Texas Books

I seldom am touched enough by a book to write a review but this book is remarkable. The relationships are tender and meaningful - perfect examples of what grandparents and parents as well should be to children. Humor abounds as well as sentiment and good sound thinking, living ,and loving. All that and the story line fascinates.

Ruby and the Stargazers is a nostalgic trip down memory lane for those who grew up in a small town in the fifties. Elvis, a Thunderbird, and colorful characters make this engaging tale come alive for the reader. It's a folksy, funny, and heartwarming tale which leaves the reader with an excellent message about the importance of family.

Marci Henna is a fireside and her warm heart flickers on the pages of this novel. She has a talent for penning the small, almost incidental details, of life that hold all of the big emotions that we are sometimes afraid to feel and express. A heartwarming read for anyone.

From the moment I picked up this book the cover drew me in like
no other that I recall. I had to know what was inside. They say you can't go back home - but Marci Henna takes you there and
it's a most delightful journey. It reminded me about alot of
childhood memories and values that I was happy to have brought back to life. I loved the line - "My life had felt so full, but now I knew it was simply busy" and "Autumn" on page 15.

Having grown up in Texas near the same era the book is set in, I found myself identifying with the colloquialisms and small town living. Reading the book, I anxiously turned pages wanting to uncover the secrets that drove a wedge between Juliet and her sister. I hope there is a sequel!

I could not put it down. I can't wait to read the second in the series, Dead Copy.

This novel was a bit longer than my normal cozy fare, but I finished it in the same amount of time. The author really did keep my interest the entire time. I actually found the mystery itself to be a little boring and farfetched, but, in the end, none of that seemed to matter. The heroine was very real and likeable. I also apprecite that the heroine actually has a job, as a journalist, that is conducive to a mystery series. It's plausible that this character could actually stumble over a dead body or two.

Scoop has it all - a Texas twang - bad guys, funny women, and parrot - what more do you want for pure entertainment? Seriously this book is smart, really fast paced (I didn't want to put it down) and gave me one of my favorite lines from a book I've ever read (I'm going to quote it often!). Kudos Kit, now hurry and write some more!

Author is exhibiting a fresh approach and hope more books are coming.

Cauley MacKinnon might just be the sexy, less jaded, Texan younger sister of Kinsey Millhone that we've all been hoping would show up as Sue Grafton's series winds its way through to Z. Kit Frazier's a talented newcomer with a sharp pen and intriguing setting far from the over-worked burbs and suburbs of New York and Los Angeles. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

"Soldiering For Freedom" by Herman J. Obermayer.
Subtitled: "A GI's Account Of World War II.
Texas A& M University, Military History Series, 98. (2005).

This book is a personal memoir that is different from most. Herman J. Obermayer, at the age of eighteen, was drafted in June 1943. From his entry into the Army at the New Cumberland Army Reception Center, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania until his return from Europe to the United States on the ship, "Colby Victory", he wrote his parents. His last letter is dated March 30, 1946. These letters, collected during the war years, formed the foundation for this book. At first, I thought I would not like the format of printed edited versions of Obermayer's letters, but then, I found that the author has woven the letters into a sort of personal and contemporary commentary on the events that were occurring at the date of each letter. So, for example, you will find his letters from the College of William and Mary, where Obermayer trained in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), intertwined with a rather detailed explanation of the Army Specialized Training Program, its goals, and that the fact that some 150,000 GIs were assigned to some 222 colleges and universities as ASTP students, and, for completeness, a brief history of the College. Due to his high score on the Army General Classification Test, Herman Obermayer was initially assigned to ASTP, so the former Dartmouth student entitled this chapter as "Back To College As A Soldier".

Basic training, troopship crossings and awaiting combat are all dealt with in individual chapters, which, again, mix Obermayer's contemporary correspondence with succinct summaries of the status of the war in the European Theater of Operations, ETO. An interesting chapter deals with the war against the French, our nominal allies, who were robbing gasoline from the American pipelines. On pages 100-101, the author gives an incidence of the French actually sabotaging a train, resulting in the death of some 200 American soldiers. "Censorship kept the news of this event out of the U.S. press." Even today, the there is little written about it.

