Texas Books

John Henry Faulk was in an up and coming radio and TV personality when in the mid 1950s when he decided to stand up to those who tried to turn America against itself. His memoir of his legal struggle, "Fear on Trial" tells how he was blacklisted by AWARE, Inc. and subsequently could not work in his chosen profession. Mr. Faulk, with the help of such prominent broadcasters as Edward R. Murrow, Charles Collingwood and Mark Goodsen, hired famed cousel Louis Nizer to file a lasuit against the blacklisters. His victory sounded the death knell fr those who would try to rule through fear, intimidation and innuendo. "Fear on Trial" is a must read for all those who value freedom if thought and expression, for if it were not for John Henry Faulk, Howard Stern, Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh and others would not have the freedom they do today. His writing style is the same as his broadcasting tyle was, simple, folksyand to the point. His recalling the terrible days of unemploable status and the help of friends such as Tony Randall, Jack Gilford (also blacklisted) and others will tug at your heart, mind and soul. I most heartily recommend this book.

... are doomed to repeat it. And no book captures more vividly the history of the McCarthy hearings then this book. Anyone hearing McCarthy's words today, from his general classifications of all americans into either loyal citizens (supporting him) or enemies of the state (the rest), to his labeling the International Workers of the World a terrorist organization, should find them hauntingly current and familiar.

A must read for anyone who truyly values democracy, liberty and the *real* America-- the one where difference of opinion is valued, not feared.

I have been interested in Trans-Pecos plants for over 20 years but have been terrified by the prospect of learning how to identify them by species. After one hour with this book I am 'fern savvy' and really enjoy identifying ferns in the field. It is very easy to read and understand, the technical terms are very clearly explained, the illustrations are excellent and I don't get frustrated and confused. I bought one for myself and then bought a second one to keep in my truck all the time and then bought 2 more for my job and my employee! Worth twice the money (don't raise the price!)

[Ferns and Fern Allies of the Trans-Pecos and Adjacent Areas by Sharon C. Yarborough and A. Michael Powell], Native Plant Society of Texas News, 20 (Nov.-Dec. 2002): 3.

To look at a fern is to travel back in time. Ferns date from over 300 million years ago, long before the appearance of the first flowering plant. Although I knew nothing of this remarkable ancestry when at a young age I saw my first ferns in the forests of Breton Woods, their delicate beauty nonetheless captivated my imagination. My childhood fascination with ferns was hardly unique, however. People have been attracted to ferns for some time. During the 19th Century, for instance, nothing less than a fern craze sprouted up in England, where suddenly once wild ferns were abundantly cultivated in gardens, purchased as indoor potted plants, and replicated in ornamental designs on numerous household items.*

When I arrived in Austin in 1969, whatever fern-desire I may have harbored soon withered in the heat. Although my first Austin home was located on a creek site, all the land surrounding it was caliche-hardly ideal for ferns or much else. Ferns, I had always observed, thrive in a shady, moist habitat. It was not until many years later when an acquaintance of my daughter gifted us with ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) that my fondness for ferns revived. While this Texas native plant may not be as aesthetically appealing as the more delicately textured wood fern (Thelypteris kunthii), it is both hardy and drought tolerant. I have become very attached to ebony spleenwort. Planted along the north side of my home's foundation, it has thrived, even remaining green throughout every winter. After a protracted stretch of heat and drought, it signals the need for some water by yellowing slightly.

That there is yet more hope for Texas fern lovers who live in such dry places is evident in Sharon C. Yarborough and A. Michael Powell's new book. It identifies many native pteridophytes adapted to the arid conditions of the Trans-Pecos region-that Maine-sized western part of our state situated between the Rio Grande and the Pecos rivers where the average annual rainfall is a mere 12 inches. One of the intentions behind this book, in fact, is to promote the ferns of this locale as suitable candidates for xeriscaped home gardens.

The Trans-Pecos ferns conserve water by producing hair-shaded fronds somewhat smaller in size than average. Some of these plants will wither after a long period of dryness, and yet these very same seemingly dead flora will immediately green up again whenever water becomes available. It is likely, moreover, that these plants reproduce more by asexual means-vegetative buds forming on a tiny heart-shaped prothallus that normally produces eggs and sperm on its underside when moisture is present. Fern reproduction is a curious business, in any event, and the authors of Fern and Fern Allies do very well explaining the intricate process so that it can be easily understood by lay readers.

