Spring 2012-Spring 2013

Physical Address:3000 Sandage AveFort Worth, Texas 76109 Mailing Address:TCU PressTCU Box 298300Fort Worth, Texas 76129Office Fax: 817.257.5075

Essays on the Presidents Principles and Politics

Paul F. Boller Jr.

Since he first began writing in the 1950s, Paul Boller has had a passion for sharing the humorous, intriguing, and little-known or widely misunderstood aspects of the American presidency. Boller has written many beloved books on American presidents, the first ladies, presidential anecdotes, quotes, campaign strategies, and common myths. This wide variety of topics has been collected for the first time in Essays on the Presidents, along with new essays and forewords. Boller’s prose, distinct and inviting, causes the reader to see what is often overlooked in the history of American presidents: their humanity.

Boller has searched for those patriotic narratives we have all heard at some point in our lives—whether from our schoolteachers, coworkers, or various trivia books—and corrects the misconceptions many Americans deem as truth in a lighthearted and truly characteristic voice. From Washington’s relationship with the Jews to the electioneering and stump-speaking associated with American presidential campaigns, readers will not only see the significant changes in the presidential office since its conception, but also Boller’s lifetime of research and his expertise in the field of American history. Personality—of the most interesting presidents and of Boller himself—is an important theme throughout this collection.

These in-depth revelations about the presidents will captivate readers and keep them exploring for more nuggets of truth. Boller tracks the relationship between Americans and the presidents, uncovering the intricate nature of presidential responsibilities and the remarkable men whose leadership shaped the office into what it is today. Celebrating the commanders-in-chief and the career of this nationally-recognized American historian, Essays on the Presidents gives a unique perspective on American history that fans of both Boller and the presidents will enjoy.

PAUL F. BOLLER JR. holds a PhD from Yale University and is Lyndon Baines Johnson Professor Emeritus at TCU. He previously taught at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and SMU.

978-0-87565-443-0 cloth $34.956x9. 258 pp.

Cedar CrossingMark Busby

The Trans-Cedar lynching is an infamous tale that has been buried deep in the subconscious of rural Texas history—although it made front page headlines in the Dallas Morning News and even national newspapers from May through November of 1899. This hair-raising event is at the center of a compelling novel by author Mark Busby. He has not only researched original documents but has utilized family oral histories to probe the mysteries that still shroud a lynching that is as horrifying and baffling now as it must have been over a hundred years ago. The “War of Northern Aggression” was still fresh in the memory of those who lived through it; hog-stealing, moonshine, secret meetings, and the lore of the Texas Rangers were part of the fabric of country life, and there were many who refused to believe the war was really over. Against this backdrop, a running feud between the Humphries and the Wilkinsons exploded into a triple murder. When young Jeff Adams is given an assignment for a college course in 1964, President Kennedy has just been assassinated, the movement for civil rights is beginning to stir, and developments in Vietnam barely make the back pages of the newspaper. Setting out to record a story from his family’s history, Jeff discovers—sitting in his grandfather’s hideout while Pampaw smokes a forbidden cigar—a story that is as mesmerizing as it is shocking: the tale of a triple lynching in Henderson County in the late spring of 1899. Even as the scene of the crime is slowly being submerged by the filling of the Cedar Creek Reservoir, Jeff struggles to uncover the truths of what really happened that fateful night in 1899. Through the various recollections of his aging kin, Adams begins to uncover a web of relationships and a love story that ultimately leads him to a missing girl, a country graveyard, and a realization that he and his family are part and parcel of the stained history of the South.

MARK BUSBY is the author or editor of eleven books and is well-known for his writings on the American West. Busby is a professor of English and southwestern studies as well as the director of the NEH Southwest Regional Humanities Center and the Center for the Study of the Southwest at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

978-0-87565-545-1 paper $24.956x9. 224 pp.