The author has provided B&W contemporary photos of himself, his friends and some of interesting events he describes in the book. Additionally, the author has prepared an interesting map, showing his World War II trek across the ETO, and then marking the places he visited, including Paris, the Riviera and Geneva, Switzerland, where he was a student after the end of hostilities. This is an interested and very detailed book.

Soldiering For Freedom, a collection of letters to his parents, describes what World War II was like for G.I.'s whose logistic support made possible the effectiveness and heroism of front-line combat troops. Obe was one of thousands who maintained and protected the pipe line that fueled the spectacular advances of Patton's Third Army. Well-written, a "good read"...his writing brings long overdue recognition to the unsung role of "back area" veterans. Obermayer is gifted with a seeing eye and a feeling heart. His vivid 1944-46 descriptions of France and Germany and his reactions to what he witnessed reminds us that French anti-Americanism was reciprocated by the average G.I., and that black marketeering and fuel theft was greatly responsible for prolonging the war.
This excellent book is a "coming of age" memoire of a patriotic Jewish G.I. from an affluent "Ivy League" background becoming a natural and inevitable part of the American community, that unique bonding of diverse citizens learning to work together sharing a love of country and flag.
These letters remind veterans of the daily "Mail Call's" ability to sustain family bonds in wartime...maintaining contact with the "real" world. Sixty years later in "Soldiering For Freedom" Obermayer wins his personal battle with Time by gathering up and preserving memory. history

Mr. Obermayer's book is an excellent read. The chapters feature a summary and then copies of Mr. Obermayer's letters to his family during World War II.

What makes Mr. Obermayer's story interesting is that he was a young man who didn't like the Army, but did his best to serve his country.

Every since the movie "Saving Private Ryan," and the book "The Greatest Generation," the public has viewed WWII veterans as people who were on a crusade. "Soldiering for Freedom" brings back the facts of 1940 military life we've forgotten. He describes:

* The hurry up and wait so common to military operations.
* The dependence on rumors for information and the concurrent frustration of not knowing what's happening.
* The forming and training and then re-forming and retraining. He goes through a dizzying number of programs and units: college based technical training, Combat Engineer battalion, Airborne Engineer battalion, a medic in a Fuel line detachment, and legal clerk.
* The senseless and unfair rules: officer only facilities of higher quality than the enlisted men were provided, censor ship of his mail, working for officers and noncommissioned officers who had less intellegent and/or education than him, etc.
* The resentment and lack of support from liberated French people for the war effort.

This is a part of the Army and the war that use to be shown in the television show "Sergeant Bilko" or the "Sad Sack" comic books--Civilians with an uneasy alliance to military life who often spent their time in uniform doing the best with what little the Army gave them.

Mr. Obermayer brings vividly alive a GI's life in the final years of World War II in Europe and the occupation that followed. But he also finds lessons in that period that inform us today-- especially his insights into the ongoing conflict between the United States and France that had fertile roots in 1944 and 1945.

I cannot praise Mr. Obermayer too highly. So much of what we think we know we learn from the media these days--and so much of what we think we know about World War II and 'the greatest generation'-- is so much hogwash. When we get discouraged at how things are going in Iraq or elsewhere these days, it is fascinating to learn how people--and our soldiers--really thought about things during the last years of "the good war." He is (and was--as a young man) a wonderful writer.

Reviewed by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (8/06)

It is a rare and brilliant find that captures a reader from the moment they open a book until long after the covers are closed. With an inscription that reads, `To small towns, where we learn life's big lessons' I was captivated before I had even reached the first page.

"Summer of Champions" takes the reader to the small town of Roswell, New Mexico in 1956 and the life of 11 year old Joe Don Miller. Inspired by his fifth grade homeroom teacher he is determined to become a champion over the summer by seeking excellence in all things as the ancient Greeks had done. For Joe Don excellence includes winning the All-Star Little League baseball team, helping his Mom, a widow since his dad's death in the Korean War, and winning the school spelling bee. As the novel opens it appears Joe Don is well on his way to becoming a champion. However, things soon happen which send Joe Don further and further away from his dream. As he struggles to find his way back, he learns life's hard lessons and emerges "a better man".

