Texas Books

There's nothing I appreciate more is a historical work where the author has consulted numerous often obscure primary sources in order to construct a never before written history. All Afire to Fight is one such work, and I have to say I have really enjoyed reading this book and learning about the Ninth Texas Cavalry--not to mention the military activities in the theater of the war where they were active, about which I am not that familiar at the moment. I found the narrative to be excellently written for the most part, although there were a few awkward spots. The one real detracting aspect of the book was the lack of a roster. In my opinion, no regimental history should be without one (the more detailed the better!) provided the information is extant.

Afraid he might miss GLORIOUS war, Reuben silently escapes from Pa's farm to join the Texas Cavalry. Through four years of the American Civial War Reuben and his fellow soldiers suffer HIDEOUS war without adequate food, clothing, and arms. Often led by fools, they fought heat, cold, measles, dysentery, and Indians, yet they never waver in their courage and dedication. Many of the men of the Ninth Texas Cavalry had lived in Texas only a few months, at most a couple of years - yet Texas Pride permeates the story. Meticulously researched, Ms Crabb has used letters and diaries written by the men of the Ninth to tell the story. All Afire to Fight reads like a modern best selling thriller. It is filled with action, pathos, and undiluted horror as told by the men who did the fighting.

I am a "California Yankee" whose favorite view of Texas has usually been through the rear view mirror - I should not have liked this book. But as a retired military officer, I was enthralled by Martha Crabb's graphic telling of men at war. Her obviously well documented and researched stories about the brutal fighting conditions, starvation, and primitive medical care gave me a real respect for the combatants of the civil war era and just how much some parts of warfare have changed for the better. And her description of broken government promises, bureaucratic obstacles, and the occasional incompetent leader, showed how much has remained the same. This book would make a great movie

Any Texan interested in the state's role during the Civil War, and certainly any Civil War enthusiast will find much to enjoy in Ms. Crabb's detailed account of this little-known aspect of that bloody conflict. She doesn't shy aware from reporting just how terrible a conflict it was, but she humanizes it by following, mile by agonizing mile, the Ninth Texas from its formation, through each of its battles and conflicts, until she brings the survivors home. Her book is meticulously annotated and documented, leaving little doubt as to her sources and her extensive research. Even long-time Civil War buffs are guaranteed many new insights into this unit. Particularly interesting are the reports of daily life of the ordinary boys and young men who made up the Ninth Texas Cavalry, the ordeals they faced just to survive, and the extraordinary courage they showed as they battled Union troops, fatigue, ravenous hunger, and homesickness. Because of the distance back to Texas, most never returned until the conflict ended; hundreds of others were buried throughout the South. Through her book, Martha Crabb once again brings alive the terrible toll exacted by this Civil War, describing battles and wounds until the reader can hear echos of the cannon and the screams of the wounded. It's not a pretty picture she describes, but it's once which every American should face once again.

Ambassadors At Sea, a private memoir of a public life, reads like a novel that you can't put down. In in, Catto---a self-described small-town Texas boy who grew up to be a Washington insider--takes us on a tour of his career in various high-level positions under several Presidents, culminating with his appointment as Ambassador to the Court of St. James, where he hung out with such world-stage stars as Margaret Thatcher. But Catto's book is not a dry laundry-list of a diplomatic career, but rather, a witty, moving, and always fascinating story of the wholly human characters who most of us see only through headlines---as well as the personal sacrifices and conflicts that Catto himself experienced. Throughout it all, Catto is charmingly self-effacing and always very witty. I simply couldn't put the book down--and was sorry when I came to the last page.

"Ambassadors at Sea" by Henry Catto is an informative, and at the same time,delightful book. Ambassador Catto has recounted his experiences as ambassador first to El Salvador and later to Great Britain, as Chief of Protocol, as head of the United States Information Agency, Ambassador to the European Office of the United Nations,and spokeperson for the Pentagon under Secretary of Defense,Cap Weinberger.There are wonderful anecdotes about all the Presidents he served under:Reagan,Bush, Nixon, and Ford, as well as interesting asides about Nancy Reagan, Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher, and countless foreign dignitaries.Catto expresses his reactions to the famous and the fatuous in an honest and self-deprecating way. For example:he refers to a conversation with Nancy Reagan at a dinner party by commenting,"To say she was hard to talk to would be a gross understatement",or on President Nixon;"I never heard anyone accuse him of having a sense of humor".These bits of information make for fun reading., This book is both educational and enjoyable. What more can you ask!

