Fighting Stock: John S. "Rip" Ford, by Richard B. McCaslin

In Fighting Stock, number three in the Texas Biography Series, Richard B. McCaslin illuminates numerous facets of Ford's life typically overshadowed by emphasis on his identity as Ranger and soldier in nineteenth-century Texas. In this third volume of the Texas Biography Series, published by TCU Press and the Center for Texas Studies, McCaslin reveals Ford as a man spurred on by the legacy of his nation-building grandfathers and his own strong convictions and energy to become a force in shaping Texas as a Southern state before and after the Civil War. Ford's battles as a Ranger, and as a leader of Texas' military forces allied with the Confederacy, were only part of his legacy in Texas history. He was also a physician, lawyer, and the editor of several newspapers, and among his many roles in politics and civil service were multiple terms as a state legislator and the mayoralty of Austin and Brownsville. Later in life, he fought to preserve Texas history and wrote his own extensive memoirs. Known for his courage and toughness as a military commander, Ford was also a talented strategist, diplomat, and community leader. McCaslin's in-depth historical detail paints a full picture of this famous Texan, a fighter not only on the battlefield, but on the civic and political fields as well.

Richard B. McCaslin, a professor at the University of North Texas, is the author of Tainted Breeze: The Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas, October 1862 (LSU, 1994), which won the Tullis Prize and a commendation from the AASLH. He has also written Lee in the Shadow of Washington (LSU, 2001), which was nominated for a Pulitzer and won the Slatten Award and Laney Prize. His other works include three volumes in the Portraits of Conflict series published by the University of Arkansas-on South Carolina (1994), North Carolina (1997), and Tennessee (2007), which won the Freeman Award. He also wrote The Last Stronghold: The Campaign for Fort Fisher (McWhiney Foundation, 2003) and At the Heart of Texas: One Hundred Years of the Texas State Historical Association, 1897-1997 (TSHA, 2007), which received the Award of Merit from the Texas Philosophical Society.

 

Lone Star Leaders: Power and Personality in the Texas Congressional Delegation, by James W. Riddlesperger, Jr., and Anthony Champagne

Texas' political power really began in the late nineteenth century, when Texas congressmen first began to wield power as committee chairs and party leaders. In the era of Woodrow Wilson, Texas clout intensified as Senator Morris Sheppard introduced the Prohibition legislation with which his name is associated today. John Nance Garner's political influence was first felt in the Wilson administration, as a liaison on war matters between the administration and the House, then grew in the Hoover era when Garner rose to minority leadership and critic of Hoover administration policies. In the Roosevelt era, Texas was a Democratic state and, with Democratic control of Congress and a Democratic president, the state's power grew-John Garner became vice president in 1933, and Texans chaired six House committees: Agriculture, Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Judiciary, Public Buildings, Rivers and Harbors, and Territories. And during the Eisenhower years, Lyndon Johnson, Sam Rayburn's protégé, became minority and then majority leader of the Senate. It was an extraordinary time with Texans in the top leadership of both the House and the Senate. This book is the story of the men and women who represented Texas in Congress. For a century and a quarter they were masters of congressional politics and represented Texas on the national stage. Authors Jim Riddlesperger and Tony Champagne paint lively pictures of the characters-party leaders, committee chairs, and the political pioneers-that made Texas a major player in congressional politics for the past 125 years, as well as the ideologues and the buffoons that are also part of the Texas congressional story.

James W. Riddlesperger, Jr., is professor of political science at TCU. He teaches American politics, with interests in Congress, the presidency, and Texas politics. An award winning teacher, he also has published 35 research articles and two dozen entries in encyclopedias. He is co-author of The Austin-Boston Connection: Five Decades of House Democratic Leadership, 1937-1989 (Texas A&M Press, 2009), Texas Politics (Cengage, 2010), Presidential Leadership and Civil Rights Policy (Greenwood, 1995), winner of the Aaron Wildavsky book award, and Preparing for the United States Government and Politics AP Exam. A frequent consultant to the news media concerning politics and elections, he is president of the Southwestern Political Science Association.