The novel powerfully portrays the complexity of relationships, the impact of events, and the struggle to see clearly when emotions take over. It is a powerful reminder that in life what is important is not always clear, and what seems clear is not always important.

A beautifully refreshing `coming of age' story, "Summer of Champions" takes the reader on a journey to the days when life seemed simpler, but the lessons felt harder. It is a novel that will move you to laughter, have you longing for redemption, and cheering for the champion within. With deeply rooted lessons on the true meaning of being a champion, it is an inspiration for adults and teens alike.

Mr. Connell has told his 5th Grade home class to work hard--to become champions. Joe Don idolizes Mr. Connell, and decides to follow the teacher's suggestion. So, as Dewey Johnson's SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS opens, in January 1956 in Roswell, New Mexico, Joe Don has made a good start. He presents his mom with a straight-A report card.

But don't be fooled. As Joe Don endeavors to meet his goal, he's no Mr. Goody Two-Shoes. Dewey Johnson sees to it that Joe Don does all the things a boy might between excelling in school and working a Saturday job. Joe Don wonders what girls are like, clowns in church, and tangles with his principal. He has a back yard fort, and two friends with whom he sneaks out after dark to hunt Martians.

Altogether, his life seems placid, punctuated only by bad knock-knock jokes, and kid angst--like will he make the Little League All-Stars, or will Janet Mitchum one day be his girl friend?

However, Joe Don's life isn't totally smooth. He barely remembers his father, who died in the Korean War. His mother makes little money. Then Mr. Connell does something horrible, and goes to jail. No one will quite talk about what happened, except to say that it involved some 6th Grade boys.

Believing these kids made up stories about Mr. Connell, Joe Don punches a couple of them in the nose. His grades slip, bullies make his life impossible, girls start chasing him, a good friend dies in a fire, and suddenly he's fighting with his mom. Overwhelmed, he decides he'll never be a champion. Then he receives a letter from Mr. Connell, with one more piece of advice about reaching that objective.

Anyone who has ever survived growing up will love Dewey Johnson's SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS. Johnson touches on feelings and needs that both boys--and girls--have as they leave childhood. Writing in the first person through Joe Don's eyes, Johnson catches moments to which everybody can relate: a first kiss, a narrow escape, a moment outsmarting mom, a moment in which mom outsmarts a kid.

SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS is also filled with incidents, language, and ideas that anyone will instantly recognize, if they reached their teens in the late 50s and early 60s . However the story will appeal to anyone who has lived through puberty, because in some ways, growing up in 1956 was no different than growing up at any other time. Today's kids may dodge different bullets, but they have the same feelings and needs their parents and grandparents had. That realization is the best message that SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS and Dewey Johnson leave on the book's last page.

Remember "Indian Burns", "Big Chief" writing tablets, and storing school supplies in cigar boxes? In the "Summer of Champions", Dewey Johnson reminds us of what life was like in a simpler time. Kids took responsibility for themselves, playing outside until their moms called them for dinner, and riding bikes all over town. His novel, set in the 50's, tells of people in a small town watching over each other. He shows how we are meant to live as a community. A great read for those who want to remember a less stressful time.
Sandia Ladies Bookclub

Set in Roswell, New Mexico in the 1950's, "Summer of Champions" takes a profound look at the idea of championship. Joe Don, the story's eleven-year-old hero is not into "profound". He is into baseball, and school, and girls, and aliens but not necessarily in that order. He is creative, funny and charming. His love of jokes and humor make him unforgettable.

The plot is filled with action, and daily life. It is beautifully written and brilliantly plotted.

If you don't mind laughing out loud while considering weighty issues, this is your cup of tea.

"Summer of Champions" is refreshing. Read just for the story, it is an entertaining look at the 1950's through the life of a young boy, his single mother and their friends. Read more deeply, it has spiritual guidance for dealing with the curves life throws, making moral decisions, the value of caring for one another, and the importance of community. A book with character and richness. When finished, you feel refreshed.

Description from the back of book:

Forbidden Territory

That was where Maddie Garret was leading him-not just through the wilds of Texas, but deep into the secret reaches of his heart. But could Texas Ranger Jonah Danhill, half Comanche and all lawman, accept the tragedy of his people's past and still embrace a joyful future spent in her arms?

