Texas Books

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.

The characters experienced the full range of emotions. I felt like I was right along with them for the adventures. Such strong characters, determination. Very inspiring!

I truly enjoyed every word of this book. I was hooked after the first page and wasn't willing to stop reading! Shyanne has such strength and courage. Watching her grow and deal with her problems touched me.

I liked the part in the schoolhouse when Josh Paul,Shiloh,and Shenandoah were trapped with Miss Gibson in the schoolhouse, because that part has a lot of tragedy to it and a way to survive if you're ever stuck in a schoolhouse when there is a blizzard. The rest of the book is just great so I think Ms.Freeman should get something special.

Ms Champ did a great job on this book. The blurb states that she is collecting items for Vol II. This is wrong. Volume II has been released and she is collecting for Vol III. Please contact her for more information.

An excellant work for any of those who may have descendents from early Collin County,Texas. Minnie Champ deserves great recognition for spending countless hours to insure that our ancestors and their stories are not forgotten.

As author/publisher of this book done in memory of my mother, Alice Ellison Pitts, who started the book, I'd like you to know its contents. The family stories written by descendants of Collin County early settlers are personal, varied and contain an abundance of Collin County history. The book, 9"x12," contains 548 different family stories in alpha order, has full surname index, and also has over 350 family photographs.

Volume II of this work is under production and a call for materials is out. You are invited to submit your Collin Co. related stories.

Other books available for purchase on Collin County. Email for info

While many underground cartoonists of the `60s and `70s focused their stories on counter-cultural issues of the time, writer/artist Jack Jackson headed in the other direction, bringing the stories of early Texas personalities to life. COMANCHE MOON tells the epic story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her famed son, Quanah. Set during the final days of the Comanche, who once roamed from the Kansas Territory to central Texas, it is a fascinating and moving historical portrait.

At age 9, Cynthia Ann, the daughter of Anglo settlers, is kidnapped by Comanches during a raid in 1836. Renamed Naduah, she adapts to their ways, marrying a chief and bearing a son, Quanah. Quanah rises from an uncertain beginning to become a powerful and feared warrior, and the last chief of the Quahadi Comanche. But his most startling transition was yet to come, as he adopted the white man's ways and introduced Native American culture to white society.

Jackson pulls out all the stops for this graphic novel. While I recall studying Quanah Parker and these events in my Texas history class many years ago, it was not presented with this level of detail. This is certainly not your typical read-in-an-hour trade paperback - you actually have to focus, and you may even learn a thing or two if you're not careful. Jackson's historical sources are numerous, events and characters are clearly identified, and maps are abundant. I especially enjoyed his casual presentation of the Comanche's speech, almost as if they were using modern slang. The art is very detailed, at times almost approaching photorealism. Jackson takes great pains to accurately depict historical figures from daguerreotypes. At times, it resembles the early black and white work of his contemporary, Richard Corben.

With all that said, there are certain parts that should appeal to the purely underground comic fan - Jackson's depictions of Quanah's mystic vision, his first experience with peyote, and his death resemble psychedelia straight out of Zap Comics. Great reading, fully educational, and very cool.

This is the finest and most intricate graphic book (not quite a novel) I've ever read. The illustrations reach levels of beauty and artistry seldom seen in this genre of storytelling. Comanche Moon (not to be confused with the Larry McMurtry novel of the same name) tells the end times history of the Comanche peoples, with emphasis on their great leader, Quanah Parker, and his mother, the "white Comanche" Cynthia Ann Parker. The story of the Comanche's' violent way of life, their struggles against the whites in Texas and across the Southwest, and of the brilliant leadership of Quanah Parker, are rendered in a way that provides as much meaningful information to a reader as most text-only tales of the Comanche and the brutal period of the mid-1800's thru the 1870's. This is a great (though often sad and bloody) segment of North American history, and this rapidly-paced, carefully produced graphic re-telling of it is a more than worthy read.

Historically accurate biography of Quanah Parker, last Commanche to live free on the LLana Estacata of Texas. Also bio information about his mother Cynthia Ann Parker, a European girl captured and raised by Commanches as their own, later taken back by her white family by force after she had married and had children as a Commanche woman. Lots of information regarding the everyday life of Commanche people. Told in a graphic novel format , the drawing is not particularly beautiful, but the story and accuracy make up for it. My copy is bound in psuedo leather, looks nice. Highly recomended for adults or older adolecents. Especially those who are intellectually curious, who may or may not have trouble with standard written texts.

