MBR: The American History Shelf
MWBOOKREVW
Early Tejano Ranching
Andres Saenz
Texas A&M University Press
4354 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
1585441341 $21.95 1-800-826-8911
Early Tejano Ranching: Daily Life At Ranchos San Jose And El Fresnillo by
Andres Saenz (Professor of History, Austin Community College, Austin, Texas) is
the story of the author's family (the Saenzes and the Lopezes) who established
San Jose and El Fresnillo during the 1850s and 1860s. Drawn and composed from
interviews, historical records, visits to historical sites, and more, Early
Tejano Ranching presents a fascinating picture of life in the past, the daily
work of ranching, the labor of self-sufficient families who struggled to
surviving against drought, wild animals, and even Indian attacks. Early Tejano
Ranching is solid and highly recommended representation reflecting the history
and heritage of Texas. Also highly recommended is Professor Saenz's earlier
work, Tejano Empire: Life On The South Texas Ranchos (0890968349, $29.95).
El Pueblo
Jean Bruce Poole & Tevvy Ball
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
0892366621 $24.95 www.getty.edu
Collaborative written by Jean Bruce Poole (Historic Museum Director, El Pueblo
de Los Angeles Historical Monument, 1977-2001) and edited by Tevvy Ball (Getty
Publications), El Pueblo: The Historic Heart Of Los Angeles is a vividly
beautiful tour, illustrated cover to cover with full-color artworks and
photographs, showcasing the history of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles, founded in
1781 by Mexican pioneers, a city that evolved through the centuries and became
a vibrant, thriving multicultural hegemony. The fifth volume in the Getty
Publications' outstanding "Conservation and Cultural Heritage" series, El
Pueblo is the superbly presented story of the birth and growth of Los Angeles,
California, brought to life in a lavish historic tour. Also highly recommended
are the earlier titles in this exceptional series: Cave Temples Of Mogao: Art
And History On The Silk Road (0892365854, $29.95); Palace Sculptures Of Abomey:
History Told On Walls (0892365692, $24.95); and The Los Angeles Watts Towers
(0892364912, $24.95).
Lewis & Clark
Stephen Dow Beckham, author
Robert M. Reynolds, photographer
Graphic Arts Center Publishing
PO Box 10306, Portland, Oregon 97296-0306
1558686452 $34.95 www.gacpc.com
Lewis & Clark: From The Rockies To The Pacific is a gorgeously illustrated,
in-depth account of the famous explorers' journey through the American West.
The stunningly beautiful, full-color photography by Robert M. Reynolds of
natural landscapes that Lewis and Clark traveled through, are presented
side-by-side with a detailed reconstruction by Stephen Dow Beckham of the Lewis
& Clark expeditionary journey that often quotes the travelers' journals. Lewis
& Clark is an attractive, highly recommended coffee-table book for home,
school, and community library American History collections.
Savage Frontier
Stephen L. Moore
Republic of Texas Press
2320 Los Rios Blvd., Suite 200, Plano, TX 75074
1556229283 $19.95 1-972-423-0090
Carefully researched and accessibly written by Stephen L. Moore (himself a
sixth generation Texan whose genealogical roots go back to the very beginnings
of the Texas Republic), Savage Frontier: Rangers, Riflemen, And Indian Wars In
Texas: Volume 1, 1835-1837 is an exhaustively documented and absolutely
fascinating study of the Texas Rangers prior to the Mexican war. A thorough and
documented history of the Texas Rangers, the men who led them, and the battles
they fought in a time when pioneer families were struggling just to survive,
make a living for themselves and their families, and guard themselves against
ever-present threats that ranged from hostile Native Americans to the Mexican
government. A solid and fascinating look through time into a window of Texas
history, Savage Frontier is enhanced with illustrations, maps, battle casualty
lists, and extensive first-person narratives.
Hard Time
Ted Genoways, editor
Minnesota Historical Society Press
345 Kellogg Bouelvard West, St. Paul, MN 55102-1906
0873514343 $22.95 1-800-647-7827
Hard Time: Voices From A State Prison, 1849-1914 is the story of the state
penitentiary at Stillwater, Minnesota -- a dangerous, sometimes lethal, stone
fortress erected for the purpose of exacting punishment and penance from it's
inmate population. Enhanced throughout with period photography, Hard Times is a
documentary history of the facility where those men deemed incorrigible were
send to do "hard time" and which, over the sixty-five years of its existed,
evolved to become one of the most respected penal institutions in the nation.
Hard Times offers up such memorable events as the imprisonment of the Younger
gang in 1876; the prison fire of 1884; the escape of Frank P. Landers and Oscar
J. Carlon in 1887; the "twine shop insurrection" of 1899; the manhunt for
escaped convicts Peter Juhl and Jerrfy McCarty in 1911; and a great deal more.
Very highly recommended contribution to Penology Studies; Minnesota History;
and American History supplemental reading lists and academic reference
collections, Hard Times is also available in hardcover (0873514335, $34.95).
Building Chicago
Ann Durkin Keating
University of Illinois Press
1325 South Oak St, Champaign, IL 61820
0252070550 $15.95 press.uillinois.edu
Building Chicago: Suburban Developers And The Creation Of A Divided Metropolis
by Ann Durkin Keating (Associate Professor of History, North Central College,
Naperville, Illinois) is a painstakingly researched and skillfully presented
history of Chicago's various suburbs, ranging from their mid-nineteenth century
origins as a means to escape cholera outbreaks to their post World War II
proliferation, down to the present day. A candid, accessible account filled
with technical details, legal tug-of-war, and an often-overlooked piece of
history about one of America's most famous cities, Building Chicago is a
strongly recommended addition to American History and Urban Studies
supplemental reading lists and academic reference collection.
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