On page 286, the book states that the Audie Murphy room in Greenville is located in the Walworth Harrison Library on Lee St. (1) a new library was built about eight years ago and the Audie Murphy room was moved to the Cotton Museum, which is not mentioned as something to see and do.

In the area of Kingsville, the Kings Inn on Baffin Bay is not mentioned as a place to eat. It is one of the oldest and finest seafood restaurents in Texas, while Carl's Corner is near Hillsboro is listed. A truck stop.

I realize that compiling all this information was a big task, and that sometimes data goes out of date as fast as you write it.

I received a copy of The Texas Guide by Gary James as a gift. The anecdotes and stories about family, friends and places make this travel guide a unique reading experience. It made me feel like I was reading a friend or relatives first hand account of a trip they took. Texans like to brag and Gary does an outstanding job of "bragging" about one of the friendliest places in the world! Gary has traveled from Texarkana to El Paso and from Wichita Falls to Brownsville covering the great State of Texas for his show--from great food and great music to wonderful fishing holes and golf courses and on to the small, relatively unknown little spots in the road, it is apparent tht Gary has experienced them all first hand! I collect books of all kinds on Texas and this is the best I have read. Congratulations, on an informative, witty, wonderfully well-written book on the best place in the world! Makes me homesick!

The siege of the Alamo has become so imbued with a legendary aura that attempting to write a military history of the 1836 campaign in Texas is now a daunting task. Heroic visions of Crockett, Bowie and Travis fending off Mexican assault troops on the ramparts has tended to obscure the fact that the siege of the Alamo was neither the beginning or the end of the war for Texas independence. Noted Texas historian Stephen L. Harding has framed the 1836 campaign in its proper perspective, without embellishment or historical embellishment. The result is a lucid and well-written account that covers the entire campaign from February to May 1836, without over-focusing just on the Alamo.

In accordance with the standard Osprey Campaign series format, the book begins with a section on the origins of the campaign and the chronology. While this section lays out the roots of the conflict clearly, the relationship between the fledgling Texan republic and the United States is left ambiguous, particularly in regard to military support and volunteers. The section on opposing commanders focuses almost exclusively on the Mexican General Santa Anna and the Texian General Sam Houston, both of whom are portrayed as very flawed commanders. Unfortunately, details on other significant commanders such as Travis, Bowie, Crockett and Fannin are inserted in the campaign narrative, which is disruptive. It was interesting however to see that attention given to the oft-neglected Mexican General Urrea's skillful operations. The section on opposing armies is weak, compounded by the fact that there is not even an order of battle provided for the Mexican army. Nevertheless, what the narrative lacks in military detail is often compensated for by an effective literary style is used to enhance the author's points. For example, the author notes both the rank discrimination and logistic difficulties in the Mexican army by asserting, "[Mexican] generals drank French wine from cut crystal, soldados drank stagnant water out of mud holes."

The text is supported by five 2-D maps (Mexico & Texas in 1836, the Texas Campaign in 1836, the Battle of Coleto Creek, the San Jacinto Campaign and the Mexican Retreat) and three 3-D Birds-eye-view maps (two depicting the assaults on the Alamo and one on the Battle of San Jacinto). There are also three very good battle scenes: the death of Travis at the Alamo, Crockett falling back into the Alamo Church and the execution of Colonel Fannin. Numerous illustrations and modern photographs of the Alamo complement the narrative. In addition, the author has provided a detailed section on visiting the battlefield today and includes relevant Internet websites. Taken together, this book represents an excellent short history of the campaign and a useful battlefield guide for visitors.

The campaign narrative itself is quite good, with about ten pages devoted to the siege of the Alamo, nine to Fannin's pathetic efforts and the Goliad massacre, and nine to the San Jacinto Campaign. The author is a bit vague on casualties and military details, but he does detail the effects of the harsh winter weather and desolate terrain on the Mexican offensive. Indeed, weather and terrain probably played a bigger role in the Mexican defeat than Texian heroics. Concerning the fall of the Alamo, the author believes that Santa Anna launched a costly frontal assault for political rather than military reasons, but this downplays the fact that Santa Anna was de facto Mexican head of state and commander in chief. Santa Anna could not afford to waste too much time in sieges of minor rebel fortifications. Also, Santa Anna's "no quarter" policy to the Texian rebels was not out of step with other similar 19th Century sieges like the Paris Commune in 1870 or even Dublin in 1916. Imagine if Santa Anna had accepted surrender at the Alamo and allowed the rebels to go home on parole; could men such as Travis ever be trusted to live meekly under centralista rule? Not likely. If Santa Anna wanted to hold onto the rebels, he had to either kill them or drive them out, since there was no room for compromise. If anything is reaffirmed by the 1836 campaign, it is that war is tough on the defeated, whether Texians at the Alamo or Mexicans at San Jacinto.

