the animals he caught. Buck always accompanied his animals on shipboard to America to be sure they were well treated, and refused to sell to anyone who did not have an impeccable reputation for animal care. The creator of the Dallas zoo in the 1920s, Buck was a hero ranking with Lindbergh, Ruth, and Dempsey. The dashing and powerful Buck leapt easily from Simon and Schuster's published pages to the silver screen, portraying himself in Wild Cargo and Fang and Claw. This edition, expanded and edited by Steven Lehrer, captures not only the best of Frank Buck, but also the excitement and glamour of an era and lifestyle that still hold readers spellbound.

...

Between 1910 and 1940, when Frank Buck, the big jungle man, did most of his work, cruelty toward wild animals was generally condoned in the name of "hunting" or "sport."

That his trademark motto, "Bring 'em back alive," made him famous, however, indicates that even in his day human consciousness was high enough to appreciate his respect for animals. Today this consciousness is so widespread that no one could become a hero of his stature by trapping jungle animals for profit.

But he understood animals and respected them, even displayed toward them the care of a mother for her child. When they were injured or sick, he personally tended them, a risky business. A 600-pound tapir he was treating almost killed him. A python saw him as a meal, and a cobra spewed deadly venom in his eyes. Attacked by another cobra, he threw his coat over the snake and pounced on it. He held it beneath him as it wriggled to get free until aides could get a grip on its head and pull it out, like a bird extracting a worm from the ground. The python that had him in its grip was one of the very few he had to kill. He managed to get one arm free enough to reach his sidearm; then he put three rounds in the giant reptile's brain.

From his headquarters at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, he operated a collecting network that spanned the lush jungles of Malaya, Borneo, Sumatra and India. Over the years, he brought back hundreds of thousands of birds and animals of all kinds for sale to zoos, circuses and private collectors. In 1922, he provided Dallas with an entire zoo of more than 500 specimens. In 1948, he returned to his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, to dedicate the Frank Buck Zoo and the Frank Buck Zoological Society.

From Mr. Buck's eight books, Steven Lehrer has selected the "best" of the material. He has fine sensibilities as an editor. However, the books are so full of good, old-fashioned, movie-serial-type adventures in wild, exotic settings, that Mr. Lehrer could have closed his eyes and picked 19 chapters that would make a good collection. The surprising thing is that, until now, no one else has.

What few could have done better, however, is write the illuminating introduction summarizing Mr. Buck's early interest in animals and birds as a boy in Plano and along Turtle Creek, and his brief dalliance with crime, marriage and other enterprises before setting out on his lifelong search for "the source of the wind, the mouth of the river, the oceans to which the fish swam, and the far lands to which the birds flew."

Free-lance writer and reviewer Tom Dodge lives in Midlothian; his new book is Tom Dodge Talks About Texas.

Bridger, decendent of the reknown Mountain man, Jim Bridger, has written an outstanding book on two of history's most colorful and enduring icons of the American west and the dynamic process that each dealt with during the late 19th century America. Bridger is one the best entertainers in American today and this book only shows a small example of his profound abilities. Years of research and documentation of historical events pays tribute to truth, justice, and injustices, of the American West. This book should be a standard fare for all collegiate history classes and for the general public at large. History is always multi-sided and Bridger illustrates that to perfection. This is a must read. It will impress both scholars and the general public. BRAVO MR. BRIDGER! We look forward to the next! Sing on Great Spirit!

For years, Bobby Bridger has been presenting the story of Buffalo Bill in a musical act called Pahaska, a one-hour series of enthralling songs that tell the story of Bill Cody. Now, Bridger puts down the guitar and period garb from his act to show the history behind his art. In this historical tome, Bridger shows the serious academic side of his art. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the West. Bridger's look at how the modern romantic vision of the American West was created is intriguing and as captivating as his music.

For years, Bobby Bridger has been presenting the story of Buffalo Bill in a one-hour musical act that tells the story of Bill Cody in a series of enthralling songs. Now, with this historical tome, Bridger has completed the circle. This is the history behind Bobby Bridger's art. Bridger puts down the guitar and period garb used in his musical drama to show readers the serious academic side of his personality. If you want some intriguing inquiry and suggestion about how the modern vision of the romantic west was created, this book is a must read.

