Texas Books

After reading the Five-Star reviews of Ruling Pine Ridge I immediately ordered a copy anticipating a scholarly historical treatment of the political climate and governmental history of Pine Ridge. And I wasn't disappointed; it is a well-written narrative carefully explaining the cultural, social and political history of Pine Ridge vis-à-vis American colonialism in the period between the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) and the takeover and ransacking of Wounded Knee (WK II) in 1973. Although it is difficult not to indulge either side of the forces at play, Professor Reinhardt does an admirable job of finding the correct balance between both sides in the cultural struggle. He proves his point eloquently that the federal presence continued through not-so-subtle colonial authority.

There was only one area where Ruling Pine Ridge left a little doubt; by describing the "reign of terror" period between WK II, the murder of two FBI agents in 1975, and the subsequent conviction of Leonard Peltier where Professor Reinhardt sourced Ward Churchill and Peter Matthiessen. Although arguably inaccurate to use these two sources alone, in deference to Professor Reinhardt it was used only as an anecdotal reference to demonstrate there was ongoing tension after WK II.

Ruling Pine Ridge is a must-read and an important resource for anyone seeking an in-depth and intellectual understanding of the dynamics between federal authority and Indian affairs on the Reservations.

"Ruling Pine Ridge: Oglala Lakota Politics From The IRA To Wounded Knee" by "Akim D. Reinhardt (Associate Professor of History, Towson University, Maryland) draws upon oral histories, council records, and reservation newspapers to provide an historical survey and analysis of the Oglala Lakota reservation in South Dakota during the mid-twentieth century when it was evolving from being directly run by the federal government , to indirect colonialism under the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), to the 1973 occupation and siege of Wounded Knee as the culmination of dissatisfaction with how reservation autonomy was being hampered by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. Professor Reinhardt amply supports his thesis that the siege was not simply a political stunt of the American Indian Movement, but a genuine grassroots protest that was developing over the previous forty years. A work of impeccable and detailed scholarly research (some of which had never been previously accessed by historians), that should be a part of every university library's Native American Studies reference collection, "Ruling Pine Ridge" is a seminal study that is an academically impressive, substantively informative, and thoughtfully insightful.

Quite a bit has been written about the Oglala Lakota and their history in the 1800s. How many more books about Crazy Horse do we need anyway?
After the Wounded Knee Tragedy of 1890, scholars and popular historians seem to lose interest in the Lakota.
They're still here, and the Pine Ridge Reservation, where the Oglala reside, has become infamous as one of the poorest places in the world's wealthiest nation.
Akim Reinhardt has written an in-depth look at the political history of the Oglala in the 20th Century.
As an outsidider looking in, one hates to judge the Oglala or dictate solutions to internal problems, but even the most casual observer can see that the current tribal government is dysfunctional and clearly in need of a new constitution.
Reinhardt provides valuable insight into how the reservation became what it is today. It's a valuable resource for anyone interested in reforming the current government.

Robin Hardy is an awesome author with a way of spinning a story that draws you in and holds you. The characters of Sammy and Marnie are far from perfect, but oh so very real. What makes them real is that the issues they deal with don't get "fixed" magically at the end of the book, they undergo a process including the dawning of awareness and consciuous recognition of the effect of their actions and then they begin the road of growing into a better person, still flawed but obviously trying. Every Sammy story contains a mystery inside the main mystery that will keep the reader guessing.

Great book, Great author - I highly recommend all of her books in the Sammy Series.

While reading this book, I kept murmuring to myself, "Oh, Sammy! How do you find yourself in these predicaments time and again?" This book, number 5 in the series, continues the tale of the ongoing adventure of Sammy Kidman and his wife, Marni. I finished this book the day I started, and read it even while I should have been doing my coursework for college (whoops!) but I just couldn't put it down! It seemed that with every detective assignment completed, there was a new complication in his personal life. But by the grace of God, he carries on and presses onward, trusting that he will survive and that all will work out in God's timing. "Misunderstandings" is a book that tells of faith and trust, and to be perfectly honest and open, I learned a lot, and found some things in my own life that were in need of change. The Sammy series is great for any reader. Lots of mystery, some love, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes. If you've read the other Sammy books, I don't know what's keeping you from getting this one! You already know what a great writer Robin is, and I'm sure you're itching to see what trouble Sammy's got himself into this time. And if you haven't read the other books, I have only one thing to say: In the wise words of Mike Masterson... "GET ON IT!"

Sammy is back and, as always, up to his big blue eyes in trouble. This time, some "little misunderstandings" threaten his friendships, his marriage and even his life. Fun and fast paced like the earlier books, "Little Misunderstandings" really is the best of the series. I can't wait for the next one.