To Hell or the PecosPatrick Dearen

Tom Rowden has been riding away from the Pecos River for twentyyears, plagued by the haunting image of his wife. Now, he is dead-set on returning to her unmarked grave above the river to make one final atonement. His journey is interrupted when a group of Mexican bandits burn down the 7L’s ranch house, kill the ranch boss, and rape and abduct his daughter, Liz Anne. The 7L’s greenhorn wagon boss, Jess Graham, desperately begs for Tom’s help in rescuing Liz Anne, the girl Jess loves. Tom obliges and sets out with Jess and his posse of ranch hands through a hellish desert landscape toward the Pecos River. For Jess, it is his first journey through the desert; Tom hopes it is his last. The journey slowly wears down the group of cowboys, who must face deadly foes, choking dust clouds, and rabid wolf attacks. To stay alive, they also must fight against personal desires and a growing sense of hopelessness, but the most deadly enemy remains the scorching desert, threatening to erase life at any second. Liz Anne, meanwhile, must also fight on through the desert, holding on to what dignity she has left, trying to slow down her captors long enough for her rescue party to catch up. Her captors reach the pools hidden in a canyon just a few miles away from the Pecos River and set an ambush for the rescuers. Will the posse be killed by the ambush? Will Jess ever get back his precious Liz Anne? Will Tom be able to make it the last few miles to the Pecos River and find absolution? Discover all the answers in Patrick Dearen’s exciting new tale, To Hell or the Pecos.

PATRICK DEAREN, a recognized authority on the lower Pecos River country, has authored eighteen books. He grew up in Sterling City, Texas, and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. A backpacking enthusiast and ragtime pianist, he makes his home in Midland, Texas, with his wife Mary and son Wesley.

978-0-87565-505-5 paper $22.956x9. 208 pp.

Alexander O. Brodie Frontiersman, Rough Rider, Governor

Charles H. Herner

From rough frontier soldier to capable politician, Alexander Oswald Brodie earned a reputation as a solid, honorable character in American history. Brodie’s most noteworthy claim to fame was his service as a Rough Rider alongside future president Theodore Roosevelt, who considered Brodie a lifelong friend. He later delved into politics, governing Arizona as it transformed from a lawless peripheral territory into the forty-eighth state in the Union. The stories of Brodie’s personal life, from the tragic deaths of his young wife and daughter to the happiness he later found, take shape to make a biography that authentically illustrates how Brodie became the man he was. By interweaving personal history with the greater story of national heritage, biographer Charles Herner crafts a tale that is both relevant and intriguing. For any historian interested in the evolution of the American West, Brodie’s story will give a personal account of some of the region’s most important episodes. He initiated the formation of the cavalry troop known as the Rough Riders, sparking a beneficial friendship with the future president. Later, as governor of Arizona, Brodie managed the territory’s unruly political system, earning the respect of comrades and opponents. Teacher and historian Charles Herner describes the life and accomplishments of Alexander Brodie, an intriguing figure whose accomplishments merit a careful study.

CHARLES H. HERNER is a native of Arizona. He received two degrees in US history from the University of Arizona, as well as a 2nd Lt.’s commission in the army through the ROTC program. Herner taught US history at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson from 1963 until his retirement in 1990. He also retired from the United States ArmyReserve with the rank of colonel.

978-0-87565-425-6 cloth/paper $37.95/$29.956x9. 280 pp.

The Street A Journey into Homelessness

B. J. Lacasse

How many times have you walked by homeless people and pretended not to notice them? B. J. Lacasse, photographer and author of The Street, decided to stop “not noticing” and photograph the homeless of Fort Worth to help the rest of us perceive those we usually try to ignore. In addition to photographing the homeless living in and around the city, she took the time to get to know them as well, keeping a journal of their stories and her observations. The Street is the end product of her journey into the lives of the homeless. These photos are poignant, heartbreaking, and at times difficult to look at, but in them there is also an air of hope. With a foreword by former Fort Worth mayor Mike Moncrief, The Street begins with a message about change that confronts us with the face of homelessness, opening our eyes to the world we’ve blatantly ignored. In The Street, you will meet B. J .’s friend Johnny, follow the success story of Wild Bill, root for Brenda and Anna, and mourn for Mary Ann. You’ll get to see them in every aspect of life, both positive and negative. The book ends with hope, with pictures that show the impact housing can have on people who—perhaps for the first time in their lives—have a home of their own. The photographs and stories in this book will not just open your eyes—they will spur you to action.

B. J . LACASSE is a national award-winning photographer, graphic artist, and volunteer extraordinaire. She has worked with non-profits, small start-up companies, and Fortune 500 companies. Her culinary photography was most recently featured in chef Jon Bonnell’s cookbooks andreceived rave reviews.