For years, Bobby Bridger has been entertaining audiences musically with his Ballad of the West. One of the hour sets, Pahaska, tells the story of Buffalo Bill in what Bridger describes as Homeric ballads. Now, Bridger puts aside the guitar and period garb to show his serious academic side. "Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull: Inventing the Wild West" is the history behind his music. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the old west and is an intriguing look into how the popular vision of it was created.

The authors received 138 responses to a survey about favorite photography books. The verbatim replies and brief commentaries are arranged by respondent; a bibliography lists the respondents who cited each book. A special page is devoted to "The Americans" by Robert Frank, and another special page to the 10 other top vote getters. Some of the choices were idiosyncratic (e.g., some authors touted their own work which no one else mentioned), but overall this book is indispensable. I especially liked the selection of books ABOUT photography (as opposed to BY photographers), such as "Camera Lucida" by Barthes. Although I would agree with the other reviewer below that books on non-artistic genres (e.g., news, sports, nature) are underrepresented, that's not an important issue for me.

The Texas Photographic Society cornered 100 people who have a connection to the photography world and said "hey, what are your 6 favorite photo books and why?" The result is this nice little book, a compilation of all those lists with a handy bibliography of all the books mentioned at the end. It's a great little reference. It would have been nice to have a few more selections from the world of documentary photography (important photographers such as James Nachtwey and Eugene Richards are barely mentioned, or even not at all), but I guess that's a reflection of the tastes of those who were surveyed for this book.

This book is a great compulation of over 100 recognized photographers and the books that they go to for inspiration. It's also a great buying guide for any photographers on your list that might be hard to buy for.
A great book, great ideas and a very interesting and unique concept in photographic book publishing.

This book is a great gift for anyone interested in any aspect of photography--and as a general reference book for a seasoned photographer or the apprentice photography student. The editors surveyed famous curators, gallery owners, photo journalists, photo teachers, art photographers from all over the country and compiled an exhaustive list of must-have books along with clever and informative annotations.

A very inexpensive and invaluable resource with a handy index. Buy it. You'll be glad you did.

I found this book to be a compelling page turner. The characters were complex and believable, the story one of redemption and rebirth. Much of what New Mexico is about. While there were some loose ends to the characters' lives, they were really peripheral. This is a book that fills you with hope about the greater community of man.

This is a must have book for anyone with any intrest in the Southwest, in the journey of the heart, in the journey of the soul, or in the occuurance of miricles! This book is about all of these, and so much more. Leslie makes both the people and the landscape come alive for the reader. It is a book that brings tears and laughter, and an incredible feeling of expansion to the heart and soul. Bravo!!

Frustrated Santa Fe artist, Whitney Slope, escapes the political games of the Santa Fe art world by heading into the mountain community of Mi Ojo ("My Eye"-a fictitious community representing the real communities that can be found around Santa Fe). He finds his soul in the authentic, rural community and his story is woven with that of his new landlord, Dominga Garcia de Jesus. Slope is brought to a refreshingly honest new way of life as he becomes involved in the stories of other people outside of the affluent community in Santa Fe.

The characters in this book are deep and well developed. The plot carries the reader through a world that is realistic to the area. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Santa Fe art gallery community contrasted with the rural Hispanic communities in the mountains. The high quality of the writing and the storyline make this book a must read for anyone who is looking for an excellent work of Southwest fiction.

A book that touches the heart and soul and bring the New Mexico culture, people and land alive.

Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit! is a most unusual American western, for it is set in the modern twenty-first century! Following the journey of a longhorn cattle driver as he herds his animals on a 1,000 mile journey across 21st Century America, it is a parable of faith, courage, and hard work pitted against forces of greed and corruption, and hearkens to the notion that honor is just as important now as it was one hundred and fifty years ago. An upbeat, enthusiastically gung-ho western read.

Steve Lodge has created a superb story with an unusual plot and unforgetable characters.This is a moving story with plenty of laughs mixed in to the drama. A fine job by an excellent story-teller.

Tough, old former Texas Ranger Charley Sunday faces two problems: he's bored, living with his long-time chum Roscoe on his broken down ranch near tiny, dusty Juanita, Texas, west of San Antonio; and far more seriously, he's nearly broke, and is facing the foreclosure of his land. His beloved grandson Henry-Ellis comes to stay with Charley while his parents are on vacation. Charley and his grandson have always had a special bond, and Charley dearly wants to pass on his rugged-and rapidly vanishing--frontier values to the boy, who is growing up in our high-tech urbanized, confusing world. While watching the classic John Wayne film Red River, they see a commercial about a herd of 300 genuine Texas longhorns that is being auctioned in Golden, Colorado. This becomes an itch that Charley has to scratch, and he heads to his favorite pool hall to do some "serious thinking." The bar is owned by his sometime sweetheart, the wealthy Flora-Mae. It turns out Charlie and Flora-Mae were thinking along the same lines, and they form a partnership, financed by Flora-Mae, to bring the herd back to her ranch so she can get back into the cattle business.