This Ambassador has written a beautiful and witty book. It is a joyous romp through a glamorous career in which he finds himself in the "sea" of the world's great and powerful and enjoys every minute of it. Ambassador Catto worked in important positions under several administrations from the 60's to the 90's, including appointments in the Departments of State and Defense, US Ambassador to the UN (Geneva), Great Britain and El Salvador, as well as Chief of Protocol, and Head of US. Information Service and League of Pan American States. His perceptions give depth and breadth to the history and newsmakers of the past four decades, and shine light through keyholes of the rich and powerful. Ambassador Catto's view is so optimistic and good natured, you can't help but feel the past 50 years have been great after all. American Ambassadors have a reputation for being big financial contributors to presidential campaigns but not necessarily knowledgeable of languages, world history or foreign affairs, or sensitive, compassionate and tactful. Ambassador Catto, however breaks the stereotype and is uniquely qualified. As a knowledgeable businessman he was able to promote American business interests abroad, and being fluent in French and Spanish and a lover of people, and art and literature of other cultures, he was always comfortable in any society. His book is written with unfailing generosity of spirit, humbly giving credit for his successes throughout the book to his brilliant wife and others, including his good friend, President George Bush. He manages to be humorous, poignant and poetic all at the same time. I think his book should be made into a movie with Bill Murray starring as the lovable roving chief of protocol and ambassador. It wouldn't be Saturday Night Live, but it would be lively.

Ambassadors at Sea by Ambassador Henry Catto is an informative look through the back door and into the closets of world leaders. By recounting his experience on a very personal level, you live with the author among those on the international stage whose personas are usually submerged into and behind their official facades. Ambassadors at Sea is thus a footnote to history, and will appeal to those who wish to delve deeper than the news releases and headline portraits of those who shaped the world during a very crucial period of our history.

Jesse H.Oppenheimer San Antonio, Texas

This book is one of my favorites in recent years. I have become interested in the history of foods and Sophie Coe was an incredible scholar. Her books are great reading and amusing. Unfortunately she is no longer with us but she has left us with two wonderful books on the foods of the Americas (The True History of Chocolate--finished by her husband Michael Coe, another great writer of history. I highly reccommend this one as well).

The list of food products discovered or created by the American Indians seems endless: corn, manioc (cassava, yuka, or tapioca) squash, beans, chocolate, tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts, pineapples, avocados, vanilla, and chile peppers -- plus for your Thanksgiving table, turkey, and for your wicked moments, tobacco, coca, and magic mushrooms. Conversely, there's been very little written about pre-Columbian cusine. Coe's book fills this lacunae.

The Spanish destroyed every aspect of Indian culture they could but enough accounts of Indian food were recorded to partially construct what they ate. Coe focuses on the food of the three main civilizations in the Americas at the time of Columbus: the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas. A lot more information survived about the food of the Aztecs than the other two.

Working with fragmentary information Coe has reconstructed the cuisines of these civilizations -- and rich indeed were the foods they ate -- dozens of variations of tortillas and tamales, a heavy reliance on chiles, innumerable varieties of potatoes, and a huge variety of chocolate dishes that seem ripe for the exploration by culinary adventurers, entrepreneurs, and writers of cook books. The notion, often advanced, that the pre-Columbian diet was boring, primitive, or deficient is refuted persuasively here.

The book suffers a bit from being an overly broad summary that left me hungry (groan!!!) for more information about many foods only barely mentioned. There's plenty of material here for additional books and questions to be answered. To echo an earlier reviewer: what did the Italians eat before the tomato amd the Irish before the potato?

Smallchief

I purchased this book based entirely on the review by kneisl. I am glad that I did. I had no idea that so much of our everyday food came from the "New World." Peanuts, vanilla, tomatoes, chocolate, potatoes, beans, squash, tortillas, tamales, etc. all were eaten by the Aztec/Maya/ Inca Indians long before the Europeans arrived. Some of these food types date back to 7000 BC. I found this stunning. I had always incorrectly believed that most Mexican food came from Spain.