Maddie knew that her last hope of rescuing her kidnapped sister lay with Jonah. Possessed by a passion for justice, though haunted by sorrows of his own, he was exactly what she needed-a man of strength, a man of courage, a man who could awaken the woman she was meant to be!

* I pretty much loved this book. My one & only complaint is that I thought there were too many bad guys to keep track of. It was hard remembering who was who & what their connection to Maddie was. I loved Maddie & Jonah but I found myself more drawn to Boone & I really wish he had a book of his own. The 3 of them together had me laughing so many times. What a fun book. Highly recommended.

This very enjoyable, quick and easy read is everything one loves in a historical Western tale!

Don't pass it up!

No one does dialogue better than carol finch. This book is no exception. Our alpha male (Jonah) meets Maddie when she barges into his room while he's (more or less) in a tub........She is running from bad guys and wants this texas ranger to help her. Right from the beginning they spar verbally. And Maddie is one heck of a woman. Definitely no shrinking violet in any way. If you're looking for a pulitzer plot, this isn't it. It's pretty much your typical bad guy-good guy western, but I've put it on my keeper shelf to re read just because the characters were so great and the dialogue so sharp and entertaining. This is a 'makes me smile' book......with characters with depth. I really liked it......

From the first page you are sucked into this adventure! When Maddie bursts into John Danhill's room and announces that he better not tell the two men chasing her that she is there. She then goes on to tell him that she got in his room because she told the clerk that she was his wife. From that point on you can't put the book down. It is a book with wonderful characters and good dialog between the characters. Maddie is quite a spitfire and he admires that about her. I also enjoyed the friendship between John and Boone. I would have given this more than 5 stars. It is a keeper on my shelf. I highly recommend it!! You won't be disappointed.

Jonah Danhill is half Comanche and all lawman. He is a member of the famed Texas Rangers.

Jonah has his bath interrupted when Maddie Garret bursts into his room claiming his protection and him as her husband.
Two men chasing her tell Jonah that she as stolen their money. Who to believe? Jonah is not a trusting man.

Maddie Garret is determined to save her sister, Christine, who has been kidnapped and solve the problem of her rustled cattle.

Jonah is determined to ditch Maddie as soon as they reach Fort Griffin. No way was he traveling any further west.
But intrigue and fascination bond Jonah to Maddie. Then they hit the trail together, each trying to push the other away. Until another incident.

Jonah tries to hire Kiowa Boone to take Maddie further west to her ranch, the Bar G. Then decides that he can't trust Maddie with Boone and they ride together.

Yup! they are being followed. Action packed and with a bit of humor from Boone as he understands Jonah's problem with the past and Maddie.

Maddie almost has her heart broken when she realizes the tragedy of Jonah's people and how it must have affected him.
Jonah is dumbfounded at Maddie's reaction.

Then he meets and learns of Maddie's two suitors, Wade Tipton and Avery Hansen and wonders how they are involved in her troubles.

Action, mystery and suspense with a bit of Boone's humor lead to a fascinating story. You get hooked from the very first page and begin to meet all of the characters.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --M -- and definitely a keeper.

A fascinating look at the near-dysfunctional founding of the city of Houston, which took root just as the dust was settling over the Texas War for Independence. It's an eye-popping revelation of the dawn of the first Texas capital, it's Dickensian characters, social order and bizarre caste system, not to mention its intolerable climate and general state of filth. Stephen Hardin, author of the seminal Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution, does what historians ought to do by transporting us to a different time and place and giving us a feel for what it was like to live there. Suffice to say that we would be as out of place in early Houston as we would be on Mars.

The story revolves around the hanging of David James Jones, one of thousands of furloughed Texan soldiers, who found themselves with little opportunity when their new country no longer had need of them. Mobs of them headed for Houston, where they remained idle and unemployable and became an embarrassment to the self-styled gentry and stiff-necked moralists who wanted rid of them. Although murder and mayhem and the daily slashing of one another with Bowie knives was common among this lower class, Jones found out that "rowdy loafers" like him paid a much higher price when the mayhem was directed at the gentry.

