I love this book. You can tell this guy's from the area. He includes great details and tips about things you would otherwise miss. It's a good deal of insightful info for a few books. It's about time something like this hit the shelves for new and old Texas bikers!

....an excellent quality guide to Texas mountain biking. Great descriptions, a good variety of rides and text that isn't boring like some guide books. The author really inspired me to get out and hit the trails! Definitely one to own if you are interested in biking.

To call Mr. Polk's Army the best, most authorative book on the Mexican War would not be a long shot. It is a revolutionary book, with a great deal of firsthand sources and reminiscences not used previously. I have the privilege of working with several professors and historians who are experts on the subject, and they all tend to agree with me. Dr. Winders, the curator of the Alamo, blends social history and military history, with a dose of political history, to tell the story of the 1846-1848 U.S. Army, regulars and volunteers, officers and enlisted men. While it is meticulously researched, it is also entertaining, and not over the head of the general reader. I, and many other more qualified readers, would recommend this as the work to read on the U.S. Army in Mexico.

Historian Richard Winder's Polk's Army is a closely detailed, meticulously researched, scholarly and engaging presentation of the daily life of American soldiers who fought in the Mexican War, drawn from a vast amalgamation of diaries, journals, and reminiscences. Polk's Army goes further to connect the army to the society from which it was drawn, and portrays a military undertaking that was a unilaterally shared experience for all ranks and walks of American soldiers, despite their differences in background or politics. Illustrated with some black-and-white historical photographs and drawings, Polk's Army is a superb, in-depth reference for anyone with a vested interest in learning more about a war that forever changed the physical shape and political future of the United States of America.

A co-worker just lent me this book after we shared a few conversations about rural Texas life and food. I didn't want to return it to him until I got a copy of my own, as it is a wonderful blend of autobiography and cookbook.

Reading it, I found myself missing the summers spent in East Texas with my great-grandparents. I particularly enjoyed the tales of my family's childhood adventures, and the wonderful smells and tastes of Great-grandmother's home cooking from scratch.

A word of caution, however; those of weak heart (both figurative and literal) should not only refrain from eating any of the foods as prepared per Mrs. Blackwell's instructions, but reading the Chicken and Dumplings recipe in the Poultry and Meat section should also be avoided (it contains rather gruesome, but hilarious and accurate instructions on how to dispatch the entree-to-be).

Whether you enjoy authentic home cooking, rural anecdotes, or simply reminiscing, you will find quite a gold mine in this little book.

THIS BOOK REFLECTS BACK ON THE SIMPLIER DAYS. AURTHOR DEENIE CARVER WORKED IN THE KITCHEN WITH HER MOM TO COOK FOR 9 CHILDREN. DEENIE JUMPED OUT OF A HAY LOFT AND BROKE HER HIP, FORCING HER TO STAY INSIDE AND NOT WORK OUT IN THE FIELD WITH THE REST OF THE CHILDREN. THE BLACKWELL FAMILY BOOST ON HER COOKING. LOUISE DILLOW HAS LIVED A JET SET LIFE AND IS AN ARTIST AND CONTRIBUTED HER ART ABILITY TO THE BOOK AS WELL AS RECIPES.

I am certainly not an advocate of slavery in any form. Yet how profoundly refreshing it is to unearth the point of view of an actual slave that shows that the "politically correct" viewpoint made popular with "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is not necessarily factual. Mr.Hamilton illustrates quite wonderfully that slaves were not always abused and mistreated as is popularly believed. What an eye opener this book truly is! Everyone should read this book. I feel that today's racial tensions would be somewhat mellowed if the attitudes shown by Mr. Hamiliton were more of the norm. This ex-slave has something to teach us all!

Wow! Think how rare it is to read a book from a slave's point of view (about a famous Texan, that was known world wide, even before his death)!

Don't get me wrong, slavery is terrible, but the point of view is like from another world. It is worth mentioning, the spirit of forgiveness and even loving kindness felt by the former slave, for his master. And how lovingly the ex-slave tells of how he looked up to the great man from Texas! This is a very rare bit of reading material!

