Texas Books

Gerald Betty's work "Before the Reservation," is a testament to his skills as a comanche warrior, even today. Although he rides a Land Rover instead of a Palomino, I'm sure he could still survive on the open range. I laughed, I cried. Betty is a genius.

A highly recommended contribution to Native American Studies, Comanche Society: Before the Reservation by Gerald Betty (History Department, Texas A&M, Corpus Christi) is a meticulous and scholarly study of Comanche society from the beginning of New World Colonization by European powers through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Focusing especially on how the bonds of kinship affected the interplay within Comanche clans, and how the Comanches came to adopt horses, pastoralism, and other Iberian traits into their own culture, Comanche Society is a fascinating and analytical history of the evolution of this Native American nation.

Superbly captures the personalities and events in the lives of the young men who went to Vietnam in the 1960's. Real people such as Hardluck Tony and others come to life in a heartwarming way as they push on day to day in an environment that was unquestioned at the time, and unsullied by the broader political issues that would follow their sacrifice. Very eloquent in style and content and well worth the time to read if one is seeking to understand the personal dynamics of this war.

Combat Chaplain: A Thirty-Year Vietnam Battle is the gripping story of Chaplain James D. Johnson. This military chaplain accompanied his men on their daily combat operations -- often against the orders of his superiors. Here is the story of a battlefield ministry complete with hot landing zones, rice paddies, knee-deep in mud, on and off ships. From baptisms in the muddy Mekong River to beside comforting of frightened, wounded, dying boys, Combat Chaplain is the story of eight and a half months of front line service administering to the spiritual needs of an active combat unit during a time when ninety-six of them would be killed and hundreds more would be wounded. This honest, candid, informative account is enthusiastically recommended to military buffs and students of the American involvement in the Vietnam War.

Its a great book in a field with very few references ( the trailer ) .
As a hollywood trailer researcher was very useful for me .
Congratulations to Lisa Kernan !

No matter whether you're a film professor, film industry professional, or just plain moviegoer, you'll never look at a trailer (movie preview) the same after reading this book. Written with academic rigor and thoroughness, it explains how previews came to referred to as trailers and analyzes trailers for their intended affect, subtext, and demographic. The book follows the author's passion for examining " the hypothetical spectator that can be read within the trailer texts themselves: an "audience study" who can read through the looking glass of the Hollywood film industry." She submits case studies of some 30 trailers, from Casablanca to Paper Moon to Air Force One, dividing them into three eras. By the end of the book you'll really appreciate these free mini-movie/commercials that we all alternately enjoy and hate yet use to decide whether to see a movie or not.

My american husband brought this book home last week and we both had a great time reading it together! I am Brazilian and am amazed by how much the author captured a lot of small cultural differences - that in the end make a BIG difference. Easy reading, funny, and most of all, TRUE!!!

I had to read this book for a college area studies class and i cant tell you how lucky I was. It is a wonderful book, very easy to read and interesting. The Author really does an awsome job of pointing out the major diffrences in culture and information that you wont find in a guide book or history book either. I have really enjoyed this book. Very facinating.

This is a most worthy men-at-arms series; like the book's description says, it shows the much more colorful side to the uniforms of the Confederate Army. One man depicted in the color plates for Volume One that I found particularly interesting was a soldier in the Union Light Infantry, a SC unit based on the British Black Watch (42nd Royal Highlanders).
The plates are pretty much the highlight of this series, and show realistic looking soldiers surrounded by beautiful women and scenery, and baring all their various weapons. The text, nonetheless, reveals numerous interesting details. This is an excellent source on the uniforms and appearances of the soldiers of the Confederacy.

Osprey Publishing has issued Volume 5 of their popular book, The Confederate Army 1861-65. A part of their sprawling Men-at-Arms series (this is book #441 in that series), this one covers the uniforms and arms of troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. Written by Ron Field and lavishly illustrated with Richard Hook's watercolors, this book is a worthy addition to the Osprey family. Retailing for $15.95 here in the USA ($21 in Canada), the book has 48 pages, nearly all of them with period photographs or full color drawings.

The new book focuses on each state's antebellum militia and the hastily organized volunteer regiments that were pressed into Confederate service in the initial stages of the war. Using contemporary newspaper accounts, letters, state and local records, and early photographs, Ron Field presents an extensive array of early war military units, their uniforms and accoutrements, drawing heavily upon primary descriptions. He also takes a cursory, but interesting look at how the transition occurred from locally supplied clothing and equipment (which often varied widely from company to company) to state-issued regulation Confederate uniforms, particularly in North Carolina, where, by the end of the war, the term "ragged Rebel" would be made obsolete from the vast stores of supplies held by the state.



Field starts with Tennessee, looking at the outfitting of the militia and early volunteers in 1861, and examines the role various ladies aid societies played in clothing the soldiers of the Volunteer State. He then discusses the role of the state's Military and Financial Board in taking over the administration and logistics of supplying the troops. Field then shifts his focus to North Carolina, again discussing and characterizing the antebellum militia and contrasting them to how the state later took charge and made its forces appear more uniform in appearance. He also briefly compares winter clothing to summer issue for troops from both states.



