Texas Books

This is a beautifully illustrated guidebook. What makes it particularly useful and informative are the outstanding photographs of butterflies in different stages of their life cycle and different color phases, together with the extremely well-written text which thoroughly describes the natural history of each variety.

This is a great book for those living in the Southeast area!! I was able to identify a butterfly (goatweed) that I couldn't find in the many other books I have. This book shows male & female butterflies, which made for easy ID. Well worth the $.

The Tvetens have written the definitive account of butterflies in eastern Texas. John's photos are incredible and show the key field makes needed to identify each species. Most accounts of each species also include a photo of the larval stage. All account include a description of the egg, larva, male and female adult and seasonal variations. I use this book all the time.

This book is amazing. It's a great reference for the everday clothes of women on the frontier. It discusses general fashions along with construction techniques and material choices. There are lots of good pictures of clothes, including some close-ups to see details of construction. The book also talks about how women treated their clothes--where they brought them from, how they re-used and re-fashioned them, how they got new materials, and such. It's particularly excellent in that it focuses largely on the group of women who aren't in many of the other books, those who weren't in a city and couldn't follow Parisian fashions and have new dresses every season. A wonderful book for anyone interested in the fashions of homesteading women.

The pictures are beautiful, the information is extensive, and it'll make you want to sew!

I have owned this book for years and use it often in my work as a historic garment researcher & seamstress. Copious primary source material in the form of store ads, photographs of original garments in the Museum's collection, and easy-to-understand, logical descriptions of the times and social conditions under which these clothes were worn. ...

This is a must have book for any person who is interested in Texana. It is very represetative of most of the regions of the State, including South, Central and Coastal Texas. Please note: Do not buy this book if you only want to read about the King Ranch.

This book provides a personal and engaging look into the lives of some of the wealthiest and most private ranches in Texas. Anyone who has an interest in the Mystique that IS Texas will love this book. This book provides a look at the "real world" of Texas ranch life--it is a history of a fading tradition of true ranching that has made Texas what it is today.

What a tragic loss to all Texans (and those who want to be) that Dian Malouf's book "Cattle Kings" is out of print. It's witty, historically correct and an obvious work from the heart. Please reprint this classic cowboy delight!

good materials, very good sizing and fitting, the colours are strongs and doesnt fade whit many laundryes

I'm very please with my shirt i already order 10 more, i highly recomend this shirt

JUST GOT THE TWO COTTON RAGLAN SLEEVE BASEBALL SHIRTS.THE QUALITY IS UNBELIEVABLE FOR THE PRICE.. MY HUSBAND LOVED THEM AND I WILL ORDER MORE FOR THE GRANDKIDS.. FAST SHIPPING TOO!!!!

This book is not only about Charles Goodnight, but it is an excellent source on the history of the Panhandle, especially the settlement of the Palo Duro Canyon. You'll learn about the land, the wildlife, and the men who came to tame them both. It's an excellent biography, and should be required reading for anyone who lives within a hundred mile radius of the Palo Duro canyon.

My first indication this book existed was a chapter, entitled The Making of a Scout, that Ole Hosstail (Joe Austell Small) ran in TRUE WEST magazine back around August, 1966.

Charles Goodnight was many things in the Texas Panhandle, pioneer, ranchman, Indian fighter, homesteader, leader and all around man 'with the bark on. One of the outstanding things he did, among all his other activities, was his work with the Bison (buffalo) saving a herd but also in achieving the 'cattalo' a cross between range cattle and the bison.

This book was already 20 some years old when it crossed my trail, and though I have a good hardcover copy, it is a second printing. But no matter which copy one may have, it is definately a prime source of information and no small classic in its own right.

In September, 2007, the University of Oklahoma will publish a newer biography of Charles Goodnight by William T. Hagan. Though having much fewer pages it will no doubt be worth having on a reader's western shelf as well.

No matter what your western reading interest concerning the west, Charles Goodnight is almost a must read.

Semper Fi.

Being a shirtail relative of Charles Goodnight, Ihave been anxious to learn more of him. My mother was a Goodnight, but not a direct descendant. More like a great-great niece. Would like to here from anyone who may be related. The book is very informative. I have an early copy from about the 1940's.

Chasing Warblers was published by University of Texas Press and it received a book design award by Southeastern Library Association in 2000. Book designer: Heidi Haeuser.