The book is thouroughly researched, well-written and easy to understand. There are more foods mentioned than those I have just described, so you'll have to read the book.

A few years ago, I wrote a paper on the original cuisine of the western hemisphere before European exploration.Prepared for the drudgery of a paper, I checked this book out of the library, expecting myself to be put to sleep by the dryness of the topic.How wrong I was! Ms. Coe's book was stunning in how it broadened my understanding of food. Every chapter is chock full of interesting research and conclusions. Even the index was remarkable for its detail. You will be informed and entertained by amazing stories about what was eaten, how it was eaten, and why it was eaten. You will learn the surprisingly interesting history of corn. You will learn the origins of the algae spirulina, recently come to our health food stores. The fascinating story behind the newly popular grain amaranth will interest you. Many old theories (eg, that certain Mesoamerican indians were cannibalistic), are in one stroke shown to be false. The cuisine of the western hemisphere *IS* the cuisine of the world. The staple foods of Europe and Asia are often Maya/Aztec/Inca in origin. The humble potato and tomato, for instance, DID NOT EXIST *ANYWHERE* in the Eastern hemisphere until they were brought back from the west. Makes me wonder WHAT, exactly, did the Italians eat before they had the tomato?

A good book for folks wanting to learn about our night-time visitors. Well worth buying.

I bought this book just because I was curious about bats. I had always thought they were "bad", until I visited a conservatory in Wyoming that had a bat house and explained how important they are. That was a surprise to me.
This book opened my eyes to how beneficial bats really are. It talks about the facts, myths and misconceptions about bats... what's true, what's not. It tells what to do if a bat comes into your house, and how to evict them if they have taken up residence in your attic or somewhere else you don't want them to be.
The book is well-written and an "easy" read. It has lots of good photos, and tells about some of the different species of bats and where they live. I recommend it for older children (maybe 10 and up) and adults. Well worth the money.

Dr. Tuttle has set out to redeem the reputation of the bat clan and if people would just read this book I believe he would succeed. This book is packed with information that will help dispel the fear and misunderstanding with which people view bats, but at the same time it is by no means too technical to be readily understood (I first read it when I was about fourteen iirc and enjoyed it as much then as I do now.) I would recommend this book to anyone anywhere who is the least bit interested in nature and also to anyone who is fearful or concerned about bats in their nieghborhood.

This is a very informative, well wriiten and beautifully photographed book on bats. The book includes beautiful color photographs of the most commonly seen bats in America. One of the most appreciated sections is the "Beginners' Key To American Bats", a well written, easy to comprehend section on identifying common bats of the region and placing them in their proper groups. Very important if you intend to build bat houses and hope to attract occupants and just general knowledge.
The book includes several other interesting chapters besides identification. It shows how bats navigate with radar. It addresses the many negative myths of bats, it explains how beneficial bats are in nature. If you want or need to know anything at all about these interesting creatures, THIS is the book and Merlin Tuttle is the expert to seek out. And even if you only need to know enough about bats to humanely evict them from your belfry, this book comes with even that information!
The author has dedicated his life to these interesting mammals. Even without knowing that fact, you can see from the entertaining way Mr Tuttle writes, how much he cares. All of his books are excellent. Check them all out!

I thought that this book was very informative and easy to read. I research on corvid communication and even found the book to have VERY important information. Anyone interested in birds in general should read this book!

With a keen observer's eye and a flair for marvelous prose, Kilham has written a book that is not only an important resource for researchers in behavioral biology, but also a delightful read for any nature lover.

This book illustrates great behavioral and environmental aspects of crow life within social groups. It was nice for me to read this book to familiarize myself more with Crows with my research. As a corvid researcher myself I found the book very interesting, educational, and informative. I suggest anyone interested in birds or corvids (crows, jays, ravens, magpies, etc.) especially should read this book. The author writes with passion about his research and he explains it in a VERY simple way, understanding is easy. All in all this book was AWSOME!