In telling the story of Houston's founding and its first efforts to make something of itself, Hardin also shows how the new Texas government abandoned its war veterans, many of them recent arrivals from the United States who had volunteered to fight for the fledgling republic. Jones was a particularly tragic case. He was among a handful of Texans who escaped the Mexican slaughter of the Goliad defenders and later fought at San Jacinto, where Texas won its independence. When the fighting ended, the government had little to offer its veterans other than huge tracts of land, which few chose to cultivate and, in any case, lacked start-up funds for ranches or farms. Instead, many sold the land to speculators and, like Jones, quickly squandered the proceeds in Houston.

Hardin introduces us to an assortment of truly odd characters, both rich and poor, including several ghoulish "medical" men, a self-righteous Yankee publisher and politician (an unbeatable combination), and ladies both of culture and of the night. The latter include Susannah Dickinson and her daughter, both Alamo survivors, who became prostitutes, although Susannah eventually found both happiness and respectability after marrying five times. Their story indicates the limited options women had at the time, which included little beyond marrying up or whoring. Like the abandoned veterans, they were victims of a society that closed most doors to them.

Regardless of what we may think of these early Houstonians, Hardin is right in cautioning against putting our thoughts into the heads of those who lived so long ago or applying our 21st century standards to them. Readers can't help but admire the considerable grit these people must have had to stick it out in such a place and their persistence in trying to make something of it and themselves.

Hardin writes like a polished novelist and he is a superb storyteller, but there's no mistaking his first-rate historical research (don't miss the fascinating endnotes). Throw in Gary Zaboly's superb illustrations and you have a truly unique look at the characters who populated Texas at the time of its birth.

AW

Texian Macabre is not just the story of one man's death, but of an entire generation of war veterans and their role in the new nation of Texas. Hardin paints a picture of David James Jones as the footstool upon which others stand to create American Texas. Jones and others like him won the Texas Revolution, but were robbed of their rightful share of what they helped to build and were thus relegated to being the backwash of society. Hardin does an amazing job realizing the inevitability of Jones' death.

Texian Macabre is a wonderful non-fiction story about the Texas Revolution and the early days of Houston. Hardin has found a character in history that had a part in every aspect of the Revolution from the Goliad Massacre to the win at San Jacinto. It is so amazing that one person saw so much, and he experienced everything from hero to villain. Hardin is an amazing historian and storyteller as well and makes the whole picture come to life. As you read, you can watch as the city of Houston is built before your eyes, every rat scurrying across the road, every rowdy loafer causing havoc in the streets. It truly is an amazing story of a fallen hero and the city of Houston.

A wild ride indeed. A taskfully interwoven tale that takes the reader on an incredible journey. Mr. Hardin paints a most interesting picture of how two men went from respected war heros to "rowdy loafers" who paid the ultimate price in order to make Houston a respectable city. I highly recommend this book on the basis that you can not beat getting a little education while being entertained.

Texian Macabre is a fascinating narrative of the early days of Houston Texas.

The book tells the tale of the dynamics of the beginings of Houston, and the actions of the leading citizens to prove that Houston is a civilized place.

I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in Texas history, or crime and punishement in early Texas.

Knowing the places in this book only help to create the images in my mind. Anyone would benefit from reading this book and being inspired that no matter their circumstances, they can achieve what they set out to do in life. I would also like to know more about the author's life after he went to school.

Absolutely amazing - the story and the writing. This book will stay with me forever. My copy is becoming old and tattered - I lend it to everyone I can.

My one line summary says it all. I am sure I was there. I anticipate each chapter anxiously waiting to see what funny, tragic desperate event is next and admiring the author for the practical and inventive mechanisms he has in place to keep his education going. I would like to know more about him in his later life.

THIS STUBBORN SOIL is a history book. No, one will not find the annals of nations set down here, nor even accounts of great wars or of vast economic movements. In these pages lie the images of poverty, illiteracy, sickness, premature death, fear, and bigotry that characterized the life of early 20th-century families enduring the ravages of both flood and drought in rough wood shacks with mud-and-straw chimneys and in poor, sandy fields where they tried to eke out an existence with a little livestock and with what few crops they could grow.