Charlie, Roscoe, Henry-Ellis and their old dog Buster head to Colorado to the auction. They run into their first of many obstacles from a very evil, abusive meatpacker named Pike who intends to buy the herd and turn it into fast-food hamburger. Pike sends his attorney, a young Indian named Rod to the auction to make a pre-emptive bid. But it turns out Charlie and his gang win the bidding. Their celebration is short-lived and is replaced by despair when they find Pike has convinced the trucking companies to not do business with Charley: he can't get the longhorns back to Texas.

Or can he...how about an old fashioned cattle drive across the West? Charlie is just desperate enough, and perhaps crazy enough, to attempt it. So off they go, accompanied by beautiful TV reporter Kelly King who thinks the cattle drive makes a unique human interest story-and also Rod, who has had enough of his boss Mr. Pike and switches sides.

Charley Sunday's Texas outfit faces the usual hardships all cattle drovers did, the weather, potential rustlers, the rough terrain and brutally long work days. But this cattle drive also faces unique challenges: how do you get cattle across an oil company's fields? Through an Air Force Base? It is then we enjoy the central theme of Stephen Lodge's simple, elegant and pleasantly sentimental story; Charley Sunday's indomitable will, the same pioneer spirit that conquered the West, will not allow him to quit, will not permit him to fail-especially not in front of his grandson. This may be the last chance the old man has to show Henry-Ellis what kind of young man Charley was in his glory days as a Texas Ranger. And for Henry-Ellis' part, it is a wonderful opportunity for adventure across the great, glorious West-much more fun than surfing the Internet or going on a fancy vacation in Hawaii with his mom and dad. "Take them to Texas, gentlemen," Charley tells his men at the start of the drive, echoing John Wayne in Red River. And over the course of the cattle drive, Henry-Ellis sees that his grandpa can ride, shoot, brawl-and fight for what he believes in--just like Duke himself.

Through Kelly's TV reports, the whole U.S. gets caught up in the cattle drive saga-reality TV at its very best. Pike turns out to be a particularly vengeful foe, who uses all his resources and contacts to keep Charlie from succeeding. Charley's outfit gets the cattle back to Juanita, Texas-but not without some unusual allies including a biker gang and the President of the United States.

Author Stephen Lodge is a veteran Hollywood screenwriter and actor, and it shows in the wonderfully visual style of this novel. Mr. Lodge takes you right into the middle of the action. The scenes move along at the clip of wild horses galloping across the prairie. In fact you wish he would slow down a little and spend more time describing the wonderful scenery and vistas they are traveling through. I would also have enjoyed learning more backstory about Charley's undoubtedly fascinating life and times.

If you loved the old West cattle drive novel (and TV movie) Lonesome Dove, you will love the vivid characters, warm relationships and fast-paced action of Steven Lodge's novel of the New West, Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit.

Reviewed by Brian Hill, co-author of "The Making of a Bestseller."

A cross-country cattle drive complete with cowboys on horseback would seem an unlikely occurrence in today's west. Using this idea as the premise for a modern novel would seem equally unlikely, yet author Stephen Lodge crafts a convincing tale in Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit!

When a rich villain prevents Charlie Sunday from transporting his recently acquired 300 head of Texas Longhorn cattle by truck or rail, Charlie organizes an outfit of colorful characters to drive them home - the old-fashioned way. The trip also presents him with an opportunity to provide his 10-year-old grandson, Henry-Ellis, with a character building adventure. Existing "livestock right-away statutes" supply plausibility for what would otherwise seem an unrealistic plot, but the drovers still encounter plenty of other natural and man-made obstacles along the way.

Action packed scenes devoid of gratuitous language and violence create an enjoyable read for the entire family, but this doesn't mean that the story is bland. The author's flair for witty dialog keeps the reader engaged: "Used to be in Texas a man settled his own problems," Charley said. "But that was when due process was a bullet."