While many books on birds are either cumbersome "doorstops" with far too much information (even for the avid) or are comprised of a collection of "only good" photographs that all seem to blend into one at the end of the reading (if you get that far), Bob and Vera's, "Chasing Warblers" is refreshing. Not only are the photographs first class by all standards, but the storyline is original and tight. First off, who gets that close to a Swainson's or a Colima or a Kirtlands, let alone photograph it? Any birder who has even scant knowledge of warblers and their persistant and sometimes frustrating "flutter" can appreaciate their task and acknowledge their success. Second, there is good writing. The story of Bob and Vera's adventures and misadventures from the mountaintops of the Texan deserts to the Pacific forests to the woodlands of Central Park prove exciting and written in colorful coloquial speak. Whether a birder or not - one can appreciate a book that combines truly amazing photos with an entertaining story - a rare entity!! Review by Mark Robert, San Francisco, Ca.

A wonderful book. In addition to great photographs, it is a wonderful story of the adventure taken to obtain the photo's by the photographers.

Very informative, and enjoyable, for those who grew up going to the Metropolitan, Loew's, and the Majestic, like I did. Wonderful memories!

ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE DELICIOUS BOOKS FOR THE TRUE THEATRE/CINEMA COLLECTOR/AFFICIANDO. WELL WRITTEN AND EASY READING. WORTH THE PURCHASE.

Welling has done a great service in preserving memories of the Cinema and the architecture of its theaters. The book focuses on Houston, Texas as it travels from the silent movie houses, through the golden age, megaplex, and on to the home theater. If you ever lived in Houston, you will find many memories among its pages. If you spent your formative years elsewhere, you may find that your home town shares this history.

The historical information, both narrative and pictorial was eye opening for someone that was born and raised in the area. The stories of a port Bagdad all of a sudden became real. The accounts of the rise and fall of goverments in both sides of the border provide an exciting window to the past, a treasure of local history, a tale of two sister cities, which has not been dutifully explored by the locals. The accounts of steamboats on the Rio Grande and the impact they had on the economy of the area at first appeared surreal, yet the oportune historical photography of the 1860's and Thompson's accurate narratives transport the reader into the era.

Civil War And Revolution On The Rio Grande Frontier: A Narrative And Photographic History is the story of the bloody fighting that erupted in Zapata Country only days after the shots fired at Fort Sumter initiated the American Civil War. Featuring more than 125 vintage images taken by a skilled Prussian photographer Louis de Planque and his followers, Civil War And Revolution On The Rio Grande Frontier is a captivating illustrated history that relates the deadly toll of war. It covers not only the Civil War itself, but the guerilla fighting that continued long after the official end of the war, and the murderous raids and mercenary armies that pillaged both sides of the border, as well as the "justice" that would sometimes amount to indiscriminate hanging. A highly recommended contribution to American history and reference shelves.

Just when one feels he has read the best history of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, here comes another. Names, People, Places and now Photographs, This book is like the candles on a birthday cake, with out it, the full picture is not complete. James A. McAllen

This is a true-life adventure story. The author does not attempt to tell a story of daring exploits - rather, he gives a factual accounting of his experiences as the owner-captain of a [private] Confederate blockade runner operating in the Gulf of Mexico. However, this factual account is all the more captivating because it is real.
What makes this story unique [for the genre] is that this is not a story about one of the big [fast] steam ships running the blockade in and out of the major ports on the Atlantic coast, this is a story about a relatively small, shallow draft sailing schooner using stealth and its ability to go into shallow waters to sneak past the Union ships in the backwaters of the Gulf.
The other aspect of the story that really sticks out is that the vast majority of the true threats and dangers to both the captain and his little boat take place on land not at sea. From corrupt public officials and conniving business partners to dishonest and dangerous crew members you can't help but worry for the man every time he steps ashore.
A great read. Thanks to Barto Arnold and Texas A&M University Press for re-publishing it.

I happened across the title, "The Civil War Adventures of a Blockade Runner," while doing some research on the Civil War in Texas. At the time, I was skeptical about what I might find in the book. As it turns out, Watson's book is not only a fast read, it's entertaining and suspenseful, too!