Including spikemosses, horsetails and scouring rushes, this attractive field guide provides detailed keys designed to facilitate plant identification in the wild. Besides useful information concerning the floral morphology and habitat conditions of Trans-Pecos pteridophytes, Yarborough and Powell provide 37 line drawings. In the matter of fern identification such detailed drawings are more helpful than photographs.

A comparison with David L. Jones's Encyclopedia of Ferns and Boughton Cobb's A Field Guide to the Ferns, in the Peterson series, provides another measure of the value of Ferns and Fern Allies. Of the 15 examples in the new book of members of Cheilanthes, the largest genus of the maidenhair fern family, only 3 appear in Cox's book and only 2 in Jones's volume. Similarly, of the 11 members of Selaginellaceae (the spikemoss family) described in Fern and Fern Allies, 2 are included in Jones's work and none in Cobb's guide. As these statistics and results of a comparative review of the remaining plants both suggest, Fern and Fern Allies is as valuable as it is handy.

What an invitation to adventure Yarborough and Powell's book provides. Like several columbines native to the same region, many of the Trans-Pecos ferns are hidden in unusual places. To be seen they must be searched out. And, as the authors note, "there are probably more rare treasures to be found in certain microhabitats" of that area of Texas. Let's hope so, and let's hope, too, that native plant nurseries will make some of these arid-adapted ferns available for our home garden landscapes.

*See David E. Allen, The Victorian Fern Craze: A History of Pteridomania (London: Hutchinson, 1969).

William J. Scheick, a former NPSOT vice-president, is also a member of the Central Texas Horticulture Council and a frequent contributor to Texas Gardener.

The best progressive writing and independent journalism in the Great Lone Star State. Like The Nation, the TO is beholden to none of the corporate interests that taint most of the corporate news.

Remember what journalism used to, and should, be.

The Texas Observer has a well-deserved reputation for asking the tough questions which our state government (still famous for a 'good-old boy' reputation) wishes would just be quiet instead.

As an investigative journalist myself, I always have looked to the Observer for inspiration and comfort. Their own perserverance reminds me that our job is often thankless, but a passion for justice is one of a journalist's most effective tools.

For all of my frustration with the current status of Texas/National politics, these pages remind me times were once much worse in Texas. When segregation was still considered matter of fact, the Observer pushed ahead with the 'radical' idea that all people deserved human rights.

Finally, the Observer produced such now-nationally recognized figures as Jim Hightower and Molly Ivins. Ivins continues to cheer me up today with her right-on commentary that George W. Bush is a danger to the world, and not all Texans approve of him (or had even wanted him involved with any kind of government).

If you've ever seen the magnificent, nationally famous Texas A&M University Band perform during half-time, you will want to own this fine volume. It offers a comprehensive history of the first 100 years of a college organization that has become, literally, a state institution. Being in the Aggie Band is not simply membership in a music outfit; rather, it is a comprehensive, fully consuming Way of Life. Rich with details about how the present-day Band evolved, the Powells' account also grandly illuminates other facets of Texas Aggie history - the Corps of Cadets, A&M athletics, campus development, memorable faculty folks and general local color (in native lingo, "good bull."). Numerous photos trace Aggie traditions from their earliest days to the present. It was startling to this reader how some campus/Corps images are practically ageless. Many of the pictures - fish standing on the wall, Elephant Walk, Ags working on the Bonfire, meals in Duncan Dining Hall - could have been taken in 1930 or 1950 or 1975 OR 1995, since the traditions, and the scenes they propagate, are so firmly embedded at A&M.

This book definitely needs to be made into a movie. Not only would it offer remarkable settings, dramatic events, dynamic characters, stupendous role models, intricate Band drills and tantalizing college-life plots, but it would feature, without a doubt, the very best film soundtrack in the history of the world.

