Texas Books

A friend recommended this book as I've been reading a lot about Sarah, Duchess of York, and I was interested in Steve Wyatt's background.

The author writes in an easy style as she tells the history of these families who are a large part of Texas history. I had not heard much about any of them. Texas folks probably would like to read about them, but I found them boring. I've given it five stars for her writing.

There are some interesting things about how retail stores have changed over the years and how customer service has deteriorated.

I think that only Texans would be interested in the parts about oil and gas companies.

amazon came through for me by finding this out of print book, and it only took them 3 days to find it. i am an admirer of lynn wyatts and was a loyal customer to the sakowitz store. this book shows us inside two very powerful families and reminds us that money is thicker than blood. i recommend this book to anyone into the social scene. thanks amazon for finding this for me.

This is a great history of a family ice cream business that expanded beyond the bounds of its original county and state of Texas. The developments of new flavors and stories make it a fun coffee table pictorial and a must for any Native Texan.

In the late 1980s, my family moved to Brenham where we lived for three years. Blue Bell Ice Cream was just beginning its tremendous expansion through Texas at that time, and we were excited to be moving to Blue Bell country. As we quickly found out, Blue Bell ice cream defines Brenham. Whenever the Creamery comes out with a new flavor, it makes the front page banner headline of the local newspaper. And in Brenham you can get ALL the flavors, many that you've never even heard of before.

The schools serve hand-dipped Blue Bell in their cafeterias. So do all the restaurants, and even some of the gas stations. To us, it seemed there were buckets of hand-dipped Blue Bell just about anywhere we looked. We once counted 28 places that served hand-scooped Blue Bell in Brenham, which at that time had a population of only 12,000. And then one day, during a rainy football game, as we sat in the high school stadium right across the street from the Creamery, out came a rainbow and arched right into the top of the Blue Bell factory.

This year, Blue Bell Ice Cream celebrates 100 years of production, with a handsome picture book in commemoration. It is filled with gorgeous color and black-and-white photographs, but also laden with historic ads, some extraordinary engineering information, and lots of just plain gee-whiz facts, the kind that will be so much fun to tell other Blue Bell Ice Cream fans.

For instance, in 1907, the ice cream was made in hand-cranked freezers just like your grandma's. On a good day they could coax out almost two whole gallons. Then delivery boys would hitch up a horse and buggy and rush the ice cream to nearby families where they ate quickly, before it melted!

Even up into the 1940s, ice cream sandwiches were made by hand slicing slabs from a 64-ounce ice cream block, and fixing the slab between two chocolate wafers. Automation came later, in the late 60s, but by 2006, Blue Bell had expanded from the single little creamery in Brenham, Texas into sixteen states, with forty-four creameries churning out Homemade Vanilla, Buttered Pecan, Cookies `n Cream, and Moo-liennium Crunch.

Also included in the book are some of the flavors that didn't make it, like Jelly Terror, Dill Pickles `n Cream, and Licorice which turned a consumer's mouth black. At the end of the book are letters from people, mostly funny letters, most requesting that Blue Bell hurry to their towns.

There used to an Apple Tree store on Market Street in Brenham. On weekends they often had demonstrators handing out samples. One Saturday, a lady was offering tastes of a startup ice cream brand from the Valley. She gave her pitch to everyone who walked by her table. People were polite, but they were also declining, and by the time we arrived, the poor lady was desperate. My younger son, feeling sorry for her, went over to take one of the small cups of melting vanilla. She watched gratefully as he ate the single scoop in one bite. He shook his head at her, and with pity, said, "Lady, this is Blue Bell country."

"I know," she answered. I can still hear the surrender in her voice.

Blue Bell has a lively web site: [...]. Go there to find out about the factory tours, (a terrific idea for Spring Break), to enter flavor-naming contests, and to learn all about the 100-Year Celebration planned for June 19-12 in Brenham.

Lori Copeland did it again!! Bluebonnet Belle is a great romance. I couldn't put it down.

Precious story. I loved each character. I highly recommend this book to all my friends.

This is a great book for anyone interested in the cattle business, Texas history, or the politics of big business in the middle of this century. One need not be a rancher or cattleman to enjoy this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone from any background.

If you have an interest in the King Ranch, you should read this book.

I found this book to be an incredible compilation of poetry, if time is taken to read each work slowly. Each reading of In Cisco reveals something new to me, whether an image or a thought, and can stop me in my tracks for a moment. The author shows himself in each poem and by the end of reading them all, you want to seek him out because he feels like an old friend. I suggest this book to those who have time to consider each word, each line, each poem.