These were families for whom school was not nearly as important as having an extra hand in the field with a hoe or a cotton sack, families whose entertainment consisted of singing around an organ or a piano, the presence of which stood in stark contrast to the rest of the house, which never saw an electric light or a telephone wire. These were families that watched over their sick and watched them die either because there was no money to pay a doctor to come or because the nearest doctor was self-taught through mail-order books.

This is also the story of one boy who grew up in such an environment, who quit school many times because the choice came down to feeding the mind or feeding the body, who very nearly succumbed to the lure of wandering or of "riding the rods" as a hobo, and who was taught early on to denigrate Blacks and to hold Catholics in suspicion. In religion, he was exposed to holy rollers and tent revivals and pulpit-pounding evangelists. In school, when he went, he had teachers who had themselves barely finished an elementary education or, at the most, high school.

In this boy, however, there was something as strange and seemingly out of place as the organ in his ramshackle home-a thirst for learning and an unquenchable desire to go to school at Commerce, Texas, home of East Texas State Teacher's College, the only place he had ever heard of where he could continue his often-interrupted education. Both lack of money and inadequate preparation threw substantial barriers in his path. Of course, even before reading this book, we know of his eventual success thanks to the Ph.D. that came to follow his name.

THIS STUBBORN SOIL, therefore, is both a description of families who survived or died in a hardscrabble existence in early-1900s America and a hearth-side story of a boy whose love of learning survived all of the impediments in his path and finally resulted in the prize he sought for so long-a formal higher education. The soil on which he lived was indeed stubborn, for it yielded little and that only after back-breaking effort. He, however, was yet more stubborn, and that stubbornness bore succulent fruit.

The book is a personal memoire, and, for readers who share lingering childhood memories of dirt roads, railroad tracks past cotton fields, unquestioned racial segregation, and one or two-room schools reached by horseback or "footback," this narrative will awaken nostalgic images from the mists into which they have faded as the years have passed. For those who have never experienced the type of life Owens led as a boy, THIS STUBBORN SOIL will be very instructive and will help fill a pronounced gap in their knowledge of a large corner of early twentieth-century America. Though now out of print, copies can be found through many used-book sources, and the message remains timely, instructive and perhaps even inspirational. The book is worth far more than the effort needed to track it down, and I hope that every reader interested in American history at the personal level, in rural "local color," or even in just a well-written personal narrative will begin the search for it without delay. The reward of reading it is great.

I believe William A. Owens is all too often overlooked as one of Americas greatest authors and this book just proves my point. It is a great piece of work and an inspiration to all that read it.

Unbridled Cowboy is the autobiography of author Joseph B. Fussell, a free spirit who sought his own destiny in the wild American Southwest during the late 1800s. At the young age of fourteen, Joe Fussell took to the rails to escape the school and harsh authority that chafed him. He became a roving cowpuncher in Texas territory, rustling cattle, tilling land, working in stables, and hitting the road whenever wanderlust stirred. Unbridled Cowboy is filled cover to cover with riveting true tales of undercover work as a Texas Ranger, life on the railroads, and rough justice. A captivating true life narrative of the wild west.

Unbridled Cowboy, the autobiography of Joe Fussell, is well written and brings the reader a vivid and realistic portrait of the man and his life. His story telling ability paints a vivid and sometimes raw reality. He brings to life a period of American and western history from a personal point of view that was fraught with change and upheaval.

While reading I found myself sitting next to Joe and hearing him telling me his life story. The ease with which he wrote of his life makes this book an enjoyable journey with a fascinating man.

It is my pleasure to recommend "Unbridled Cowboy". As a person whose Texas Grandparents lived in the times and places of Joe Fussell, I can verify the reality of his experiences. I have heard family stories of East Texas in the 1880's up to the 1930's that explain the character and independence of these proud people.
I feel confident that if you read this book you will come away with a first person account of how the West was changing from the last frontier to modern times. Many local heroes go unnoticed. Here's your chance to walk and ride in the boots of a real cowboy, Texas Ranger, jack of all trades. Joe Fussell was a wanderer who couldn't stay put for long in any one place or trade. He did a remarkable job of self education and examination, making the best of what he had. His writing is clear and descriptive. Joe Fussell a man sure of his principals who paid his way and did unto others what they do unto you. We don't have any like him to know any more so buy this book as the next best thing.

