Texas Books

This book is the authority on where to raft/kayak/canoe - you get all the info you need about drop-off and pick-up points, plus mile-by-mile information. Great book - I wish the authors would revise their last edition (2000)! Still, the 2000 edition is very helpful. Highly recommended to Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas canoeists/kayakers!

This book is the perfect guide to Texas rivers. It gives a description of each river, including different runs on each. It provides information on camping in the area, where to rent a canoe, rapid class categories, phone numbers for flow information and myriad other details that give you the confidence to literally pick a trip from the book and do it! I'm buying my second copy.

This Essential Reference book opens with detailed local fish population info and photos. Statewide canoe/paddling clubs are listed next along with recommended equipment diagrams & checklists and a glossary of useful river/paddling terms.(worthy of purchase alone) THEN you get an alphebetically listed, turn by turn, comprehensive diagram and description of multiple rivers in 3 states. Enough said? Too bad this is getting so hard to find!

Scarbrough has written an impeccably researched, compelling book. I lived in Georgetown 1997-2007 and watched it change from a sweet little town, past the outskirts of Austin's development, into something almost indistinguishable from any other suburban city in America. It has happened in Mustang, OK...in Owasso, OK...in Universal City, TX...in Georgetown, TX...in Vancouver, WA, in Sherwood, OR. If one ignores the landscape, the towns are virtually indistinguishable from one another. The rich heritage of the Czechs, the Germans (e.g., German Corner in Owasso) has been drowned in a flood of one-size-fits-all development. Now, not to sound completely gloomy, I do think it is possible for a city in the path of development to resist the Goliath. I think it is possible for a city to choose its own path of development, one that builds on its unique characteristics. Leavenworth, WA, is one such town. And I think more cities should choose to preserve their communities, rather than selling out their birthrights for thirty pieces of silver, rather than sitting back apathetically while their homes are swept away in a tidal wave of materialism. It takes just one leader, with a vision, and a willingness to work really, REALLY hard. Those are pretty hard to find. Anyway, the book is definitely worth the read. I found myself in a state of suspense several times, which was surprising considering that I had gone fishing in Granger Lake myself, and my children were cared for as infants by some of those same elderly Czech folk. A very good read, even for a girl who usually prefers fiction. I have given copies to friends in my new town, including the city council president, who promised to pass it along to the mayor, and to the owner of the local bookshop, where the Democratic Party meets. The town is now facing a vote that will help determine the path of its future development, and I am very interested to see how it all turns out. I hope Linda's outstanding book will help to turn the tide.

Road, River, And Ol' Boy Politics: A Texas Country's Path From Farm To Supersuburb by Linda Scarbrough is an impressively researched, superbly written and quite original perspective of the complete history of the state Texas. Scarbrough's depiction of Texas' history is outstanding for its individuality and historical documentation in that its approach is of a philosophical outlook more oriented to the political reasoning for Texas' development. A highly notable and strongly recommended read, Road, River, And Ol' Boy Politics is an excellent read for historians of American history in general and students of Texas history in particular.

Some lines from the introduction to "Road, River, and Ol' Boy Politics" concisely relate author Scarbrough's thesis: " The story of Williamson County's metamorphosis from agrarian backwater to suburban juggernaut reveals a pattern of how several of America's most successful agricultural counties became supersuburbs over the last half of the twentieth century. The twin pillars of this growth surge, most notably in the Dry Sun Belt, were dams and interstate highways funded by the federal government.....Who decided where to put these massive projects and why?..."

While this is the story of the transformation of one American county, Williamson, County, Texas, it is indicative of what has occurred across our nation. Yes, times they are achangin', and to read about how some of it happened is fascinating.

The author identifies three essential ingredients which are necessary for dynamic growth: a new water source, a new major highway, and "a politically skillful and determined leader." In Texas, these men are simply called good ol' boys. If you wish to dispute Scarbrough's premise just take a look at the booming areas outside of Austin, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, and Salt Lake City.

Scarbrough is publisher of the Williamson County Sun in Georgetown, Texas. With advanced degrees in American Civilization from the University of Texas, she knows her subject well. She was among the first to write about environmental issues for the New York Daily News, and when she returned to Texas in 1978 she continued to discuss that subject on the pages of her family newspaper.

"Road, River, and Ol' Boy Politics" is replete with illustrations, maps, bibliography, and index. It's an important addition to the archives of Texas history, and that of our country as well.

- Gail Cooke

Mary Lu Abbott rounds up Lone Star lodgings, restaurants and sightseeing with lovers in mind. Recommendations are organized regionally and introduced with a brief history of the locale. Among the romantic stays are rooms in a former stagecoach stop; among the memorable restaurants is the palatial Mansion on Turtle Creek Dining Room in Dallas. The book includes major festivals and strikes a nice balance of activities, sightseeing and recreation of interest to both genders.
Chicago Tribune

The updated second edition of Romantic Weekends: Texas covers places to get away for a romantic weekend in Texas, outlining both popular areas and hidden places which can be easily accessed in a long weekend. From central Texas and the Southeast to the Panhandle, the regional breakdowns make it easy to look up particular areas, while specifics on restaurants and accommodations make this a winning set of recommendations.

This book offers the best places for romance in and around Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley and the Mexican border. Only those lodgings with special appeal have been selected, and all have been visited by the author - former Houston Chronicle editor.Table For Two sections profile the most intimate places to eat, where ambiance and service are as important as the food. But this is more than a guide to the best places to stay and eat. Activities that a couple will remember forever are also covered - balloon rides over the desert, romantic strolls under a starry sky, horseback trails into the wilderness. Contact names, telephone numbers and website addresses are given. Maps, index and photos, plus hand-drawn sketches.

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!

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.