I was the drum major at my little high school in Louisiana a long long time ago, and I never heard anything about the Texas Aggie Band until almost three decades later, when I saw them at a parade in San Antonio. Soon after that, I visited the A&M campus one football weekend and got to see them rehearse their pre-game Saturday morning drill performance. They are absolutely stupendous, the best in the world. No one else compares or even comes close. I found this book at A&M's Memorial Student Center and bought it immediately. You simply MUST go see the Aggie Band.

One of my life's greatest regrets, now, is that I knew nothing about this organization when I was eligible to march in it. Musically, and personally, I can imagine no higher achievement. Everything about this precision machine exudes excellence, from their music, to their marching, to the striking friendly politeness of all the members I was fortunate to meet. These fine kids are motivated beyond belief, and they welcome you into their world -- they know they are a part of something special, and they generously share with you the admiration for their Aggie heritage.

Their drum cadence (I was a drummer) is absolutely captivating. It has five "verses," and is militarily simple but, once you've heard it, the beat stays with you wherever you walk, any time you are walking -- you wish that you were marching with the Fightin Texas Aggie Band, every time you put one foot in front of the other.

I got to see the film, "We've Never Been Licked," a 1943 World War II story, and became a permanent Aggie "groupie." From now forward, I will always be a Texas Aggie in my heart. As Pop Lambert said in the movie, "God bless the Aggies." The Spirit of Aggieland is now an forever. World Without End, A&M.

Gig 'em. And Beat The Hell Outta t.u. !!!

Lee Morgan is an oddity among women. She is no Southern Belle, but a horse rancher, tough and strong as any man. Determined to prove her capability, she agrees to race her stallion against a neighbor's, despite her misgivings about the wisdom of gambling and horse racing.

The races have brought danger and a low element to Burnt Rock, making Marshall Ben Flood's life harder. It also endangers both him and Lee. The wildness evolves into murder. It is too late to stop the race though, and it will take every resource in Lee to win it. Faith and courage are key elements to proving herself.

***** This innocent novel will appeal to fans of Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey. It shows that faith can carry into every aspect of life, even those not traditionally thought of as requiring it. Both parents and children can share this book as a family read.

This was an excellent western novel. The author wove an interesting fictional story with accurate horse information and christian values.

As usual Laurie Moore does not disappoint the reader with her exceptional sense of writing style. This book like all of her stories shows Ms. Moore's quick witt filling her books with tongue in cheek humor as she weaves a great who done it. I am anxiously waiting to see what comes next! Keep them coming!

Tarrant County Constable Jinx Porter panics as the clock is running down on his chances to persuade Raven not to marry her fiancé Tommy Greenway who is incognito somewhere in the Sudan or a similar locale. The office is working on retrieving a five years old girl Magick whose mother died and father Fleck is a satanic cultist; her maternal grandparents want the child with them. Raven especially worries because she fears the youngster will be sacrificed in an upcoming summer solstice ritual.

As they search for the child other events interfere with Raven's wedding plans. Her elderly neighbor dies, bashed in the head; a gypsy she arrested ate her engagement ring; and the DEA is investigating the florist while the caterer is simply dead. Then there is Sigrid the new investigator in her life, and finally a groom whom has remained incommunicado for the past five days. Wedding blues seem too trite.

The Constable police procedurals are some of the best on the market today. The latest one is the typical amusing yet serious mystery as Raven gets closer to marriage, but her groom is somewhere in the middle of nowhere surrounded by terrorists. The missing child cult subplot adds depth to a strong tale. Fans will want Moore Jinx-Raven and ilk tales from this wonderfully entertaining author.

Harriet Klausner

This is a great book, especially if you love ghost stories and mysteries but don't like to be scared too much. =)

In Six Gun, Texas, author Alice Carpenter has worked out the rules of sharing her home with ghosts. However, her cousin Katy Gueydon is not doing quite as well dealing with spirits and begs Alice to help her with Sir Gary Gavin. Katy's plea changes when she finds a corpse in her swimming pool at Esprit d'Chene estate. Alice calls her former spouse Detective Jack Carpenter, who works near her cousin's home, while she drives the two hours to help Katy.