Anthony Champagne received his BA degree from Millsaps College and his MA and PhD degrees in political science from the University of Illinois. He is a professor of political science at The University of Texas at Dallas where he has taught since 1979. Dr. Champagne is the winner of three University-wide teaching awards and the University of Texas System Regents Teaching Award. He has written about legal representation of the poor, the election of judges, Texas politics, and Congressional history. Among his written work on Texas politics and Congressional history is a book on Sam Rayburn, based largely on over 130 oral histories that he did with the associates of Sam Rayburn. The book is Congressman Sam Rayburn (Rutgers University Press, 1984). He also wrote Sam Rayburn: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood Press, 1988). His most recent book is The Austin-Boston Connection: Five Decades of House Democratic Leadership, 1937-1989 (Texas A&M University Press, 2009), which was written with Douglas Harris, James Riddlesperger, Jr., and Garrison Nelson.

 

Texas Tales: The Revolution, by Mike Kearby; illustrations by Mack White

Drawing upon the increasing popularity of graphic or illustrated novels among young readers, Texas Tales Illustrated: The Revolution is an innovative retelling of the Texas revolution for independence, sure to become an invaluable classroom resource. Author Mike Kearby and illustrator Mack White designed the book for use in seventh grade Texas history courses in response to a need for more interactive textbooks, which will appeal to the learning styles of students in today's overwhelmingly visual media culture. White's detailed line drawings recall classic comic book style and capture the dramatic tension of the battle, while Kearby's narration is enticing, full of intriguing historical detail. The comic pages are supplemented with traditional text, including excerpts of historical documents and visual materials such as maps and battlefield schematics. Students at three North Texas middle schools found the graphic format “easy to read,” the illustrations “exciting” and well executed. Many responded that they would check out the book from their school libraries-even if the text were not required reading. days.

Mike Kearby, a retired high school reading and English teacher, is the author of seven novels. The Road to a Hanging, Ride the Desperate Trail, and Ambush at Mustang Canyon completed his Young Adult trilogy published by Dorchester Publishing (NY). Ambush at Mustang Canyon was honored as a Spur Award Finalist from the Western Writers of America. Dorchester Publishing will publish The Taken in November 2010. Native Texan Mack White is an illustrator and comics creator who has been publishing professionally for twenty years. His artwork and stories have appeared in numerous publications throughout the world, including Heavy Metal, Details, Old West Journal, Zero Zero, Hotwire, Top Shelf, El Vibora, and Strapazin. In 2004, he co-edited the political comics anthology. Most recently, his work was featured in the Yale Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Visit the Texas Tales Illustrated web site and watch the video, Texas Tales: The Revolution.

Devils River: Treacherous Twin to the Pecos: 1535 - 1900, by Patrick Dearen

In his newest book, Devils River, Patrick Dearen traces the 400-year history of the notorious river from the time of the first Spanish explorers to the modernization of southwestern Texas and the coming of the railroad. He vividly retells stories of Indian encounters, train robberies, and other horrific events that prove just how the name “Devils River” was coined. With his inimitable style, the author weaves together a variety of themes--military events, including the Civil War and stories about the Texas Rangers; the development of the first mail lines; and the introduction of cattle and sheep raising--into a comprehensive account of the violence and bloodshed surrounding the Devils River. The nature of the river’s history is such that very few anecdotes have happy endings, but Devils River contains stories of triumphs as well as disasters. Although this is an excellent account for historians studying the west, it is also very accessible to others with little or no background in early western history.

The author of nine nonfiction books and nine novels, PATRICK DEAREN is a recognized authority on the lower Pecos River country. He grew up in Sterling City, Texas, and earned a bachelor of journalism from The University of Texas at Austin. His nonfiction works include Castle Gap and the Pecos Frontier (TCU Press), Portraits of the Pecos Frontier (Texas Tech University Press), Crossing Rio Pecos (TCU Press), A Cowboy of the Pecos (Republic of Texas Press), and Halff of Texas (Eakin Press). Through his books The Last of the Old-Time Cowboys (Republic of Texas Press) and Saddling Up Anyway (Taylor Trade Publishing), Dearen has also preserved the stories of the last generation of cowhands who plied their trade before mechanization. His novels include Perseverance, set along the rails in Depression-era Texas. Dearen has been honored by Western Writers of America, West Texas Historical Association, and Permian Historical Association. A backpacking enthusiast and ragtime pianist, he makes his home in Midland, Texas, with his wife Mary and son Wesley.