Richard Wiley's novel takes you to a time of great change in Japan, the opening to the west. You will see history through the eyes of memorable vivid characters - and you will feel attached to these people - their strengths and foibles - their love affairs, rip-roaring bloody battles and roll on the floor laughing scenes as well.
It's got something for everyone and just beautifully written.

I've read all of Richard Wiley's books, and like anyone else, I have my favorites. Soldiers in Hiding is, of course, a fine book. Fool's Gold is a beauty, and Festival for 3,000 Maidens is a great little Peace Corps Novel. I have to ask myself whether Commodore Perry's Minstrel Show is now my favorite because I've just finished it, but it's a strange and wonderful delight.

Who else would write about such an unusual subject? And what makes the book such a pleasure? It has to do with the beauty of the characters and the language, both light as a feather and yet capable of great and sudden strength. I've rarely seen a book with such a texture, bright and dark, comic and serious, distant and close, ridiculous and urgent.

At times I found myself wondering why I became so involved with this odd bunch of characters from the mid 1800's Japan, but generally I was too involved to ask the question. Of course, it's no wonder, since Richard Wiley has lived in, visited, and obviously loved Japan over the years. But what surprised me the most was the book's ability to make me gasp now and again. And to curse the writer for having received, worked for, and developed such a gift.

The novelist Richard Bausch once remarked that a reader is always guaranteed to learn something new in any novel written by Richard Wiley. Wiley shepherds us into a foreign landscape and introduces us to a culture that is strikingly remote from our own yet is so intimately and recognizably human that we close the book with the realization that not only are we more savvy about the workings of the world at large, but we have a rich new insight into ourselves as well. These two feats can be achieved only by a literary master capable of topnotch entertainment who also has his thumb firmly on the pulse of humanity. In Commodore Perry's Minstrel Show, Richard Wiley outdoes himself. The novel abounds in characters who will live in the reader's mind long after finishing that last page; a plot that is riveting in terms of tragedy, comedy, and samurai action; if that's not enough, this novel is one of the most poetically rendered achievements I've read in the past year. Each sentence is carefully crafted and is in full service to a compelling story about the cultural clashes, tribal rivalries, and familial conflicts that occur when Commodore Perry and his unlikely crew sail into Japan's Edo Bay in 1854 to open trade with the United States. Along the way we are treated to sex, romance, swordplay, deapitation, high and low comedy, and a sense of history whose heartbeat resounds through the ages to make it all feel insistently modern. I recommend this book without reservation to anyone who cares about excellent storytelling.

The back cover of this small volume boasts a blurb, which proclaims, "Monterroso is certainly the leading living Guatemalan writer..." Not being quite an expert on Guatemalan literature myself, I cannot personally vouch for this statement. What I can swear to, however, is the fact that this compilation of writings by Augusto Monterroso is a collection of brilliant short fictions, which quickly call to mind the works of Swift, Sterne, Kafka, J.L. Borges, and Italo Calvino (among others). Reminiscent of Borges, Monterroso is a master of the self-referential (art about art/books about books); his fictions abound with tales of writers (and other story-tellers), readers, reviewers, critics, researchers, musicians, artists and historical figures who may or may not be "real." Like his predecessors, Monterroso's fictions often challenge our assumptions about literature and its conventions. He freely plays with the forms of fiction; there are "short-stories" disguised as letters, essays, and aphorisms. Several of his stories are shorter in length than the literary quotes he uses to introduce them. One of these, "The Dinosaur," (perhaps his most well-known work) is a mere 8 words long ("When he awoke, the dinosaur was still there."). In other instances, his fictions mirror the rambling nature of the spoken word itself, as they amble on and meander for 3 or 4 pages without a single bit of punctuation prior to the concluding period.
Like his (above mentioned) literary forbearers, Monterroso is a master of satire, irony, and the absurd. Resembling Swift ("A Modest Proposal"), Kafka, and Borges before him, Monterroso uses a precise, crisp and almost dispassionate writing style to put forth the most absurd and outrageous of fictions. In "Finished Symphony," for example, he casually relates having overheard in passing, someone tell of the discovery, and then destruction of the two lost movements of Schubert's great "Unfinished Symphony." In other instances, his irony can be directed at himself. "Leopoldo (His Labors)," for instance, is a short story about a reluctant short story writer who is eternally frustrated in his decades-long attempt to write his first short story. This entire piece of fiction is a virtuoso bit of satire upon the author, himself (and perhaps on all authors). And then, what could be more absurd, or more comically inspired than "Flies": "There are three themes; love, death, and flies...Let others deal with the first two. I concern myself with flies...In the beginning was the fly...It is easier for a fly to land on the nose of the Pope, than for the Pope to land on the nose of a fly...Oh, Melville, you had to sail the seas before you could finally set that great white whale on your desk in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, not realizing that Evil had long ago circled your strawberry ice cream..."
Monterroso is clearly one of the important figures in the development of modern and contemporary Latin-American fiction. Along with such writers as Bioy Casares, J.L. Borges, Gabriel Marquez, Carlos Fuentes, Tomas Eloy Martinez, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Julio Cortazar (as well as Italo Calvino, Tomasso Landolfi, John Barth, and Milan Kundera), Monterroso is a brilliant exponent of "Magic Realism". If you admire any of the aforementioned authors, I would urge you to look into this dazzling collection by an inspired writer.