Arguably, this is one of the finest personal reminiscences of life in the American West. Few memoirs exhibit such breadth--legitimate breadth, that is to say. The writer was a ranch hand, a railroader, a Texas Ranger, an adventurer, and a hobo. He lived through one of the most fascinating periods of American history, including the close of the frontier, the rise of the labor movement, the development of America's transcontinental railroads, and the depths of the Great Depression. He saw the Mexican Revolution from within. The credibility of his observations lie in the wealth of details he provides. His observations on Mexican "exchange rates" during the Revolution are priceless. The point is that these memoirs read with conviction; the writer does not apologize for the truth. He apologizes for some of his actions, and regrets many of them, especially his vendetta against the Mexican cowboys. Simply, the primary contribution of this manuscript is to remind us of the Real West--of human nature in a raw and often dangerous land. The fictional writer that comes to mind is Larry McMurtry. The style is wonderful for someone who claims never to have made it past fifth grade. The word choice is excellent, the descriptions riveting, and written with nouns and verbs. It is as if the author read Strunk and White.
--Alfred Runte, author of Allies of the Earth: Railroads and the Soul of Preservation

Here's the skinny. I've read thousands of books over the years. I keep a few; the rest I give away to friends or the library. This book is a keeper. Why? I will read this book many times and still be astonished by the history, this amazing man Joe Fussell, and how far this once great country of ours has deteriorated in a century.
The first thought that entered my mind on finishing this book was, "I wish there was more." The second thought was that a man like Joe Fussell would have made an incredible president. In TR's time, when a young man chose to ditch public school at age 14 because he had "itchy feet", he didn't get Ritalin stuffed down his throat--he left home to make his own way. Fussell was a man so full of common sense, intelligence and integrity that the USA would have been privileged to have someone of his ilk as their leader. But alas, with no "education" except life, he was destined to become a laborer. And labor he did.
The chapter on Fussell's adventures in Mexico as a youth are more riveting than anything Hollywood will ever turn out. His depiction of his railroad career reads like you were switching cars alongside him. Fussell is a storyteller akin to Twain. I am still amazed he avoided jail, but then it was a century ago. Different times--a wonderful time in our country. Get this book. Its a keeper.
Norman Woodworth, DVM

I love this book. I bought it several years ago and want to re-read it.

The story is adorable, as are the characters.

Caution: As another reviewer mentioned, it can be torture to read the book on an empty stomach, because you will soon be craving the wings in the story. I would recommend whipping up a batch or two before you settle down for a good read.

It is really two books in one. There is the story about Uncle Bubba and his quest to open a wing restuarant and then there is the recipes for his wings throughout the book. The story turned out to be a much more touching story than I thought it would be. I even teared up a couple of times.

I have tried several of the recipes in the book and they have been wonderful.

I really thought the book did need something else at the end. Perhaps it will be coming someday. I would love to hear how everyone is doing in Cut Pug and how the restuarant is doing. Maybe even some pictures of the restuarant :o)

This book is more than about chicken wings, it's a darn-good read that makes you laugh out loud and touches your heart at the same time. There are only two problems--the book makes you crave chicken wings and there's sadness when your visit to Cut Plug, Texas is over. Well written. I highly recommend it.

I fell in love with Cut Plug, Texas - with Skeeter and Uncle Bubba and Irma and even with Banker Trinkle and his wife. Who could resist the members of the Book of Ruth Bible Class, the Garden Club or the Order of the Armadillo? Most of all, who could possibly resist trying the recipe for Garlic Wings? Or Bourbon Wings? Or Honey Tequilla Wings?

"Uncle Bubba" is full of small-town southern charm, with lots of garlic and pepper sauce on the side. You'll never look at chicken wings again without reaching for your apron and your copy of "Uncle Bubba!"