978-0-87565-500-0 cloth $29.958.5x11. 120 pp.

A Texas Jubilee Thirteen Stories from the Lone Star State

James Ward Lee

Set primarily during the 1930s, A Texas Jubilee is a collectionof short stories about life in fictional Bodark Springs, Texas. Throughthese stories, author Jim Lee paints a humorous picture of the politics,friendships, and secrets that are part of day-to-day life in thiseccentric little Texas town. Stories like “Rock-ola” and “Pink Petticoat” reveal secrets and raise questions about many of the town’s colorful characters. Will Grady Dell reunite with his lost love, Eva? Is there a connection between Edna Earle Morris’s attempted suicide and her mysterious visit from Jesus? Other stories like “Navy Blue and Gold” highlight the ways that World War II is causing life to change for everyone in the town. Young Tommy Earl Dell and Fred Hallmark now spend their afternoons staring at the pictures of boys from Eastis County on the Gold Star shelf in the power company’s window, dreaming of the day when they will be old enough to join the army. Townspeople hold their breaths any time John Ed Hallmark, the town’s official messenger, drives his “Chariot of Death” up the street to deliver the news to one of his neighbors that a brother, son, or husband is not coming homefrom war. Although the pace of life in this small town is slow, there is never a dull moment in A Texas Jubilee. From the first to last page, readers will be constantly entertained by the exotic and unexpected in this imaginative collection of tales.

JAMES WARD LEE is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of North Texas. He is author of many essays, reviews, and stories. He wrote Texas, My Texas, Adventures with a Texas Humanist, and Classics of Texas Fiction.

978-0-87565-513-0 paper$22.956x9. 192 pp.

Hometown, Texas Young Poets and Artists Celebrate Their Roots

karla k. morton

Karla k. morton’s Hometown, Texas is a collection of beautiful poems and artwork created by students of small towns all over Texas and by morton herself, making the collection truly unique and intriguing. Each poem brings to life another piece of Texas easily overlooked by those who do not quite understand why Texans are so passionate about their state. The 2010 Texas Poet Laureate hit the road in September 2009, traveling to middle and high schools in small towns across the state, showing students the importance of writing and asking them to create something beautiful that accurately represented their town. From grandma’s mustang jelly and Leddy’s custom boots to forgotten railroads in Haslet, Friday night football, and even Mexican pride, morton and her newly discovered creative writers do not miss a thing about the beloved small towns of Texas. A great coffee table read, Hometown, Texas includes fabulous artwork drawn by talented students, giving a glimpse into the best of their hometowns. In this eclectic selection, the reader will eagerly turn page after page to learn a little something more about Texas from the Texan youth. The poetry is simple and authentic, allowing readers to fall in love with Texas all over again.

KARLA K. MORTON’s work has appeared in such publications as Amarillo Boy, REAL, descant, Langdon Review, New Texas, Illya’s Honey, Borderlands, and Southwestern American Literature. Morton was selected 2010 Texas Poet Laureate by the Texas Legislature and published New and Selected Poems with TCU Press.

978-0-87565-544-4 paper $25.009x9. 160 pp.

Fair Park Deco Art and Architecture of the Texas Centennial Exposition

Jim Parsons & David Bush

Fair Park Deco is a fascinating tour of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. Like every American exposition in the 1930s, it began in economic depression. Although its economy had been buoyed by major oil discoveries in the early ’30s, Texas agriculture was hard hit by the Great Depression. By the middle of the decade, state officials had set their sights on a great centennial celebration to help stimulate the economy and attract tourist dollars. “If during the next six months the people of the state could become filled with the idea of holding a big celebration on the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of Texas independence,” the state’s centennial commission speculated in July 1934, “it would have the effect of creating a general forward-looking spirit through the state. It would be more stimulating than anything we can think of, and this effect would be immediate.” This book focuses specifically on the art deco art and architecture of Fair Park—the public spaces, buildings, sculptures, and murals that were designed for the 1936 exposition. Most of the chapters in the book represent different areas of Fair Park, with buildings and artwork effectively arranged in the same order that a visitor to the Texas Centennial Exposition might have seen them. The art and architecture are featured in original photography by Jim Parsons and David Bush as well as in historic photographs. Fair Park is one of the finest collections of deco architecture in the country, but it is so much more: the embodiment of Texan swagger, it is a testament to the Texanic task of creating a dazzling spectacle in the darkest days of the Depression.