Mr. Stimpson's book will entertain and charm you while it provides you first person details of the life of a black sharecropper growing up in rural East Texas during the depression. You will not want to put it down and will talk about it for weeks after you finish reading it. Ted Peters, Executive Director, Heritage Farmstead Museum, Plano, Texas.

Mr. Stimpson's book is a wonderful and entertaing account of his life in a black sharecropper family in what has now become one of the most high tech areas in the United States. You will not be able to put the book down. Ted Peters, Executive Director, Heritage Farmstead Museum, Plano, Texas.

If you love Texas, you gotta own these books!

Literally an encyclopedia of everything Texas, this set of books is the ultimate resource for all things Texan. Wanna know why your town has the name it does or who was that guy they named that road after? This is the place to go.

There's no way you'll cuddle up in your bed with one of these books, but you'll love 'em just the same.

This is a great book containing information about Texas. It is a beginning resource and should be used. It has everything from Alvaez to Zavala

Hell yeah! This is what Texas cuisine is all about. If you like Rick Bayless or Jane Butel, then you will definitely be impressed by this book. The recipes are complex and rewarding as Stephan creates dishes that are both original and traditional. Best thing is that he insists on using native southwestern ingredients in all his recipes. Mas tequila, baby!

Once you have tried a single recipe from Stephan Pyles' "The New Texas Cuisine," you will undoubtebly be starstruck by the culinary brilliance that Mr. Pyles brings forth through his creative dishes that blend the flavors of Mexico, France, Tex-Mex cuisine, and Barbeque into savory meals. Like other well known Southwestern chefs such as Mark Miller (owns Coyote Cafe) and Dean Fearing (owns The Promenade), Chef Pyles uses many ingredients that are native to his Texas area. This results in authentic tastes that trully match the title, "The New Texas Cuisine." If you are familiar with the work of Chef Miller, Chef Fearing, or the great Mexican tastes of Rick Bayless, dive into Chef Pyles' Southwestern odyssey. This book will satiate the most avid fans of Southwestern cuisine.

In a sense this is two books. While it starts with a discussion of how the author, a medical ethicist, was drawn to write this book about Eldrewey Stearns, the first 100 pages primarily tells the story of integration in Houston, Texas in the late 50s and 60s. It's a compelling and interesting story, but it is more compellingly told by the video that was made simultaneously with this book. That video, The Strange Demise of Jim Crow: How Houston Desegregated Its Public Accomodations, 1959-1963 is available from University of Texas Press (I can't find it on Amazon). The video includes interviews with many of the prominent actors in this drama and is always a favorite when I use it in my Introduction to US and Texas Politics class.
The second 100 pages of the book is about Eldrewey Stearns' life before and after the movement. Stearns was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement in Houston, but he is also someone who has struggled with mental illness all his life. This book provides a fascinating insight into the struggles the author goes through in trying to help Eldrewey and to understand this complex, flawed, yet sometimes heroic man. He also comes to considerable insight about himself through the process of trying to chronicle Eldrewey's story.
An excellent read, whether you are interested in the history of the movement or in getting an understanding of how it is to deal with mental illness.

In the 1990s I spent two years traveling in Europe. One day in a Hungarian history museum I hit the wall: Here I was reading all about the Magyars, but I knew little about my own hometown--Houston, Texas--except whatever I'd been forced to memorize eons ago in grade school. Unfortunately, once I got back to Texas I found many of the local history books unbearable: "In 1832, Lamar So-and-So reined in his trusty steed at the banks of Buffalo Bayou." I gave up my getting-to-know-Houston project until recently, when I stumbled upon No Color is My Kind: The Life of Eldrewey Stearns and the Integration of Houston. This is easily the best book I've ever read about Houston history. Thomas Cole personalizes the story, makes himself visible as a person confronting his own ideals, frustrations, and personal myths. His subject, Eldrewey Stearns, is obviously no easy man to pin down. Stearns has troubles, and I'm afraid he suffers more than most people. However, the fact that the writer refused--or was unable--to paint Stearns as a perfectly noble (and flat) hero is, in my opinion, exactly why Stearns is such a moving figure and why this work is so much richer than the Daughters of the American Revolution (or worse, Daughters of the Confederacy) tributes that so many other books about Houston and Houstonians seem to be. Stearns is real, and Cole's depiction of him and his part in Houston's integration movement deepened my appreciation for African-Americans' struggles and their courageous stands.