I bought this book just to see what all the positive reviews were about. I've got to admit I agree with the other reviewers here in giving this book a very positive review. Kind of a cook book with narrative, you get a good number of well thought out recipes(60-80 I think) that are used as a center point to a very funny story about Uncle Bubba and his friends. It really is two books in one, as the story of Uncle Bubba could have sold by itself.

The first book, that goes with this one is; The Only War We Had. Both these books are a compelling read, and I enjoyed them very much. The author writes directly from his journals keep during his 12 months in VN. He quotes the journal day by day and then expands on that from his memories of the events. His memory is reenforced by letters to his beloved wife.
As a vet myself (91b20) I really enjoyed this book, but being an enlisted man, I am reminded this is written by an officer.
That's not meant to be criticism, just an observation. It sounds like he was a remarkable officer.
And excellent history of man and his commands. I'm really glad I read it. I noticed he has made some TV appearances on the history channel. I assume as an expert on VN., makes me want to watch for those.
Thanks for your service Col.!

I've had these books for more then 20 years now - taking them with me through flood and fire. The first is SECOND 6 months of his tour while, "The only war we ever had: A company Commanders Journal" is the FIRST 6 months of his tour in Vietnam in 1968-1969.

M. Lee Lanning was the youngest person ever to lead an entire Company of 200 soldiers even though he was only a First Lieutenant, all at the age of 23.

I find these books truly fascinating - they show the horror, the boredom, the friendships made and the attempts at comedy used to stay sane during wartime. I never thought that a "War Memoir" would ever capture my attention, but this did it. Many (if not most) war books are written by the pencil pushers or REMF's and not someone who actually held a rifle and saw the enemy.

Each page is straight from the diary that his father gave him before he shipped out - then what follows is his memory of that day.

One of my favorite excerpts:

"Our move was delayed when one of the FNG's (F-ing New Guy), who had joined Bravo Co. at Crystal (their main base) a few days before, saw something in a clump of bamboo. Seconds later he approached me carrying a heavy, cone-shaped object that I immediately recognized as a 105mm artillery round. From it's shiny exterior, I deduced it was a "dud" from our fire before assaulting the bunkers.

The FNG, proud of his find, had no clue what he was cradling in his arms. As calmly as possible, I told the man to walk back into the jungle for at least 50 meters, gently place the object on the ground and return to my location. The tone of my voice, and the fact that all the others were scrambling for cover, definitely got the troop's attention.

Without a word, he followed my instructions. I braced for the expected explosion as he turned away and slowly walked towards the jungle..."

If you get this make sure you also get "Only War We Had: A Platoon Leader's Journal of Vietnam" that is the first of this series - it contains his journal entries from the first 6 months of his tour.

I missed the Vietnam War by a year or two. I served as an 11B from 72-78. I always wondered what it would have been like to have been there in a rifle company. Plenty of books about SF and LRRPs, but not very many written by a real platoon leader. I never had a tremensous desire to be an elite soldier in an elite unit (if I could have even made it). I only wanted to be a rifle squad leader. This book really made me feel what it would have been like. What I missed. It is a real world book. Not a battle every minute book filled with stories of great exploits. Just a real world grunt in Vietnam book. I recommend the companion book "The Only War We Had."

this book is the best book ive ever read.This book started out in hawaii lee was a luitenant at the time but he wanted to upgrade his level in office so he was asked to become company commader his journey through the viet kong was very exiting it was full of action and outrage his tale was very inspireing he stood up for his men and became very popular as bravo company commander and became one of the best plotoon in vietnam his wife lived in sanfracico her name was linda when lee move out of the states his wife was pregnant with there girl rosallie.he was waiting to come home after 8 months in the war he was a month awayfrom coming home to the states when he got a rear job which he was waiting for and then took his long ride back home to sanfracisco.

I missed the Vietnam War by a year or two. I served as an 11B from 72-78. I always wondered what it would have been like to have been there in a rifle company. Plenty of books about SF and LRRPs, but not very many written by a real platoon leader. I never had a tremensous desire to be an elite soldier in an elite unit (if I could have even made it). I only wanted to be a rifle squad leader. This book really made me feel what it would have been like. What I missed. It is a real world book. Not a battle every minute book filled with stories of great exploits. Just a real world grunt in Vietnam book. I recommend the companion book "The Only War We Had."