Three Books for Dad
With Father’s Day just around the corner, two impressive new books having to do with Texas history and one about gunfighters of the wild west are worth considering for that hard-to-shop-for dad.
Texas Takes Shape
The Texas General Land Office and the University of Texas Press have produced a remarkable book that collectors, historians, and map enthusiasts will especially appreciate.
Texas Takes Shape: A History in Maps from the General Land Office is a hefty 360-page full-color coffee table book, priced very reasonably at $45.
The book, which includes more than 100 maps from the GLO’s collection of more than 45,000 maps, is divided into two sections – Defining Texas and Developing Texas – with several chapters in each section.
The first section covers the shaping of Texas from prehistoric times through statehood, while the second section deals with the expanding frontier, military maps, the railroad system, and the urbanization of Texas.
The four authors – Mark Lambert, James Harkins, Brian Stauffer, and Patrick Walsh – are with the land office, and Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham contributes a foreword.
Treasures of Texas
In his book Treasures of Texas, author Tristan Smith takes readers on a tour of the 51 sites in Texas designated as National Historic Landmarks (Schiffer Publishing, $34.99 hardcover, full color).
The sites are divided into eight categories – forts and military; battlefields & war; government; entertainment; industry & innovation; Texas heritage; residential life; and archeological sites.
Smith provides a history of each site and visitor information if the site is open to the public.
The sites include, of course, the Alamo, San Jacinto, the state Capitol, the Elissa, the King Ranch, and Spindletop, but also some lesser-known historic places, like the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, LBJ’s boyhood home in Johnson City, the Strand Historic District in Galveston, a handful of historic forts, and several archeological sites not open to the public.
The sites are distributed throughout the state, from the Panhandle to the Valley, from El Paso to Houston, and at least a few of the places are within driving distance from nearly anywhere in Texas.
Or, instead of driving, you can take the tour in your favorite reading chair.
The Gunfighters
Bryan Burrough, author of The Big Rich about Texas oil fortunes, turns his attention to the wild west in his new book, The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild (Penguin Press, $35 hardcover).
His thesis is that the violent Texas culture after the Civil War spread throughout the west to Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona, and other territories.
Most of the book consists of very readable tales of legendary gunmen in the years between 1865 and 1900 — trying to separate fact from Hollywood fiction.
As fellow historian and novelist Stephen Harrigan notes, “For anyone who has ever been curious about the real stories behind Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Billy the Kid, John Wesley Hardin, Jesse James, or Sam Bass, The Gunfighters is a masterful example of one-stop shopping.”
Texas Monthly magazine featured an excerpt from the book in its May issue.
By the Way
In case you haven’t heard, the Cypress Street construction project has reached our block, and for the next few months you won’t be able to drive or park by Texas Star. But there’s plenty of parking just a block away, over by the library, or you might even snap up one of the few spots on North Second by turning the wrong way at the light at Cedar and North Second. Either way, we’ll be thrilled to see you. We really appreciate your support.
And while you’re at Texas Star, be sure to check out our bargain book table. Some great deals there. We also have a good selection of Father’s Day cards and gifts.