Reminiscent of a quality western in the style of Louis L'Amour, Charley Sunday's Texas Outfit! draws a clear distinction between the good guys and bad guys. Readers longing for a family tale where justice prevails will be thrilled with this modern day saga.

Child of Many Rivers: Journeys to and from the Rio Grande. By Lucy Fischer-West, Foreword by Denise Chavez . Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press, 2005. xvi, 190 pages. 32 b/w photos, index. ISBN 0896725561.

This Child won the 2005 Southwest Book Award and was a 2006 WILLA Literary Award Finalist. Lucy Fischer-West teaches English at El Paso's Cathedral High School, and her students are lucky that she does. You are lucky if you read the volume. It started with contributions on her father and mother to the Texas Folklore Society. In the "Epilogue" she summarizes that "Rivers for me are a continuum, linking not only each other but also past and present and most importantly all the people who belong to them and have touched my life."
Her father was a German sailor, her mother was the "youngest and most beautiful girl in a family of twelve" in Camargo, Chihuahua. As young girl, Lucy patted tortilla balls beside the Conchos River, and as a mature woman she washed her hands in the Ganges and received a blessing from Sister Teresa. Her autobiographical essays lure the reader through the gifts of cultures. Whether she's sharing the aroma of the El Paso market, the horrible auto accident near the River Clyde, French rocks with Paulette, touring India and Nepal on the Rotary trip "to improve international understanding," Lucy's waters mingle in a beautiful human stream. Un millon de gracias, Lucy.

Lucy Fischer-West's memoir, Child of Many Rivers, recounts the story of people whose lives predate the author's, Fischer-West's own herstory, and the story of life that will outlive hers (by way of her son and those whose lives have intersected with hers). In this story, Fischer-West introduces us to her father and mother, one with roots in Germany, the other in Juarez, Mexico, respectively; she describes their meeting, their courtship, and eventual marriage, quite unorthodox, considering the two are very much set in their ways, being older like they are. They move from one place to another, the author using rivers, both literal and metaphorical, to document the course of their lives. Fischer-West weaves in her own life from early on to very recent, and that of her son's. As much as a book of this length and nature can be, it is pure poetry.

It is such a pleasure to read a Mexican American memoir that does not stop simply at the cusp of adulthood or at the edge of the barrio. The author's love for El Paso and Juarez shines through these pages, which are rich in detail and dedicated to demonstrating how people cope with, manage and accept "difference" on a daily basis; Child of Many Rivers made me think how such books are sorely needed in this age of conflict and suspicion across borders and cultures.

As a member of The Texas Folklore Society I received this book as a bonus from TFS. I read it in its entirety over one weekend--slowly, taking time with Ms. West's rich detailing of what it means to straddle two cultures from birth to adulthood. Lucy F. West's ability to recall in almost photograph detail her unique childhood wherein she literally had a foot in Mexico and a foot in Texas makes this book a good read.

The child of a Mexican teacher and a German immigrant father, her cultural influences were too many to catalogue in this small space, but they resulted in a unique perspective on what it means to be Mexican and American.

Her writing style is lucid and not the least pretentious. When plain language makes plain the meaning and intent of her ideas, she uses plain language. When using Spanish terms or Mexican folk expressions that may be foreign to Americans, she takes pains to explain them, which serves to enrich her stories.

She switches style or voice occassionally as she moves between childhood and adult episodes. This vareity in tone is welcomed since it has the effect of refreshing our interest in the levels of her story.

Ms. West has published other articles and several chapters in anthologies which I have found to be instructive and enlightening. I am really pleased to hear her "voice" in the longer book format.

Straightforward, without pretension, lucid and thought-provoking. Ms. West's book reminds us that this nation has eternally struggled with the issues of diversity and assimilation. Some, Ms. West for one, manage the assimilation beautifully while preserving the diversity. Bravo!

Chinqua Where? The Spirit Of Rural America, 1947-1955 is a heartfelt collection of short essays and memories about author Fred McKinley's life growing up in rural East Texas during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Life without indoor plumbing, central heating, or running water, and in a place where baths were in washtubs, the children went barefoot in the summer, and when the main forms of entertainment were wandering the woods, listening to a battery operated radio, or watching movies on Sunday afternoon, are all part and parcel of this vivid retelling of rural Texas childhood. A host of vivid impressions make for an unforgettable trip down memory lane and combine to make Chinqua Where? a superbly written and informative autobiography.