The book includes a select bibliography for readers wanting to dive a little deeper into the outfitting of Confederate troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. The index is comprehensive, as is the discussion that accompanies the Richard Hook's illustrations. All in all, The Confederate Army 1861-85 (5) Tennessee and North Carolina (ISBN: 9781846031878) maintains the tradition of excellence we have come to expect from Osprey, and is well worth the modest investment.

Milner has exceeded himself with this book. His compassionate record of the exploits and traumas of several of his friends as they hone their writing skills is superb. I refer you to page 222 for the most touching prose regarding one's journey up to and into the abyss of the dark night of one's soul. Billy Lee chose to go into the abyss and stay. Obviously Milner chose to take theever so rickety ladder out. His book is testimony to that choice.

I had a fun time reading this book by Jay Milner. It's a really great chronicle of the exploits of a renegade group of Texas writers, musicians, artists, and politicos, as well a chronicle of Milner's own life as a novelist, university professor, and journalist.

Much of the fun in this book takes place in the mid 60s through mid 70s Texas, when Milner's running buddies include folks such as writers Gary Cartwright, Billie Lee Brammer, Larry L. King, and Edwin Shrake, former Texas Governor Ann Richards, Dallas Cowboy wide receiver turned novelist Peter Gent, and country music legends Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Kris Kristofferson.

Since this book is also autobiographical, it would be easy for Milner to embellish the high points of his life, and choose the frames from his internal "home movie" that would be in the book. Yet Milner does no such thing. He describes his life, and the activities surrounding it, with the objectivity of a trained "old school" journalist--either in the middle of a 60s or 70s scene involving sex, drugs, and country rock and roll--or in his honest and thoughtful analysis of what he considered his own inner demons.

Jay Milner's book is more than just a fun read. It is also a reliable history of a modern, creative period when artistic endeavors coming out of Texas began to be taken seriously by the rest of the world.

"Confessions of a Maddog" is an important work in this regard. I predict that it will be required reading in any college course involving the literature of the southwest for years to come.

Lee Leatherwood Austin, TX 31 March 01

This book presents an intriguing look into present-day Mayan beliefs. The author's thorough academic research of the Mayan religion in contemporary society is also vivid and accessible to the lay reader.

The chapter on the sacred Mayan calendar was especially interesting, as I found the descriptions of the interpretations of my sacred days extremely accurate. This is one of few books in this category that I can honestly say I truly enjoyed reading.

The author attempts to explain as rationally as possible how one feels called to become a Shaman and pursue an Earth-centric spirituality.

This isn't a boring story and I had to re-read certain sections to fully process and feel the experience. The section on how the Mayan calendar works as a type of life-guide is complicated, but a slow read makes it all understandable. Although this book discusses the Mayan indigenous perspective, the knowledge contained in its pages could easily be used to understand other Native American peoples' worldview; and just how one studies and connects to the lifeforce, and emerges a medicine person, or a healer dedicated to the community.

The author doesn't mystify the Mayan religion but rather shows that it is alive, evolving, helping and living with the present day people and deserves equal footing and interaction with the dominant religions.

I chose this book as a gift for a non-Texan, and then had to purchase another for myself! I love the variety of recipes in the book, which include traditional Texas favorites, recipes representing the numerous ethnic populations in Texas, as well as more current Texas food trends. The book is full of beautiful color photos, historical facts and trivia relating to the recipes. Well worth the money spent.

I just bought this. And read it. I have hundreds of cookbooks, and 2 shelves of Texas ones. Not only is it the best Texas cookbook, it has become my instant favorite cookbook, and gets my vote for the best cookbook in the world! No kidding! Why?

This is a beautifully illustrated book, with ALL of your Texas favorites- from Tex-Mex to Czek. And nice reading on some of our local favorite producers- for example of goat cheese.

I have grown completely sick of 'chef' cookbooks. Not only are we supposed to cook like a trained professional would in a resturaunt these days, we are supposed to cook for celebrities- or so it would seem from the endless celebrity chef cookbooks out there. This is a 'real' cookbook. For real people- and it is authentic. The cookbook I read just before this one, while really very good, had loads of bell peppers in the fajitas! I mean- yikes! This book is brave enought to list the famous (and much loved) but really tacky (and chefs would cringe) Texas classics- such as Rotel Cheese Dip and Frito Pie. There are of course much more sophisticated recipes, but all look wonderful.

Lastly, any book with such a drop-dead beautiful photo of bluebonnets gets my vote. But then I have never seen an ugly copy of a Texas Highway Magazine either.

This is a nicely written ethnography that should find a useful place in anthropology classes

This is an enjoyable and interesting ethnographic study of a small Mexican village. The author sheds light on the power structure of the village...the impact of the global economy on their weaving industry...and the important role that temporary migration of the men to the U.S., in order to send back cash, plays in village life. All this in easy-to-follow prose with neat examples. The pictures are great too!

I've used a number of recipes from this delightful little book, and never been disappointed. Engels/Thorpe present do-able recipes that work every time, using simple mostly on-your-shelf ingredients (at least if you live in the southwest, or live near an ethnic market.) I hope they will collaborate on another cookbook -- these recipes are much too good to be lost!

This is a delightful little book filled with recipes and family stories the authors grew up with. Records a way of life and a way of cooking that can raise the cultural awareness of all Americans! Great book!