In the end, the author concludes that the Texians won in spite of the incompetence of Sam Houston, who refused to send a relief force to the Alamo, then avoided battle thereafter and retreated toward the US border. Houston was more politician than soldier and his troops were openly contemptuous of his leadership abilities. At San Jacinto, Santa Anna's own leadership flaws compensated for Houston's incompetence and Texian ferocity inspired by the Alamo and Goliad massacres was enough to tip the balance in their favor.

This is the only edition available of this important work in any language! It chronicles the spread of Christianity through the Borderlands of Northern Mexico and Arizona, Texas and the Californias, by members of the Franciscan order. It focuses especially on the life of Fr. Antonio Margil de Jesus. Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in the old Spanish missions of the Borderlands. It provides a real insight into Franciscan missionary efforts in Central America, and the Southwest.

I bought this book thinking it was going to be a field identification guide, and at first I was disappointed....but as I read on I realized this book is intended to *supplement* a true field guide. And as a supplement, it is absolutely wonderful, particularly in its coverage of state and national parks of Texas. The descriptions are fabulous, and the writing style fun to read, unlike your typical "dry" field guides. I am planning a trip to Big Bend National Park in the fall, and I learned more about the park in two paragraphs than I had from combing 2 books and dozens of web sites. I also like how Kutac will give you the precise streets or stretches of field where certain species were found. My only complaint is the lack of coverage in certain areas (I live in Denton county and it would have been neat to find out what's been spotted here), but I can appreciate that it's very difficult to cover all of Texas in one book. Most of the birding "hot spots," parks, and cities do get treatment, and the information and insights should be very helpful to beginners and experienced birders alike. Perhaps future editions will bring additional contributions to fill in some of the holes.

This is a nice little book with some interesting information. It even has 8 pages of color photos (but what is the theme?). It's a worthwhile addition to a collection of books on the subject of Texas Gardening. If you are looking for one book as a general reference, however, I believe you are better off with Neil Sperry's "Texas Gardening". I can't believe there's not a word about the venerable Japanese Maple, my favorite specimen tree for (most of) Texas!

I bought this book for my mother and brother-in-law and now I think I'll get me a copy. Dean's photographs capture some of the counters that I grew up at, but I've only been to one of the places represented in the book. The wonderful thing about this book is that, even if your local drug store of cafe is not in it, there's a place just like it. The thesis, that there is a distinct culture around the counters of Texas, is interesting and well developed. A hardcover version would earn the 5th star.

This guide is a quick reference for lots of interesting places to dive in Texas. It provides a nice table at the beginning of each entry giving depth, visibility, water conditions, ease of entry, nearest place to get tanks refilled and suggested dive ability.

Color pictures, both in and out of the water, are provided for practically every dive site listed.

On the strength of this guide, I'll be buying guides from the same publisher to other dive destinations.

This is a good book about san antonio activities for the family...by an author who writes great stories about the south texas area including some of the best ghost stories... so if you are looking for a good book for young and old read Docia Schultz Williams.

I read this once for an undergraduate Anthropology class, and never forgot it. It delineates the difference in work ethic and cultural values between the Protestants and Catholics in one South American town, and how they are divided in every aspect. Nothing came down to actual issues of faith, but more on concepts stemming from the religions themselves. For instance, in weaving blankets, the Protestants made lovely, organized patterns which utilized logical color arrangements for aesthetic efficiency. The Catholics used a riot of color in their weaving, producing a beautiful and unique work with each one.

In short, this book was interesting even as to a lay person.

Texas curiosities and Roadside oddities is a great book if you want to go all over texas and stay right at home. Whether you are country folk or big city people you'll love to read this deep hearted texas book