There are more than enough reasons to pick up this book if you have any interest in crows or birds in general or even seeing a good example of descriptive biological studies, however one point missed by others are the beautiful illustrations in this volume that are well above average for a science book.

There are very few books about Corvids, and even fewer based on North American research, but this wonderful volume is a solid step in the right direction that is both well informed while also personable, leaving one to hope that future volumes or at least more research on these birds will result.

Any Corvid enthusiasts should purchase this book without hesitation as it is a relatively inexpensive and irreplacible contribution to the literature.

In this forceful and disturbing novel, a woman discovers slowly the real (psychic) reason of her illness: an irresistible continuing loss of blood.
During her psychoanalysis, she succeeds in demolishing the thick wall that separates her from the extremely painful truth and the origin of her disorder: the fear of a child. The story unveils masterly the reasons of this fear.

Marie Cardinal evocates fiercely her violent psychic battle with her unconscious in order to force it to reveal its secrets, her fear to (re)discover forgotten painful, but crucial, incidents or the psychic violence needed to open the doors of the subconscious.

Her book is also a profound meditation on the impact of a `colossal' religion on people's lives (interdiction of divorce) and on the female condition and female psychology.

A formidable and shocking book.
A must read.

"...a beautiful and terrifying story in honor of all people.... Van Vactor and Goodheart's decision to publish Cardinal in an elegant translation opens the door to a world rich in language and thought that we should be grateful to share." --The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"...a profligate yet impeccably controlled work.... "...chilling set pieces are shrewdly paced to create primitive, almost horror-story suspense. "One apt work that kept occurring to me as I read was 'gorgeous.' ... Miss Cardinal bowls over her audience with dazzling verbal artistry and emotion-stirring tours de force." --The New York Times Book Review

"Words can be guides too, escape routes marked on tattered old maps, and here the novel and the analysis come together since both are journeys towards a language that is sane and shared, visibly free of the worst of the darkness." Michael Wood, The Sunday Times (London)

This book is one of the best novels I've ever read. Cardinal's struggle to find herself in the mysterious depths of the unconscious is not just a story about psychoanalysis, it's a book about the ordinary processes that occur in our minds when we experience things we cannot handle growing up. It's about forgetting and remembering. It's about making discoveries and letting things go. Reading her story will make you think about how fragile our understandings of ourselves really are. I admire this book not just for its honest and captivating prose. I think it accurately portrays some of the most valuable ideas behind Freud's psychoanalytic theory.

"...a beautiful and terrifying story in honor of all people.... Van Vactor and Goodheart's decision to publish Cardinal in an elegant translation opens the door to a world rich in language and thought that we should be grateful to share." --The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"...a profligate yet impeccably controlled work.... "...chilling set pieces are shrewdly paced to create primitive, almost horror-story suspense. "One apt work that kept occurring to me as I read was 'gorgeous.' ... Miss Cardinal bowls over her audience with dazzling verbal artistry and emotion-stirring tours de force." --The New York Times Book Review

"Words can be guides too, escape routes marked on tattered old maps, and here the novel and the analysis come together since both are journeys towards a language that is sane and shared, visibly free of the worst of the darkness." Michael Wood, The Sunday Times (London)

This book has made Mrs.Wagner one of my single most favorite poets. It shows us that there does not have to be a technique or background in poetry to give the world something with as much dept as "The Andrew Poems". I live with my grandmother and when my father passed I have always wonder how it affected her, these pieces have shown me what has gone through her mind and that is something I am very greatful for. If your looking for some dribble light hearted poetry, than this is not for you, but if you want "Poetry" than don't pass this one by.
Richard, TX, 17

I've seen Shelly in person and have felt her pain. Her poem "The Boxes" is one of the most amazing poems I've ever read. She knows how to put the pain into words.

I have lost two children in the past 6 years, and Shelly writes what I feel. "Get out of the box....Ben and Matthew."

Although I did not fall directly in the target audience ( if there can be such a thing) for this book, having never lost a child, I was greatly moved by reading it.

I had purchased a copy, and read it in one sitting ( highly recommended) on a trans-continental airline flight. My seat mate kept stealing glances over my shoulder, to find out what I was reading that kept me reaching for my handkerchief, and weeping profusely at times.