This book has received an Award of Excellence from the 2001 Southern Books Competition. "You could not find a lovelier title page spread than that in Of Birds and Texas. The sensitive calligraphy and the well-designed two-column text pages support the stunning bird prints." Congratulations to the authors, designer Ellen McKie and the University of Texas Press.

When Of Birds and Texas was first published in 1986 it was quickly deemed the most magnificent book in the history of Texas publishing. Consisting of 40 exquisitely detailed bird portraits and ten Texas landscape scenes, the volume was enhanced with accompanying commentary by the Gentling brothers and a personal essay by John Graves.

Yet the 23" by 29 ½" outsize folio which weighed 46 pounds was beyond the reach and shelf space of many. Thus, it was printed as a limited edition. Now, for the first time, this unparalleled volume is available to a mass audience at an affordable price and manageable size while retaining the original 50 color plates as well as 28 remarques. Retaining the integrity of the original folio, this is truly a work of estimable quality and a collector's item.

In addition, the recent edition offers a new essay by Stuart Gentling, "Of Birds and Texas, Audubon and Us," in which he relates how the brothers' profound respect for the famed ornithologist/artist paved the way for them to create this book, which is inspired by Audubon's work.

The Gentlings are twin brothers, artists, authors, and lecturers based in Fort Worth. Having discovered at an early age the print edition of John James Audubon's Birds of America, they now share a passion for art, world culture and wildlife.

His keen interest in wildlife, particularly birds, led Stuart to learn taxidermy. Both brothers began a serious study of art when they were 14. Their awards are numerous; their paintings may be found in museums and libraries throughout Texas and the United States. This year Scott received a commission to paint a portrait of President George Bush for the Texas State Capitol dome.

Artwork in Of Birds and Texas is created collaboratively by the Gentlings. In the original folio are reproductions of watercolor paintings with the color, blend and atmosphere attributed to Stuart, while the line and small strokes were contributed by Scott.

Getting the first volume published proved to be a formidable task. Plans reached a standstill when it was discovered that the actual production of the folio would cost more than double the estimates. What rescued the project was a lucky find by Stuart in the Philadelphia Print Shop catalog: a listing of Audubon's "The Great Crow Blackbird." The brothers were able to purchase the Audubon for $18,000. After its authentication as an original Audubon, it was sold at Sotheby's for $253,000. Thus, the completion of the original Of Birds and Texas was made possible.

Our loss would be great had this not been so. More than just a work of incredible visual beauty Of Birds and Texas is a joy to read as each color plate is partnered with a bird tale by the Gentlings.

A treasure in itself, the essay by beloved Texas author John Graves is as gracefully written as the classic works for which he is known, From A Limestone Ledge: Some Essays and Other Ruminations About Country Life In Texas, and Goodbye To A River. Once again, Mr. Graves writes with trenchant luminosity.

This landmark volume is dedicated to John James Audubon. It is now recreated for all to enjoy.

- Gail Cooke

I read this book months ago; it has stayed in a warm place in my memory for about a year. Browsing through the stacks at Amazon, I come across it and am surprised that only one person has reviewed it. It's well written, it's an interesting insight into a life different from mine in almost every way -- money, geography, religion, vocabulary, etc. Yet my life and this fictional life are still very American. Reading it, learning about a different America from a great Amercain writer, made me a better person. It gets my highest recommendation.

Glancy is an underratted underknown writer of incredible sensitivity and expression. Her prose is consistently understated, but that doesn't keep it from conveying anguish and complexity in this story of an innocent girl in a gritty landscape. Closest to Kaye Gibbons, but Gibbons is looser. Oprah Oprah, why haven't you read this one???