As a television talk show host and producer, I get so many books to read and review. I sat down to read only a few chapters of this one and wound up reading the entire book! CHINQUA WHERE? replicates rural life ANYWHERE, not just in Texas. Fred McKinley's chapters reminded me of stories told to me by my grandparents about days gone by in rural Pennsylvania. Lots of history, lots of laughs, lots of love!

I have just finished reading this book and I must admit that it has taken me a lot longer than I had expected. From the very beginning it was like stepping back in time to a place where I grew up. Back to a time when there were no freeways, telephones, computers or television sets. A place where a child could indulge in his own imagination, thinking his own thoughts and not what some Hollywood writers had put into his head. The reason that I took so long to finish this book was because I wanted to savor every single story in it. I grew up in this age and in the same general area, so I remember the court house at San Augustine. I also remember terms like "turtle hull" and I remember when cars had the dimmer switch on the floor. I had not heard the term "turtle hull" for so long that I had forgotten it. Each story was like a small mini-vacation that allowed me for one brief period of time, to escape from the hectic world that we live in and return to a peaceful, more carefree world. I am grateful to Mr. McKinley for writting this book and for helping to perserve these memories and for sharing them with us. I think this book would be excellent for the older generations to help bring back memories of the past and also for the younger generation to let them know that there really was a time when kids didn't have indoor plumbing, telephones, computers and television.

McKinley's book, with its candid "down home" flavor provides a refreshing look back at a simpler time in American life. The author's narrative voice--that of the mischievous, carefree boy he was in those "good old days"--relates with warmth and humor his recollections of "the way things were" during his happy boyhood in rural Chinqua. A charming collection of anecdotes that celebrates the fundamental customs and values of rural America.

I loved Christmas in Canaan. I especially liked when they got their Christmas tree and how they put it in the house!

This is a great book that does indeed have the feeling and makings of tv movie. I personally know Donald Davenport today and I am positive he did not grow up in rural Texas as a young black child. The dustcover obviously displays an adult WHITE Donald Davenport just as he looks today. The book is a story. Fiction. It is a book idea by Kenny Rogers brought to life by Donald. It is not a recollection of an oppressed mans views of his childhood. Please consider this book in your purchases of a quick read that will make you smile and think!

This is a story set in a small town in Texas. Rodney and DJ are the main characters. Rodney is a young black boy who is being raised by his grandmother. He is very smart and does well in school. DJ has to work hard and study to get by in school. One day Rodney and DJ get in a fight. They are made to spend the night at each others house as punishment. They start to become friends despite how different they are.
The book moved at a fast pace. It kept the attention of the reader well.

I would recommend the book to kids ages 11-14. They will gain a lot of knowledge from the story.

Whoever declared that this book is "... clearly the childhood memoirs of a grown up, black, Donald Davenport..." did not even look inside the back cover.

Donald Davenport is my first cousin (our fathers - both now deceased)were brothers - and we share the same and equal parts of Scotch-Irish and English roots!

Pleeeeease... just read the book, and don't make this a racial issue, or review. It is a wonderful and heart-warming book. As a writer, myself, I would recommend it to everyone. I have a copy for my grandchildren.

harleybagheera

This is a book about a bit of history I had never knew about.

It is a great read, very interesting.

I went to school on Galveston Island and the disaster was discussed during the anniversary of the horrific event, so I was pleased to get a very readable account. Short chapters make it easy for even the busiest reader to get through. It has intrigue,politics,race relations,corporate greed and human interest antedotes. The author is from Texas so he is able to add some of the regional seasoning to the story. Was glad to see there was some follow up of the main characters years after the event. A must read!!!

As a fan of disaster books, I was surprised to find that I had never read about the Texas City explosion. Apparently it was soon forgotten and I am dismayed, but not surprised, at the outcome for the survivors.
This book clearly outlines the explosion and aftermath. However,it would certainly have been helpful to have some maps as the photographs were taken afterwards and it is sometimes difficult to get oriented.
I am actually rating this a 4.5, mainly because the writing style is very composed and almost flat. While I am not a fan of exclamation points and screaming capital letters, the author is a bit too detatched. I would like to have had a bit more emotion in the telling of what was certainly a major tragedy.