JIM PARSONS is the director of special projects and walking tours chair for Preservation Houston. Healso works as a freelance writer, editor, and photographer.

DAVID BUSH developed hislifelong interest in historic architecture while growing up in New Orleans. He has worked professionally in preservation since 1990, primarily at Galveston Historical Foundation and Preservation Houston.

David Bush and Jim Parsons have coauthored three books together.

978-0-87565-501-7 cloth $40.0010x10. 228 pp.

David M. Parsons New and Selected Poems

David M. Parsons

Dave Parsons’s straightforward, vivid writing brings settings alive, shaping intimate portrayals of everyday life. His poetry speaks from the past and the present, balancing ordinary and extraordinary experiences. In this eclectic volume, the reader will find selections of his most celebrated work: award-winning poems located in diverse locales from a romantic, historic house in England to an iconic Austin restaurant where the poet encounters President Lyndon Johnson. His latest works are also included with new revelations that evoke what has become a Parsons poetic trademark-the rewarding discovery of a transforming moment. Award-winning poetry critic Ange Mlinko writes of Parsons and his work, “It is deeply informed by English and American literature. There is no artificial barrier between art and life, love and intellect. The Renaissance man was once a courtly ideal; Parsons shows that it is a democratic ideal too—warm-blooded, muscular, as companionable on the page as in the flesh.” Both tangible and cerebral, Parsons’s poetry lifts its readers into a new, transformational reality with a depth of insight that is truly exceptional.

TCU Texas Poet Laureate SeriesDAVID M. PARSONS’s volumes of poetry include Editing Sky, Color of Mourning, and Feathering Deep. His poem “Historic Houses” was the winner of the French/American Legation Poetry Prize, and “Nighthawk” won the 2006 Baskerville Publishers Award for Poetry. After moving to Conroe, Texas, Parsons founded the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance and the Montgomery County Literary Arts Council. He teaches at Lone Star College–Montgomery.

978-0-87565-395-2 cloth $15.956x9. 96 pp.

Major MomentsRix Quinn & O. Homer Erekson, editors

Major Moments captures the success stories of seventy-five years at TCU’s Neeley School of Business. Compiled in honor of this important anniversary, Major Moments brings together the innovations and discoveries of a carefully selected all-star business team of more than eighty individuals from all industries and backgrounds. This volume celebrates the combined wisdom and experience of remarkable people. These business executives—alumni or key partners of the Neeley School—discuss the ideas, innovations, and discoveries that led to career advancement and success. The Neeley School of Business is ranked as one of the top business schools in the nation and has a reputation for producing top business executives and entrepreneurs in the global community. Unlock and enjoy their wealth of knowledge, creativity, and vision. In a letter dated February 5, 1676, Isaac Newton paraphrased an ancient adage, writing, “If I have seen a little further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” We hope this book will help you see further and better.

RIX QUINN, primarily a biographer, has written two national newspapercolumns and five books.

O. HOmeR eReksON is the John V.Roach Dean and Professor of Managerial Economics and Strategy at the Neeley School of Business at TCU.

978-0-87565-488-1 cloth $55.009x12. 240 pp.

Life-Changing Lessons of Business Leaders from the Neeley School of Business at TCU

The Chicken HangerBen Rehder

Ricky Delgado works as a chicken hanger at the poultry plant in Rugoso, Texas, a small border town just thirty miles south of Laredo. His quiet, illegal lifestyle is disrupted when he learns that his brother Tomás has been shot and injured shortly after crossing the border. Together, Ricky and Tomás must make a decision: to risk their illegal status and seek justice, or remain silent and endure the injustices common to all “wetbacks” within the states. Meanwhile, Ricky is fighting a battle within his own body, a disease he acquired in the poultry plant, unbeknownst to everyone but the crooked manager and the company’s doctor. Herschel Gandy, a wealthy Rugoso ranch owner and self-appointed defender of the border, has taken to firing warning shots at illegals crossing over on his ranch. But when he finds a bloodied backpack near the place he had been shooting, the repercussions of his cover-up game affect the entire town. Warren Coleman, the best border patrol agent in Rugoso, has been struggling with his conscience since allowing a trio of illegal aliens to cross one morning. One was obviously injured. After stopping a van smuggling drugs over the border, Warren shoots and kills the driver in his partner’s defense. He is immediately thrown into the national spotlight for his heroism-or brutality-depending on the source. While visiting his partner in the hospital, Warren again runs into the illegal with the injured hand. Fearing the consequences of his decisions, Warren must decide between leaving Rugoso for a new start or pursuing his growing suspicion that there is more to discover about the Mexican’s injury.