The back cover of this small volume boasts a blurb, which proclaims, "Monterroso is certainly the leading living Guatemalan writer..." Not being quite an expert on Guatemalan literature myself, I cannot personally vouch for this statement. What I can swear to, however, is the fact that this compilation of writings by Augusto Monterroso is a collection of brilliant short fictions, which quickly call to mind the works of Swift, Sterne, Kafka, J.L. Borges, and Italo Calvino (among others). Reminiscent of Borges, Monterroso is a master of the self-referential (art about art/books about books); his fictions abound with tales of the weaknesses and general absurdities of writers (and other story-tellers), bibliophiles, reviewers, critics, researchers, musicians, artists and other intellectual and historical figures who may or may not be "real." Like his predecessors, Monterroso's fictions often challenge our assumptions about literature and its conventions. He freely plays with the forms of fiction; there are short stories
"disguised" as letters, essays, and aphorisms. Several of his stories are far shorter in length than the literary quotes he uses to introduce them. One of these, "The Dinosaur," (perhaps his most well-known work) is a mere 8 words long ("When he awoke, the dinosaur was still there."). In other instances, his fictions mirror the rambling nature of the spoken word itself, as they amble on and meander for some 3 or 4 pages without a single bit of punctuation prior to the concluding period.
Like his (above mentioned) literary forbearers, Monterroso is a master of satire, irony, and the absurd. Resembling Swift ("A Modest Proposal"), Kafka, and Borges before him, Monterroso uses a precise, crisp and almost dispassionate writing style to put forth the most absurd and outrageous of fictions. In "Finished Symphony," for example, he casually relates having overheard in passing, someone tell of the discovery, and then destruction of the two lost movements of Schubert's great "Unfinished Symphony." In other instances, his irony can be self-deprecating. "Leopoldo (His Labors)," for instance, is a short story about a reluctant short story writer, who is eternally frustrated in his decades-long attempt to write his first perfect(and never finished)short story. This entire piece of fiction is a virtuoso bit of satire upon the author, himself (and perhaps on all authors). And what could be more absurd, or more comically inspired than "Flies": "There are three themes; love, death, and flies...Let others deal with the first two. I concern myself with flies...In the beginning was the fly...It is easier for a fly to land on the nose of the Pope, than for the Pope to land on the nose of a fly...Oh, Melville, you had to sail the seas before you could finally set that great white whale on your desk in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, not realizing that Evil had long ago circled your strawberry ice cream..."
Monterroso is clearly one of the important figures in the development of modern and contemporary Latin-American fiction. Along with such writers as Bioy Casares, J.L. Borges, Gabriel Marquez, Carlos Fuentes, Tomas Eloy Martinez, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Julio Cortazar (as well as Italo Calvino, Tomasso Landolfi, John Barth, and Milan Kundera), Monterroso is a brilliant exponent of "Magic Realism". If you admire any of the aforementioned authors, I would urge you to look into this dazzling collection by an inspired writer.