Mr. Minutaglio's City on Fire was very hard to put down after the first few pages. A priest foreshadows his own death in the Texas City Disaster. You feel like you really get to know the people in the story, which is amazing since it covers the whole town's experience leading up to and following the ammonium-nitrate explosions. It wasn't too long ago this explosion happened in sight of known history. However, little do we learn from the past as we watch big goverment, big business, greed and human ignorance take us down similar paths that we are helpless to control collectively, whereas individuals find grace by doing what they believe to be right.

Jack Bell's "Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance" is a superb black and white photographic catalog of ammunition for heavy artillery (4" and larger.) It is the natural companion to Olmstead, Stark and Tucker's "The Big Guns." The book is geared more toward the collector than as a technical historical reference, but still can fill the latter role in many ways. While a picture might not be worth a full thousand words, it certainly helps.

The first 470 pages contain introductory text, a glossary, and the catalog of heavy ordnance. The next 26 pages contain a photographic catalog of torpedoes (mines.) Thirty pages of appendices follow, and the book ends with a bibliography and index.

The heavy ordnance is divided into two sections: large smoothbore projectiles, and rifled projectiles. The smoothbore section is subdivided into: shot, shell and case shot; canister; and grape. Rifled projectiles are then subdivided into twenty-seven major types and one miscellaneous group.

The general form of each entry is a brief introduction of a page or several pages about the type (Archer, Hotchkiss, Dyer, etc.) and then the following pages contain one to three images of each size and type of projectile of that type. When three images of a given projectile are provided they are viewed straight on from top, bottom, and side. Some images of shell or case are half sections. Entries below each set of photographs provide diameter, length, weight, gun, sabot, fuze, rifling, rarity, provenance, and comments.

My quibbles with this work are minor. Some of the recessed spaces and contour relief are difficult or impossible to interpret with a 90-degree angle view and no shadows. Case shot appears to have been under represented. Projectile counts and burst charges (known or estimated) are largely omitted.

Although the text introductory sections for each type are short, they provide some answers to long standing puzzles. For example the Archer projectiles are finally attributed to the correct Archer, Dr. Robert Archer. The Mullane has been renamed the "Tennessee" and attributed to the correct actual designer, Capt. Lardner Gibbon.

The appendices are also particularly useful. There is a list of missing and unaccounted for rounds in Appendix A, a list of rifling types by caliber in Appendix B, as well as the detailed review of rifled sabot systems in Appendix C.

Lamentably, this book (like "The Big Guns") is not on many Civil War site bookstore shelves, although I did see one at the naval museum in Columbus, Georgia.

It has been a long awaited moment in my 40+ years of experience in dealing with artillery projectiles of the American Civil War to see a book of this caliber in print. It is the most comprehensive guide or research tool for those with an interest in this field. It is appropriate for the novice and the more proficient.

Mr. Bell, along with a multitude of hours doing research and the aide of his peers, was able to compile an impressive array of photographs (350+) and information for the reader.

The book references shells from 4" and up; including round balls, projectiles, torpedoes, land mines, and a chapter on sabot designs.

I highly recommend Mr. Bell's book to those who want to expand their knowledge of Civil War heavy artillery.

Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance: A Guide To Large Artillery Projectiles, Torpedoes, And Mines by Civil War expert Jack Bell is a straightforward, highly specialized, exhaustively detailed, 537-page reference to the large munitions employed in the Civil War. A brief introduction and glossary enhance this unique volume, yet the bulk its pages are devoted to specific ammunitions with each shell accompanied by a black-and-white photograph as well as scale measurements, brief commentary, dimensions, and a listing of where they were most often used. Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance is a truly impressive and invaluable resource for Civil War historians and military history buffs.

CIVIL WAR HEAVY EXPLOSIVE ORDANCE, by well-known collector JACK BELL, presents an in-depth study of Civil War heavy artillery projectiles, mines and torpedoes. His lifelong association with the CW artillery fraternity provided access to public and private collections containing heretofore-unknown examples of heavy munitions. The author's meticulous research uncovered buried and previously overlooked information and provided important technical and geographic information vital for the in-depth study of the use of heavy explosive ordnance in the war. The result is a highly documented reference source that closes a thirty-year information gap, and significantly advances the state of knowledge about the development and deployment during the war.

CIVIL WAR HEAVY EXPLOSIVE ORDANCE is a necessary tool for the serious artillery collector yet provides interesting reading for the student of general Civil War history. The book contains over 1000 clear photographs and multiple views of the 360 projectiles and 22 torpedoes and mines. Jack Bell's presentation is lucid and while professionally technical is delivered in an extremely readable style.