Elmer Kelton: Essays and Memories, edited by Judy Alter and James Ward Lee

When Elmer Kelton died in the fall of 2009, the literary world lost a consummate writer, a man the New York Times called a “novelist who brought the sensibility of the old-style western to bear on a modern Texas landscape of oil fields and financially troubled ranches.” Kelton was also a modest, kind man, always willing to advise a struggling writer or write a blurb for a first time published author, or assign publishing rights to his six masterpieces to a small university press. TCU Press owes a great debt of gratitude to Kelton, and this volume, Elmer Kelton: Memories and Essays, attempts to explore just what it is that made Elmer Kelton its leading author. Editors Judy Alter and James Ward Lee gathered together a group of Kelton aficionados who had either published or taught or sold his books, or were simply friends. In several meetings, they divided up the main themes of Kelton's writing: Alter provides the overview of Kelton's career; Felton Cochran, longtime owner of Cactus Books in San Angelo, describes how the friendship between bookstore owner and author grew over the years; Ricky Burk, pastor of the church from which Kelton was buried, talks about the man's influence in his community; Kelton's son, Steve, explains how Kelton's career as journalist permeated his novels; Ruth McAdams, who has taught Kelton for years, explores how he deals with the themes of endurance and change; Joyce Roach delicately covers how race and ethnicity figure in Kelton's plots and the development of his unforgettable characters; Lee gives readers his inimitable take on the Hewey Calloway Trilogy-The Good Old Boys, The Smiling Country, and Six Bits a Day; and Bob J. Frye takes a wry look at Kelton's use of humor throughout his career. The book also contains Kelton's own view of the history of the Western novel, a response to revisionist criticism. And finally Cochran provides us a list of most, not all, of Elmer Kelton's extraordinary body of work.

Judy Alter is former director TCU Press and author of more than forty books. Her most recent books are Cooking My Way through Life with Books and Kids, published by State House Press (2009), and, with Katie Sherrod, Grace and Gumption: The Cookbook, published by TCU Press (2010). James Ward Lee is the author of Classics of Texas Fiction (E-Heart Press, 1987), Texas, My Texas (UNT Press, 1992), Adventures with a Texas Humanist (TCU Press, 2007), and Texas Country Singers (TCU Press, 2008), among others. He is a fellow of the Texas Folklore Society and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters. .

A Century of Partnership: TCU and Fort Worth, edited by Mary L. Volcansek

On the 100th anniversary of TCU's move to Fort Worth, The Center for Texas Studies at TCU and the TCU Press have joined together to produce an in-depth look at the historical relationship between town and gown, between the city and the university that are inextricably linked. Taking advantage of photographic archives newly digitized, the book explores the history of the university, how its academic programs enhanced city life, how the university's myriad arts offerings created a reciprocal relationship with Fort Worth's art community, how campus life was transformed and influenced by city life, how the physical makeup of the campus affected the look of the city, and how the athletic program inculcated die-hard fans with love of all things Purple. Mayor Mike Moncrief provided a foreword to stress the importance of the relationship between the two entities, and essays were submitted by a variety of Horned Frogs-from Mary Volcansek, executive director of The Center for Texas Studies, to Ron Tyler, director of the Amon Carter Museum, to Bob Frye, emeritus professor of English, and Gene Smith, director of The Center for Texas Studies and History Curator at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Alums Vicki Vinson Cantwell and Mike Mullins present their unique views of TCU's influence, while Mark Mourer, TCU journalism graduate, traces the history of TCU's thriving athletic program.

Editor Mary L. Volcansek is executive director of the Center for Texas Studies at TCU and professor of political science. A native Texan, she returned to TCU in 2000 to assume the deanship of AddRan College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Previously, she was professor of political science at Florida International University. She is author or editor of eleven books and serves on the board of Humanities Texas.