Subsequently, I have encountered numerous parents who have lost their children in some accident or tragedy, and I never hesitate to recommend this book to them. Shelly Wagner has given us a phenomenal tool for grief counseling. Read it, and see if there is not someone for whom it is appropriate. This volume belongs in the library of every compassionate human being on the planet.

Capt. Chris Siegel Beaufort, NC seagull@myexcel.com

The Andrew Poems by Shelly Wagner take us back to 1984, the drowning of Andrew. Having never written Poetry before, Shelly Wagner grasps us from page one, and doesn't let us go.

Lieutenant Jamie Slater and Jon Red Feather are alerted to the smoke.
A small burned out wagon train. Dead cattle, dead bodies - looks like no survivors. Another Indian attack.

No survivors that is until he meets up with a hell-cat. Tess Stuart thinks he is one of the attackers. She sure means to defend herself.

After he subdues her, he finds out that she claims that the attackers were Von Heusen's men. Jon Red Feather informs Jamie the she is talking about Richard von Heusen, who calles himself a rancher. Von Heusen also wants the Stuart ranch.

They take her to the fort where she meets up with Dolly Simmons who is determined to accompany Tess to Wiltshire. Tess also meets Eliza Worthingham, Jamie's former lover, who is determined to have him, permanently.

Things heat up - when they get to the ranch in Wiltshire, von Heusen shows up and is backed down by Jamie and Jon. Well the hormones play a big factor in glueing the plot together which leads to some arguements [as usuall]. But she does sign over half of the ranch to Jamie, tieing up all her inheritance to prevent von Heusen from acquiring any of her property.

Yup! von Heusen's men are at it again as they abduct Tess and take her to the Comancheros who will in turn sell her to the Apache, Nalte. Nalte wants a blond, white woman for his bride.

It is a tale to be unfolded - but Jamie rescues Tess and makes friends with the Apache, Nalte and boy, what a show down when his brothers, Cole and Malachi show up with their wives and children to face down von Heusen and his gunslingers.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --M -- a great trilogy if you can get through all the emotionally mixed-up hormones and the aftermath.

This book and the two sequels that follow it are typical Heather Graham, which is good news to those of us who enjoy her writing.
In addition to the personal stories in each book, the American history in which the characters are involved is handled very well. Graham can see the several sides of the history at the time her characters live - during and after the Civil War.
She is one of the better historical romance writers.

This is the last book in the trilogy of the Slater brothers and I have to admit it that it's one of my favorites of Heather Graham's. Tess Stuart is beautiful, strong-willed and knows what she wants and it's Jamie Slater. Jamie Slater is really a great hero, he's sexy, a litte bit arrogant but tender at the same time. Dark Stranger (the first in the trilogy)with Cole and Kristin is another favorite of mine, so i recommend that one too.

The sequel to Rides A Hero - the story continues. Though the Civil War is over Jamie has continued a lieutenant on the frontier of Texas protecting settlers during Indian raids. His 2 older brothers settled down but Jamie never found the one he couldn't live without so he's still single. While traveling with her rich uncle Tess Stuart's wagon train is raided and her uncle is murdered. It is left to look like an indian massacre but Tess knows better. The man who owns the town has been harrassing the Stuarts for a while now to sell out their ranch to him but they have refused. Now Tess is left to advenge her homeland herself. But she can't do it by herself. What better person to help her than one of the Slater Brothers who are know to be able to handle a gun. Tess's spirited personality captures Jamie's heart and the battle is on. The reader even "sees" Cole and Malachi show up with their families to help Jamie out. So it's good seeing the family come together once more. Kristin and Shannon still prove to be spirited themselves. It's a lot of fun reading-one I think you will enjoy.

I have been visiting the Gulf Coast/Aransas Pass area for 9 years now. Every time I go I am intrigued by everything I see. The history that resides there is amazing. I stay at a house on Fulton Beach Road that is filled with history. It has been in my friends family for over one hundred years. The house is actually mentioned in the book. This book is an amazing look at an amazing time in an amazing place. If you are interested in the history of the Texas Coastal Bend then this the book for you.