After reading the first Sammy book, I knew I HAD to get the second one. Sammy: Women Troubles is the amusing, insightful, addictive second book in the Sammy series, by Robin Hardy. Like almost all the other books by Robin that I've read, once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down! What's great about these books is that Robin never runs out of material--there's always soemthing more she can write about--always something going on. Not many writers can do that. The Sammy books surprised me again and again with one shocking event after another. And of course, this being the second book you just GOTTA read the first one... it's definitly worth it.

Many Christians think we should instanly become "perfect" after our conversion to Christ. No way. We still have struggles with life and "sin" habits. Sammy is no exception. BUT he is trying to live the life Christ would have him to. Sammy knows prayer is the answer to the help he needs with these struggles.
Sammy is real.
Since Sammy is a detective he lives in a real world were there is evil all around and he is dealing with it through Christ.
Excitment is part of Sammy's life as well as unexpected surprises.

I couldn't put it down.

I fell in love with Sammy from the very first of Book One, "Sammy: Dallas Detective," and have been eagerly awaiting Book Two in this series. "Women Troubles" is a fun, exciting adventure from Dallas to New York to LA and back to Dallas again. Lovable Sammy's "women troubles" get more and more complicated but, as always, he handles them with his abundant charm. I can't wait for Sammy III!

Robin Hardy's Sammy is as irresistible as always in his newest adventure, "Working for a Living." He's constantly in trouble, with only his wits and his guts and his charisma to get him out and, of course, his faith and his intrepid wife, Marni, to back him up. As a lifelong Dallas area resident, it's always fun for me to "recognize" the locations in a book. Even the merciless Dallas heat rings true in "Working for a Living." It's an A-Number One summer read! I can't wait for more books in the series.

Once a cop, always a cop... When Detective Sammy Kidman tries to get into a safer workplace and work at some "normal" jobs, he finds that working outside the force isn't as easy as it looks. Sure, he gets quite a few job offers, but very few "fit" him. The incredible circumstances he encounters, doubled with the smart, touching, humorous writing of Robin Hardy makes for a great read. Once you start reading the Sammy series (beginning with Sammy: Dallas Detective) you wont' be able to stop!!

This newest Sammy book is great!It is funny and I enjoyed it even more than the last one.
Everything is going great for Sammy, he has a loving wife, a child whom he considers a miracle, and he's considering finding a safer job. But when he's unexpectedly fired he finds that finding a better job is harder than he thought. Later in the book Sammy is rehired and thrown into a case that will test his courage and faith.
I think this is now one of my favorite Robin Hardy book and I eagerly await the next book in this series.

I got this book as a Christmas present, as the giver knew of my affection for Mr. Thompson's art. It captures the colors and style of San Antonio and the Southwest extremely well.

I was fortunate enough to attend college with the artist, Bill Thompson, and see his work back in the day. It's a pleasure to see his beautiful representations of this wonderful city, and this book will be a wonderful remembrance for anyone who's visited San Antonio or wants to.

This book is a wonderful depiction of San Antonio interpreted through the artist's unique and bold style. A great coffee table book, gift for anyone who collects WB Thomson's work or has a connection to San Antonio.

I first moved to Texas, in this case San Antonio, in the winter of 1973. Of course, I went to the Alamo. Interesting, but then I asked, "Why didn't the Mexican army follow up after San Jacinto?" No one knew, but that question has stuck in my head all these years--until now. This book is an excellent resource, examining not only the archeological evidence, but the diaries, orders and personalities of all involved.

This book is the definitive work on the events following the Battle of San Jacinto. The authors extensive research into the Mexican and the Texicans side of the story makes for a fascinating tale from a formative period in our great states history.

I want to share Jim McKone's description (Museum of South Texas)of the book:
The author describes "the battle and aftermath that changed history. Dimmick, an avocational archeologist, discovered an Army site plus artifacts discarded in the mud that had been unknown to history more than 150 years. He is a medical doctor, a pediatrician with the South Texas Medical Clinics in Wharton, Tex.

Eight years of historical research, in which he learned Spanish to study documents from Mexico, resulted in the Texas State Historical Association in Austin publishing his unique book. "Sea of Mud" finds the truth of what happened before, during and after the battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. The 400-page book, illustrated and with maps, throws fresh light on one of world history's most decisive battles.

Both published and unpublished documents from the defeated army tell what really happened, and why. Several Spanish documents are printed in English for the first time in Dimmick's book.

The author did his undergraduate work at Texas A&M University and received his M.D. in 1977 from the University of Nebraska Medical School. Born and raised in Wyoming, he admits he "knew next to nothing about Texas history" before working eight years on a military classic.

Born in El Paso, raised nearby, lived another 20 years there: I can testify that these are wonderful recipes. Also, the information about the area is accurate and interesting. I own two printings of this book, and have bought it for friends and daughters-in-law (so they would know how to cook for my sons!). All in all, a fine publication.