Monterroso has a fantastatic sense of humor. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.

This book is one of the best, I own on the subject matter. Very well done and extreemely detailed. I bought a second copy and gave it away as a Christmas gift this year, at my company Christmas party. It was a great success. Everyone wanted it. I'm glad Matt got to keep it.

I must say that very few texts on this subject are as well done as Conklin's. I highly recomend it to anyone interested in "Compassionate Cannibalism" through history.

I looked into this book a source for a term paper I was writing on Ritual Cannibalism, but then chose to buy if as my summer reading material. The book is very well written and easy to understand, which make it ideal for professionals, students, and lay-people alike. Coklin does a great job letting the reader into the mind of Wari' peoples; the testemonials are engaging and thought-provoking. I must warn that if you are looking for material that is critical of cannibalism, or argues that it does not exist, this isn't it. "Consuming Grief" makes cannibalism seem rational, and makes you feel sad that these peoples customs and culture were forced away. Coklin is biased in the sense that she is an anthropologist, in that I mean she does not pass any judgement on the peoples she is studying.

This book is one of the best, I own on the subject matter. Very well done and extreemely detailed. I bought a second copy and gave it away as a Christmas gift this year, at my company Christmas party. It was a great success. Everyone wanted it. I'm glad Matt got to keep it.

I must say that very few texts on this subject are as well done as Conklin's. I highly recomend it to anyone interested in "Compassionate Cannibalism" through history.

Although I've never been to Texas, I *LOVE* this cookbook, as does everyone to whom I've given it as a gift. The recipes are all delectable, and written clearly enough for even northerners to understand. They are also preceded by clear descriptions of what makes them so wonderful (which I, myself, find invaluable in cookbooks), and many are quick and easy to prepare. You can't help but love this one!

I absolutely love this book! Over the last ten years, it has become a staple in my kitchen and the kitchens of friends who I have blessed with a copy. I am not a very talented cook, but I find these recipes easy to follow and virtually fail proof. My husband, a fabulous cook, also loves cooking with recipes from Cooking Texas Style. The book is filled with great unheard of recipes as well as Texas and Tex-Mex classics. In addition to the recipes, the personal notes that Ms. Marquez and Ms. Wagner have included are a thrill to read. There is information about the origin of some of the dishes as well as great family stories. I highly recommend this book to the novice or master chef! Enjoy!

This cookbook is the best book on regional Texas cooking that I have ever read. The recipes are clear and informative, spanning Mexican, German, and Southern dishes. The work is made all the more interesting by its insights into Texan life and culture.

I purchased this book not knowing whether I would like it, but I loved it. It is a fascinating collection of stories from people who participated in WWII in numerous diverse ways. Recounted here are the experiences of bomber pilots, men on submarines, infantry soldiers from the wars in the Pacific and in Europe, POW's, and countless others. The author steps aside and lets the soldiers tell the stories in their own words, yet the narrative is consistently compelling. You get a realistic view of what WWII was like from the perspective of people who were there. I highly recommend this book.

``The Courage of Common Men: Texans Remember World War II'' is a must-read for Texans and World War II history buffs.

The book contains stories from 19 veterans across Texas and is thoroughly engaging. It's an extremely quick read. The stories are tragic and at times humorous. It's told in an interview-style, so you feel the emotions that the veterans are experiencing as they relive their personal accounts. One of my favorite chapters is of the Gibesons, a couple from San Antonio, who met during the War and are still married today. What a love story!

The names you'll find in ``The Courage of Common Men'' aren't those that you have read about in history books. They are your neighbors and family friends. Ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times. After reading ``The Courage of Common Men,'' you'll gain a greater appreciation for the sacrifices these brave men made.

I have read this book and the author, Stephen Manning, has done a great job of telling stories from men, who are still living, about their experiences while serving their county during World War II.

Mr. Manning has interviewed about 20 veterans from all branches of the service. He tell thier story just like they tell it to him useing their own words. You feel like you have talked to the men youself.

The author has incorperated pictrues of the men interviewd taken while he was in the service and a picture of them as of today.

If you are interested in World War II this is a must read book.

Sincerely, Charles B. Harper