Alice quickly learns that the victim is Bucky Wilson-Jones, son of a state senator. Though Bucky was a reprobate, Alice realizes that the prime suspect is her cousin, a steal magnolia who has lost her metallic backbone. As Alice investigates the current killing, tries to solve Gary's two century old "undeliberate" murder, and works with settling down a bewildered and angry Bucky, she needs help. Jack don't believe in ghosts so she turns to her mentor Twila Brown and their neighbor Granny to form the ghosthunter amateur sleuth team trying to resolve the three related scenarios.

This is a fabulous holiday investigative tale that hooks the audience the moment that readers learn of The Alice and the Howard Ghost Agreement of co-living rules. The women especially Alice and the ghosts own the plot, but readers will commiserate more with Jack the non-believer; he copes with ghost hunting females, a real murder with political implications, and some paranormal phenomena that makes him wonder what to accept as truth. Even without the Ghostbusters, readers will believe in ghosts as Alice and company act like it is a normal phenomenon, all this supernatural phenomena resides inside a delightful who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner

Midori Snyder's range as a story teller continues to astound me. In this story, mythological elements from Irish, Native American, and Old West sources are woven together into a unique tale of a man on the run. Whether he's running from something or to something is a question both the main character and you keep asking, not to mention wondering what in the world is going to happen next. Another excellent read from an author who simply doesn't publish books fast enough as far as I'm concerned. But given the choice, I'll take quality over quantity any day!

Midori Snyder, who has done wonders with her traditional fantasies, has decided to blend two rather contrary styles. She takes the traditional, down-to-earth stylings of a western novel, and throws in some sensual, and occasionally bizarre, touches of magical realism. Along the way we also get a healthy dose of urban fantasy, as Snyder tells the tale of a young man growing up in 19th century New York who discovers that he has a much richer and more magical heritage than he had assumed. Snyder takes a classic plot -- a mortal sired by faeries -- and makes it shine

I was in the CBI for over 2 years and this is the most accrate account of any books I have read on the subject. If they had 6 stars I would vote for that.

This book gets a 10 for two reasons: the author scoured hundreds of books and articles and created a perfectly sized introduction to the Hump CBI history that should whet appetites of all military aviation buffs. Second, and most important, this is the ONLY WWII book I've seen that was honest about the women in these mens' lives. No beating around the bush in this book, although there was plenty of that in the CBI! An excellent book that touches on all the challenges of flying the highest mountains on the planet.

This was a powerful and sad story about a young boy growing up in Syria, and about the hardships in a person's life due to culture and geography. Most people don't know much about Syria, let alone the Middle East. The story does a superb job of revealing the agony of hunger, sickness, poverty, the marginalization of women and the poor, and it brings up the excesses of our own American society. It becomes obvious that Syria lacks the infrastructure to realistically support its people. Thus, they are forced to live day by day, barely avoiding injustice and death. It's a miracle that the author survives to tell his story. Sickness and poverty take on a new meaning in this book, showing how death can be much more humane than life itself, and how God can be ruthless, how begging can be dehumanizing. There are just so many elements of the human experience compacted into this story. If anything, after reading this book, I gained an appreciation for the relative comfort and security of my life. Lastly, I think this book shows how work and the ability to work give value to a person's life. A truly worthwhile read.

Fragments of Memory is a socio-historical novel that illustrates the characteristics of rural life in Syria at the time of the French Mandate. This biographical novel is particularly effective in illustrating issues related to the exercise of power and the role of the state. There will also be an analysis of the expectations of family life and the respective roles of men, women and children and the role of religion in daily life. The Novel offers considerable insight into relations of power and the role of the state in rural society. The vicissitudes of the author's family in al-Suwaydiya and the village of al-Akbar clearly show that the landowner and the village headman - mukhtar - held all the power, especially when the landowner was also the mukhtar as was the case in al-Suwaydiya. The first chapters of the novel describe the family's move from the administrative capital Latakiya to the coastal village of al-Suwaydiya. There the family virtually submits to a sharecropping arrangement with the mukhtar, Mr. Elias, who owns the land, which entitled it to earn a quarter of the income accruing from the cultivation of mulberry trees while the rest went to the mukhtar (p.19). The paramount characteristic of this arrangement, however, is the relationship of dependency that the family develops upon the assistance of the mukhtar that borders on slavery.