BEN REHDER is a freelance writer, novelist, and outdoors enthusiastwho lives with his wife near Austin, where he was born and raised. Rehder’s love of the outdoors has influenced much of his writing, including his Blanco County comic mysteries. Novels from that six-book series made best-of-the-year lists in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Field & Stream.

978-0-87565-436-2 paper $23.956x9. 232 pp.

The Wright StuffJames Riddlesperger Jr., Anthony Champagne, & Dan Williams, editors

Inspired by his parents’ love for the written word, former Speaker ofthe House Jim Wright developed a passion for books and writing ata young age. During his thirty-four years as a US Congressman andtwo years as Speaker of the House, written communication continuedto play an integral role in Wright’s life as he developed an increasedunderstanding of the power of words.

Through a sampling of some of Wright’s finest work, The Wright Stuff follows the major elements in Wright’s political career, ideological development, and philosophical thought. A prolific and accomplished writer, Wright possesses the keen ability to properly contextualize historic events while providing enduring lessons in governance and life. In addition to offering a unique perspective on Wright’s contemporaries and the leaders of today, this compilation of speeches, essays, and excerpts from his previous work addresses many of the major national and international events of the twentieth century. Additionally, this book chronicles a more personal narrative through Wright’s reflection on the most important influence in his young life—his parents—and shares some of the key lessons he learned during hisservice with the US Air Corps during World War II. Generously illustrated with photographs, The Wright Stuff allows readers to celebrate the many accomplishments of Speaker Wright, and, through his eyes, to gain a greater understanding of many of the signature events of the twentieth century.

JAMES RIDDLESPERGER is a professor of political science at TCU, where he teaches American politics.

ANTHONY CHAMPAGNE is a professor of political science at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he has taught since 1979.

DAN WILLIAMS is a professor of English at TCU and director of TCU Press.

978-0-87565-506-2 cloth/paper $32.50/26.956x9. 320 pp.

Reflections on People and Politics by Former House Speaker Jim Wright

Log Cabin KittyDonna RubinSusan Halbower, illustrator

Howdy, folks! Come join Pepper, a feline resident of Fort Worth’sLog Cabin Village, as she meanders through this “village from a longtime ago.” Illustrated with original artwork and photos of the village, Log Cabin Kitty provides a glimpse of life during pioneer days.

Did you know that pioneers often built secret stairways and ladders in their cabins to help them hide from unwanted intruders? As you follow Pepper through the village, you will learn about the dangers, challenges, and joys of pioneer life while exploring the homes of the families who once lived in these cabins.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for Cat Track Facts! These fun facts help young readers imagine what life was like for children growing up during the 1800s, and instructions for pioneer recipes and crafts help them experience pioneer life for themselves. Journey with Log Cabin Kitty as she explores this exciting time in American history through a tour of the Log Cabin Village.

DONNA RUBIN, a fifth-generation Texan and former first-grade teacher, now resides in Michigan with her husband. Log Cabin Kitty, Rubin’s first book, is inspired by nineteen years of field trips to Fort Worth’s Log Cabin Village with her students.

978-0-87565-503-1 paper $20.008.5x8.5. 54 pp.

Jan Seale New and Selected Poems

Jan Seale

For years Jan Seale’s carefully crafted poetry has captivated audienceswith its wit, sharp diction, and seamlessness. This eighth volume of the Texas Poet Laureate Series discovers the eternal in the transient— coupling the mythological with the present, the spiritual with the sensual, the joyful with the sorrowful.

This riveting collection of work, both new and old, celebrates her broad achievements as a poet. Designated the 2012 Texas Poet Laureate, Seale reveres poetry as “the most elegant and most historic of our verbal arts.”