In this book, William Watson relates the experiences he had during the last few years of the Civil War. Watson, a British subject and a Confederate veteran, purchases a schooner, the Rob Roy, with the intent of making money through honest trade. However, he quickly realizes that more money might be had through blockade running. To that end, while making a run up the Texas coast to New Orleans, he ducks into the Brazos River at peril from a blockading gunboat and begins his career as a runner.

In his career, Watson makes several successful runs with the Rob Roy before he is forced to sell it because of disagreements with his business partners. Watson then finds employment on a steamer, and later captains a few more runs himself before the Civil War -- and with it, blockade running -- comes to an end.

Several things interested me in the book. First, Watson paints a good picture of the Confederate economy. I could almost see him cringe when the government siezes his boat and desires to pay him off with worthless Confederate paper money. However, Watson manages to keep his cool and successfully negotiates to have his vessel released.

Also, Watson goes into great details about the tricks he learns to avoid the United States gunships and slip in and out of Galveston.

Finally, Watson's business transactions show that many people, including foreign governments, found ways to make money, if not a living, from the war.

To be sure, Watson makes no apology for being an experienced sea captain. As a result, the reader will want to have handy a nautical dictionary to better understand what happened, for example, when the foreboom unshipped from its mast, or to understand what the captain of a boarding party is saying when he asks, "Is your jib to windard?" While the general idea can be had if the reader bears with Watson, I find it all the better to get the full nuance that he intended.

I completed the book in a week, mainly because I always wanted to find out what was going to happen to Watson next. Through good luck and bad, Watson makes the most of his career, with the result that he finds himself hundreds of dollars richer than when he began.

If you are interested in either the operation of 19th Century sailing ships, or the United States blockade during the Civil War, I recommend that you read this book as an excellent eyewitness account of both.

First, I arranged for the re-publication of this book because it relates to the Institute of Nautical Archaeology's multi-year excavation of the wreck of the Denbigh, a famous blockade-runner lost at Galveston in 1865. Certainly, I am a biased reviewer.

The book is of interest for the excellent writing style and coverage of the topic. Watson provides many technical details of how the captain of a blockade-runner carried out his job, including both daring the Union Navy and dealing with sharp businessmen ashore. We have no first hand accounts as yet for the Denbigh, but Watson's trips in and out of Galveston from Havana and other ports were very, very similar. Watson brings the past to life.

Martin H. Hall was the first historian to write about the campaign of the Sibley Brigade in Arizona and New Mexico, but Jerry D. Thompson's books increase our knowledge about the subject by using an impressive array of newly discovered sources. In "Civil War in the Southwest: Recollections of the Sibley Brigade", Thompson provide a new and deeper account of the thoughts and fights of the young Texans in butternut who attempted to conquer the Southwest for the Confederacy. Now, among the outstanding books concerning the Civil War in the Southwest, Thompson's book is one of the best ones, it is a "must" for all the Civil War buffs.
Serge P. Noirsain, Belgian Historian. Author of "La flotte européenne de la Confédération sudiste" and "La Confédération sudiste, Mythes et Réalités".

In Civil War in the Southwest, Thompson has edited the accounts of several members of Sibley's Brigade in its New Mexico campaign, the accounts having been printed in the Overton Sharp Shooter in East Texas in the late 19th Century.

The accounts are quite readable, some even humorous. The accounts of major battles are accompanied by battle maps provided by Frazier. While the accounts focus on the major occurances within the campaign, they are filled with minutia as well, allowing the brigade to live and ride on again, as vividly as they did 140 years before.

While the names of many soldiers appear in the accounts, Thompson made no effort to provide complete troop muster rolls, focusing instead only on editing the newspaper accounts. Where names do appear, Thompson has end notes with more information on the soldier, gleaned from a variety of sources.

Civil War In The Southwest: Recollections Of The Sibley Brigade by Civil War scholar and historian Jerry Thompson presents eighteen distinctive episodes written by members of General Henry Hopkins Sibley's command who fought and traveled more than eight thousand miles through snake-infested bayous to snow-capped mountains to fight and die in more than sixteen major battles of the American Civil War. The brigade consisted of young, zealous Texans who sought to invade New Mexico Territory as a step toward the Confederate conquest of Colorado and California in order to seize their resources (including the gold fields) in support of the South. This compendium of eye witness accounts is positively riveting and is enthusiastically recommended as a unique, invaluable contribution to Civil War Studies supplemental reading lists and reference collections.