Thanks, John Conner San Jose, CA

I was suprised to find a lot of information that I did knew little about. The Notes and Sources could be another book in its self. VERY GOOD

Growing up in San Antonio, my family frequently traveled to Rockport for the weekend. We would fish at night and go sightseeing by day. As a child I was always fascinated by the area and I grew so did this curiosity.
Four years ago I read in the Rockport Pilot's Visitor Guide that this book existed. That very day I was dragging my wife around looking for it, finally found it at the Art Museum by the beach. The entire weekend was spent skimming and reading this wonderful book. Since I have got the book I have read and re-read it many many times.
Today I enjoy visiting Rockport as often as I can. While driving around I try to picture what it was like at the turn of the century when the Aransas Hotel was still stood and the Baily Pavillion was THE place to be. Who would have thought that the little towns of Rockport and Fulton would have such a deep history?

As a resident of Rockport, in Aransas Co., Texas, but not a native, I was interested in the history of this part of the state. When Sue Taylor and Bill Allen's book, ARANSAS, A Tale of a Texas Coastal County, was published, I was among many who lined up for Sue's signature on my copy.

It was a thick book, I put it aside until I had time to go through it. I've just had 10 days off, and that was among my reading activities.

I assumed it would be historical; so I did not anticipate reading it as I do some novels. But I started. To my surprise, it caught my attention and imagination right away.

Also, to my surprise, I lingered over the words because they painted pictures I wanted to enjoy. I took much longer to read this book, because I was captivated by the words themselves.

The story moved along like an adventure tale, which the history of Texas actually is. It was dangerous, scary, wild, and took courageous and foolhardy men and women to survive. Texas had citizens with those characteristics on both sides of the Rio Grande.

The saga of many real families unfolded. Reading ARANSAS was like looking at a photograph album of one's grandparents--or great-grandparents. You never met them, but through this book you do know them. They became real people, with real personalities.

I did not know of the participation of Aransas County in both the Texas Revolution and the Civil War. It was a port to be conquered by the "other" side in both wars--a strategic military outpost. Other history books refer to the importance of Copano Bay.

Throughout the book the authors give geographic locations of homes or stores or hotels or fishing or cattle wharfs. In the back the references are detailed. We can still visit these places. That's my next goal--to find where history happened, and is still going on.

Frances Mayo

Henry Chappell has hunted and fished all over Texas and the American southwest. An accomplished sports writer, his articles, essays and short stories have appeared in a wealth of hunting, fishing, wildlife, and sports magazines. In At Home On The Range With A Texas Hunter, Chappell offers a series of engaging, highly recommended essays on the bonds that exist between hunter, hunting dog, land, and prey. From hunting Bobwhites in the Texas Panhandle, to prairie grouse in the Flint Hills of Kansas, Gambel's quail in New Mexico arroyos, blue quail on the staked plains, or doves and Mearns' quail in Arizona, Chappell evokes a true sense of hunting, complete with its responsibilities and ethics.

I am a native Texan and an avid hunter of over 25 years. I think Henry Chappells book is sublime and I enjoyed the realism and detail associated with it. It is nice to read a hunting book that I can relate to in not only hunting, but in a common love of the great state of Texas and all of it's beauty.

I got this book and expected to see the typical hunting stories and that would be O.K. because I have been an avid hunter/outdoorsman for over 30 years and enjoy anything related to hunting, camping, etc. This book was a surprise! It does contain some hunting stories, and some experiences encountered while camping, but more insightfully, one can share the thoughts and observations of a person very skilled not only in hunting but in observing nature. While it is difficult to accurately describe this book, I would say it is about hunting from the perspective of a conservationist as opposed to a person who is only out to shoot. Additionally, the author's thoughtful insights into hunting ethics are sure to raise some hackles, especially in Texas, and will hopefully provoke some self examination by anyone who hunts. As an aside, the section on Country is worth the price of the book, by itself. This book accomplishes something that is difficult-it stimulates thought.

I'm a novice hunter, have lived in Texas for 16 years, and was happy to have been tipped to read Henry Chappell's first book. I've read him in Texas Parks and Wildlife, and other magazines. The love he has and shows his dogs is evident, along with the intriguing insights into his background. It is evident he is an ardent environmentalist, but also a pragmatic capitalist. Great read !