I've had my copy of Seasoned with Sun since 1978 and am purchasing this version for my 3 grown daughters. This cookbook has grown up with our family (I was raised in El Paso but moved away in 1979) and am thrilled that two family "must-haves" are still in - Jim's Carrot Cake and Sour Cream Banana Pecan Cake.
This book has made me look good for years - now it's my daughters' turn!

This must be the BEST Junior League Cookbook around. It is beautiful, with wonderful Southwestern illustrations. It's layout is unique and easy to use with great tips and hints. All the recipes were thoroughly tested by local families. But the best part of all is the great Southwestern (Mexican) recipes that are easy to follow - no weird ingredients unless reasonable substitutes are listed. And they are absolutely delicious. This is a cut above. It sounds like I'm in Junior League, but I'm not - I just LOVE the cookbook. I found it here because I want to send one to a friend in another part of the country. It's a real favorite of mine.

This book made me laugh and it made me cry! The childhood stories are so funny! And at the same time, the story is heartfelt and touching. My husband may read 1, perhaps 2 books a year, as English isn't his first language. It usually takes him a couple of months to get through a book. He couldn't put this book down and read it within a few days. We both highly recommend "Secrets Under the Bridge"!

Secrets Under the Bridge was given to me as a gift and has turned out to be one of my all-time favorites. I now give it as a gift and get rave reviews. This book is a real jewel!

I loved the book. Really good story telling. Character development is solid. You get to know the characters. The oldest brother is a hoot! A real family terrorist! I'm surprised the author lived to tell about it. This book is for all age groups. Especially those who lived through that era or those who want to learn what childhood during the war years was like. You can't go wrong buying Secrets Under the Bridge!

How do you raise a child diagnosed with autism? "See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism" is Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe's story of dealing with it. Look at the growing number of autism spectrum diagnoses, she wonders - is the diagnosis system improving, or is there something wrong with modern health? The numbers, while important, speak of nothing of the daily troubles parents must face. As she began to come to terms with her autistic son, she wrote her story down in "See Sam Run: A Mother's Story of Autism", highly recommended for community library collections.

I preordered See Sam Run, and started reading it the day it arrived in my mailbox. The next morning, when I woke up with a stomach upset, I was thankful that I could call in sick and finish reading it.

This book took me on a familiar journey thorough the haze of denial, the thick fog of despair that descends when denial is no longer possible, then through the maze of discovery trying to find a professional who would listen without condescension or judgment, and provide the help we needed. What a relief to learn that I am not the only mother who has harbored those thoughts and feelings, faced the cold, bare truth, and fought and clawed her way through that maze.

The picture this narrative paints of Sam's day to day life helped me clarify and map our own journey. I cried traveling back through those painful memories. I cried for my son and Sam, for Peggy and Mark and me. Taking the journey with and through another helped heal the scars.

I laughed too. I laughed at the quirky, funny boy that is Sam. I laughed at the captions he wrote for the pictures. I laughed in relief that we have found, after all that running, an easier pace.

My son is not autistic. He has Sensory Integration Dysfunction. I'm not sure if he has something else because we gave up trying to find out. We decided to just deal with it. He now compensates beautifully.

There are many resources in the back of this book to help ease the journey other parents and children face. This book provides a map through the maze.

When a parent admits something is wrong and that they need help, why is it so torturous to find that help? That's the question I was left with after reading this book; and that is the question that needs an answer. You see, I'm not the only mother and Sam is not the only son!

Very touching book. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. This is one book I will let people know about.

I got this for my mom for Christmas and she was thrilled. It has some exquisite clothes in it. I was a little disappointed that some of the dresses were in two or more pictures without necessarily revealing more about the dresses, BUT I don't regret buying it because what's there is eye-popping, anyway.

This book covers the years of 1877 to 1922. I purchased it originally for assistance in dating old photographs by dress clues. It's a great resource in that regard, and if I were a student of costume I would certainly want a copy of this book. There are color photos and detail shots on almost every other page that show the beauty and workmanship that went into the dressmakers' craft. All this is accompanied by a series of essays on Cincinnati, dressmakers, the social functions of dress and how it changed during this era. Beautiful and readable!

When you think of fashion splendor, you seldom think of Cincinnati Ohio. Perhaps that is just as well because it keeps this treasure hidden. The Cincinnati Art Museum is a jewel box of amazing fashions and has been working diligently for decades to collect work which is at once art and delightfully wearable (if only in your mind). This book exhibits the things you want to marvel in front of, but can't. Perfect photos and text capture the feel of the garments to a tee. It is the next best thing to standing in front of a rich display of fabulous creations.