The Border showcases the poetry and lyrical style of Cleatus Rattan, a former academician (he recently retired from the English Department at Cisco Community College) and a Texas rancher (a hundred miles west of Fort Worth near the small Bible Belt community of Cisco). Rattan writes with a robust imagination, a compelling sense of humor, and an artist's eye for detail that readers will find as entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought provoking. In Cisco, Texas: Here, no one comes to visit/to see the sights. In San Francisco,/well scrubbed guests arrive at the door,/bags in hand, sheepish smiles/on their faces, with plans to scamper/in well known directions. Fewer friends/arrive now, but those who come/have no plans, their hands reach/for the dog's head. They see sheep,/mesquite, scrub oak, the smile/on my face, and stars meandering/to nowhere known.

This book was reissued in a new edition by U. of Texas Press in 1999. In fact you used to list it regularly. Why is it not there now?

This is a superb introduction to the fiction of the great Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges that should serve as a model for works of its type. All too often, studies of major authors degenerate into studies not of the writer in question but meta-studies on all manner of theoretical matters. The best criticism takes the reader not into the heart of a theory, but into the work of the writer being discussed, and Bell-Villada takes the reader deep into the heart of Borges?s strange and marvelous world.

The book is divided into three sections. The first part is largely biographical, hitting the highpoints of Borges?s life, as well as exploring some aspects of his personality. The author also discusses many of the relevant aspects of Argentine society and politics. This is done with considerable sympathy with Borges, despite the obvious sharp political differences between the author and Borges. In fact, one of the great appeals of the book as a whole is the fact that the author feels some distance from Borges at a number of points. All too often, critics turn into fans of writers, tending to see in them other versions of themselves, often becoming admirers because of a host of shared values. The author clearly finds Borges?s political positions late in life troubling, but hardly admires him as a creative writer any the less for that.

The bulk of the book consists of finely nuanced, detailed discussions of Borges?s major fictional works. For those unaware, Borges, while famed as one of the great writers of the past century, actually produced a rather minute body of work. His entire fictional output in English translation amounts to scarcely more than 500 pages. Of this output, much of that?mainly his first collection of stories and much of his later work?falls short of his best work. Most of his great work is contained in FICCIONES and EL ALEPH, an astonishingly small body of work for a writer of such stature. Bell-Villada discusses all of these stories with great insight, including such details surrounding their publication or context that are relevant. The final section of the book details with Borges?s final works, and includes an interesting discussion of some of the political questions connected with his work.

One thing that makes this book especially useful is that it can be equally useful both to specialists in the field of Latin American literature and readers encountering Borges?s work for the first time. And betraying my own bias, it never, ever gets bogged down in mere theorizing. The focus is always on Borges?s work itself, and not on considerations extraneous matters.

Born Again Texan is a funny, authentic and heartwarming book - even if you're not a Texan or planning a trip to the Lone Star State. Author Robin Cole has a great eye for the details that make her home state a cradle for characters. Although she was a refugee for 30 years, her experiences elsewhere give her a clearer view of what is unique, charming and downright wacky about Texas. It's a must read for anyone who has even spoken the word Texas!

And if you're planning a trip there, her advice on speaking Texanese, weather, and down-home etiquette are essential. You'll also find great information on the major cities and towns, as well Texas cultural events - from music to rodeos.

Born Again Texan! is chili for the Texas soul. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, and it rejuvinates the spirit. If you are a Texan, it makes you realize why you smile when someone asks, "Where are you from?"

Informative in a humorous, short chapter format, Born Again Texan is a guideline for anyone interested in the Texas mystique. The chapter on the uniqueness of Texas "talk" is a hoot. But be ready with the hanky when you read the acts of kindness stories.

Weather, critters, vehicles, and rodeo... Cowboys, sports, music, and places to go -- Laugh and learn, Born Again Texan! is a great read.

Vol I and Vol II are tremendous sources of information on the Civil War groups from North Texas that Formed Bourland's Reg. There are letters and all kind of primary type information for researchers and a family historians. Many rosters of of the county groups and results of their elections of their officers. The letter and fild reports tell of their battles and every day life. This is a good set to have in you local library or for you personnel collection. A must for Bourland's Reg researchers.

BOURLAND IN NORTH TEXAS AND INDIAN TERRITORY DURING THE CIVIL WAR: Fort Cobb, Fort Arbuckle & The Wichita Mountains, by Patricia Adkins-Rochette, Self-Published (2006).