Seale’s lifelong love of poetry (she began writing at the age of six) is apparent in this volume. Her work has been described as whittled and sharp, witty and serious. Her precise diction and visual imagery probe themes that range from spiritual faith to women, family, aging, and nature itself. This collection of work is a testament to Seale’s skill, craft, and dedication to the art of poetry.

TCU Texas Poet Laureate Series

JAN SEALE is the author of seven volumes of poetry. She has received a National Endowment for the Arts creative writing fellowship in poetry, and her poetry has received awards from the Poetry Society of Texas. A former creative writing professor, Seale now teaches workshops and gives readings across the Southwest.

978-0-87565-398-3 cloth $15.956x9. 96 pp.

SteplingsC. W. Smith

Nineteen-year-old Jason is lost. The rush of graduation parties has subsided, the ubiquitous discussion of college departures dimmed to a dull roar. His former classmates have made elaborate plans, but the only date on Jason’s calendar is a court appearance next Monday. Jason, who dropped out of high school just two months shy of graduation, finds himself stuck in the well-worn grooves of his hometown of Mesquite, Texas. But when his over-achieving girlfriend Lisa departs for the University of Texas at Austin to study medicine, Jason finds Mesquite a place he can hardly recognize.

Jason’s family can offer him little direction. After his mother Sue’s unexpected death a few years back, his father Burl, fifteen years sober, slipped into old drinking habits. Jason watched the once clockwork-perfect routine of his family life descend into chaos. When Burl marries Lily, a high-strung, high-powered attorney, she brings a daughter into the house: Emily, eleven years old and a self-described know-it-all whose very existence is enough to irritate Jason.

Three days before Jason must appear in court, he receives a “Dear John” letter from Lisa. Heartbroken and determined to convince Lisa of his worth, Jason decides to hitchhike to Lisa’s dorm in Austin—but Emily, desperate to return to her father, a UT professor, overhearsJason’s plans and demands to accompany him. When Burl and Lily return home to find their children missing, Lily puts out an Amber Alert for Emily, accusing Jason of abducting her daughter. The frantic search effort that ensues threatens to destroy the household that Burl and Lily have just begun to establish.

C. W. SMITH was a Dedman Family Distinguished Professor at SMU. He belongs to the PEN American Center, the Author’s Guild, and the Texas Institute of Letters. He was a Dobie-Paisano Fellow at the University of Texas and has received two grants from the National Endowment for theArts. In 2011, Smith received the Lon Tinkle Award for lifetme achievement from the Texas Institute of Letters.

978-0-87565-437-9 cloth/paper $32.95/22.956x9. 272 pp.

The Texas Legation Papers, 1836-1845Kenneth R. Stevens, editor

The Texas Legation Papers, 1836-1845 is a volume of lost letters and documents from the early turbulent years of the Republic of Texas. Editor Ken Stevens has compiled these papers to reveal the untold stories surrounding the birth of the state of Texas.

For nine years, between its war for independence from Mexico until its annexation to the United States, Texas existed as an independent republic. During those years, Texas’s diplomatic representatives communicated with the officials of the United States; their job was to inform Texas leaders about the United States’ views on critical issues concerning recognition of Texas and eventual annexation, relations with Mexico, boundary issues, and troubles with Native Americans. The Texas diplomats were responsible for administering the successful transition of the Republic of Texas into the twenty-eighth member of the United States.

The Texas Legation papers contain the detailed accounts of this time period. When Texas became a state in 1845, the Legation was shut down, and its papers put away. When Sam Houston, one of the new state’s first senators, returned to Texas after completing two terms in the Senate, the papers came back with him. Most papers were delivered to the state archives, but somehow the letters and documents published in this collection were delivered to Houston’s home, where they remained out of sight for the next 160 years. In 2004, the papers in this volume returned to the possession of the Texas State Library and Archives, thanks to the efforts of the Center for Texas Studies at TCU and the generous support of Mary Ralph Lowe (TCU ’65), the Lowe Foundation, and J. P. Bryan, of Houston, a Texana collector and past president of the Texas State Historical Association. Many letters in this volume are published for the first time. As they round out the diplomatic story of the Texas republic, they offer a unique and fascinating perspective on the history of Texas.