This 1,014 page tome is remarkable (which really is two volumes in one). Little-studied, little- written, and little-researched are the Indian conflicts during the period 1861 through 1865 on the Southern frontier - the frontier of the Confederate States of America. When the United States military forces withdrew in the face of the establishment of the new fledgling Southern republic, a partial defense vacuum was created in the areas contiguous to the Indian lands. This book deals with the Texas-Oklahoma border area, the Red River area. Texas had to contribute its sons not only to the struggle to maintain the nascent Confederate army in the War for Southern Independence but additionally to fill the need for border security with the many Indian tribes - the areas left vacant by the retreating United States military units. This need was filled by the Texas State Militia to maintain and protect its frontier from Indian depredations. And, although many of the Indian tribes quickly established amicable relations with this new nation, others did not. Treaties were signed inter alia with many of the Indian tribes such as the Cherokees, Seminoles, Creeks, Chickasaws and Choctaws. She includes the actual text of many of these treaties not to mention the Camp Napoleon Compact of 26 May 1865. Withal many of these tribes were split asunder with their own civil wars regarding their perspectives on the two republics now formed; tribes contributed Indian troops to the armies of both warring nations. There were now also the inevitable conflicts within the border areas between all ethnic affiliations. Additionally many Indians saw the great War between the whites as an open invitation for mischief. There were full scale battles, skirmishes, attacks, raids, etc., e.g., not only in the Northern states of Minnesota and Colorado which are well documented, but also in Texas which has not been heretofore well documented.

Our authoress has herein not only scoured existent published records, but has accomplished a prodigious amount of new research from primary sources which has never before been made public (she indicates that 70% of her study is from handwritten records). She has made an impressive contribution to our knowledge of the local conflicts between the Indian nations and the Confederate Texas Militia as well as the Confederate Indian units themselves. Her compilations of the militia posts and hideouts, details on John Jumper's Seminole Regiment, Stand Watie's Cherokee Regiment, an immense amount of biographical material on Colonel Bourland's life and military service, the Texas Ranging Companies, Indian Territorial Posts, deserters, frontier personalities and conditions from the 1840s through the 1860s, and the descriptions of several battles such as those of Elm Creek and Village Creek, and the many sanguinary raids (over 300,000 cattle were stolen or levied), and a set of invaluable maps. Several hundreds of new documents have been transcribed to include 43 letters to and from Colonel James G. Bourland and General H.E. McCulloch - documents not found in the Official Record that presumably should be therein- along with a myriad of muster rolls for north Texas Militia Brigades (to be specific, the militia listings for 34 Texas counties) and the associated brigade correspondence. Mrs. Adkins-Rochette has detailed the Tonkawa Massacre of 1862. Her appendices are of great value in this her magnum opus. For those of you with Red River area antecedents, this work will be of great interest.

Five Stars for sure. A fantastic book on a little know person. I haven't really heard a lot about John Larn. If I did read something about him I don't remember because it was probably something small. I will remember him now. If you like the wild west at its best, cattle rustling, shooting, & just bad men, get this book.

Bravo Of The Brazos: John Larn Of Fort Griffin, Texas by independent scholar Robert K. DeArment is the true life story of John Larn, a colorful Texas lawman turned frontier outlaw. No stranger to shootouts, Larn led a vigilante committee with widespread support and killed at least a dozen men before he turned 29. At first his killing of horse or cattle thieves on sight garnered approval, but then he started to kill for profit or revenge, and when Larn threatened to reveal the names of the people on his vigilante committee, a mob of relatives, former friends, and various associates ruthlessly silenced his threat and ended his life. Bravo Of The Brazos is a fascinating tale of power and corruption, as well as a welcome and appreciated contribution to academic American Frontier History & Biography collections.

Besides crucial information and data, the analyses are great, comments very well put. Great resource!

Johnson and Stam have compiled what is perhaps the definitive commentary on Brazilian cinema, offering thorough explications of the most important films from several different periods and styles. The book also discusses in detail tropicalism, anthropophagy, and other background elements that are integral to achieve an understanding of Brazilian cinema. Though some of the concepts may seem daunting, they are explained clearly and in a historical context, making it an excellent reference for students (either of Brazil or film in general). While some of the same articles appear in Cinema Novo X 5, Brazilian Cinema covers a wider range of subjects. If you are interested in Brazilian films, it is a must-read.