KENNETH R. STEVENS, professor of history at TCU, is a historian of American foreign relations.Born and raised in Alaska, Stevens initially attended the University of Alaska, but eventually transferredto Indiana University where he earned his bachelor’s degree. After college, Stevens served four years in the Navy, after which he returned to Indiana Universitywhere he specialized in US history.

978-0-87565-393-8 cloth $49.956x9. 384 pp.

Spies, Politics, and Power Joseph A. Stout Jr.

In Spies, Politics, and Power: El Departamento Confidencial en México, 1922–1946, Joseph A. Stout traces the development of Mexico’s Departamento Confidencial from the years of its infancy to its later incarnation as a fully fledged international espionage agency on the order of the CIA, Russian KGB, and German Gestapo. Stout charts the department’s evolution under the administration of several powerful presidents—and a handful of puppets—from the postrevolutionary period through World War II, when the agency turned its attention from monitoring internal threats to focus on matters of national security. Stout devotes special attention to the agency’s wartime role in the investigation and containment of individuals whose Axis ties made them objects of government suspicion.

Offering a twist on conventional history, Stout takes us behind the political curtain to illuminate the crucial role played by an unlikely assortment of government bureaucrats, international spies, low-ranking agents, and office clerks within the drama of Mexican nationhood. In his comprehensive and thoroughly researched account, Stout offers a narrative propelled not by the back-and-forth of rebel violence and brutal reprisal—though there is no dearth of such material—but by the power of information. For Stout, intelligence, as much as military might, is the key to political power and the engine of national formation.

A work rich in primary sources, Spies integrates details culled from archived letters and agent reports into the broader framework of Mexican politics and society in the first half of the twentieth century. In his unconventional approach, Stout sheds new light on the means and motivations of some of the period’s most influential figures.

JOSEPH A. STOUT JR. was a professor of history at Oklahoma State University until he retired in 2005. He has written or edited fourteen books and more than thirty articles on the American Southwest and Mexico.

978-0-87565-438-6 paper $29.956x9. 186 pp.

El Departamento Confidencial en México, 1922-1946

Texas, My Texas Musings of the Rambling Boy

Lonn Taylor

In a collection of essays about Texas gathered from his West Texas newspaper columns, Lonn Taylor traverses the very best of Texas geography, history, and personalities. In a state so famous for its pride, Taylor manages to write an exceptionally honest, witty, and wise book about Texas past and present.

Texas, My Texas: Musings of the Rambling Boy is a story of legacies, of men and women, times, and places that have made this state what it is today. From a history of Taylor’s hometown, Fort Davis, to stories about the first man wounded in the Texas Revolution (who was an African American), to accounts of outlaw Sam Bass and an explanation of Hill Country Christmases, Taylor has searched every corner of the state for untold histories. Taylor’s background as a former curator at the Smithsonian National Museum becomes apparent in his attention to detail: Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, artists, architects, criminals, the founder of Neiman Marcus, and the famous horned frog, “Old Rip,” all make appearances as quintessential Texans. Lonn Taylor’s unique narrative voice is personal. As he points out in the introduction, it is the stories of Texans themselves, of their grit and eccentricities, that have “brought the past into the present . . . the two seem to me to be bound together by stories.” People—real Texans—are the focus of the essays, making Texas, My Texas a rite of passage for anyone who claims Texan heritage. Taylor re-examines a few of the things every good Texan “knows,” like the fact that it is illegal to pick bluebonnets along the highway, or that the Menger Hotel bar is modeled after the one in the House of Lords in London. Taylor points out with his usual wit that it is not, in fact, illegal to pick any of the six varieties of bluebonnets that grow throughout our state, and that few Texans would know that the bar is modeled after the one in the House of Lords, as few Texans are Lords. Taylor’s knowledge of Texas and his passion for its citizens are evident on every page.

LONN TAYLOR retired to Fort Davis, Texas, with his wife, Dedie, after a twenty-year career as a historian at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum ofAmerican History in Washington, DC. He received a BA in history and government from TCU in 1961 and did graduate work at NYU before returning to Texas to enter the museum field.

978-0-87565-434-8 paper $22.956x9. 216 pp.

The Elmer Kelton Collection

and many more titles by Elmer Kelton!