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Post by Jim Boylston on May 4, 2007 22:54:14 GMT -5
What would you guys recommend as a good introductory text to the history of the Rangers? Utley? Moore? Jim
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Post by TRK on May 5, 2007 8:34:30 GMT -5
I've only read bits of Utley's recent history, but it's hard to go wrong with him.
Walter Prescott Webb's The Texas Rangers is dated and has come in for criticism in recent years, but is still a good starting place.
I was slow on the draw and missed out on vol. 1 of Stephen L. Moore's Savage Frontier; it's out of print and extremely pricey when you find used copies. I have vol. 3, and it's definitely more advanced than an introductory text [*note, corrected: originally I unintentionally called it an "introductory text"]. If you have his book on San Jacinto, Eighteen Minutes, the Savage Frontier series is on a similar level of scholarship, with much detail; I'm sure you'd like it.
Frederick Wilkins wrote several books on the early years of the Rangers; I've only read Highly Irregular Regulars, covering the Mexican War years; it's interesting and there are details in there you won't find elsewhere.
James Kimmins Greer's bio of John C. Hays is excellent, and was still in print the last I knew.
Samuel Reid's Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers is my favorite book on the early Rangers; Reid covered the operations of McC's command through the Battle of Monterrey, and it's rich with anecdotes and stories of their amazing feats.
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Post by Herb on May 5, 2007 16:17:36 GMT -5
Utley's two volumes is pretty good, Volume 2 "Lone Star Lawmen" covers the 20th Century, I'm really not interested in that, but his style and research still made it an enjoyable book.
Webb's "The Texas Rangers" is a lot like Lord's "A Time to Stand", it's dated, has some flaws, but it's still the classic.
And while we're on classics another one is "RIP Ford's Texas", RIP Ford was Hay's adjutant in Mexico, then a noted Ranger Captain in his own right before the Civil War and commanded Confederate Forces on the Rio Grande during the War.
Wilkin's four volumes are great, imo, and you can't go wrong.
For starters I'd go with either the classic Webb or Utley's volume 1 "LoneStar Justice" I'd also grab "RIP Ford's Texas".
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Post by Jim Boylston on May 14, 2007 12:58:28 GMT -5
I picked up Vol. 1 of Utley, seemed a good place to start. JIm
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Post by bobdurham on May 20, 2007 14:44:17 GMT -5
Hey Wolfpack,
As pretty much the Texas Ranger expert on the site, what's your take on the books by Gillette and Durham? I'm partial to their first-hand impressions but haven't done a lot of reading about the rangers so don't know how accurate they are. Also, what do you think about Dr. Hardin's little book on the Rangers?
Bob
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Post by Herb on May 20, 2007 15:05:19 GMT -5
Bob, I think rangerrod and MustangGrey are probably the experts here, they're just not as verbose! ;D
I really liked Gillett, he was involved in quite a lot and he doesn't hesitate telling bad things about himself! It's probably one of the best Ranger reminiscences.
Hardin, I assume you're talking about the Osprey book, it's been years since I read it. I'd need to look at it again before commenting on it.
Durham, likewise, it been years since I read him, but it was enjoyable, but I like anything about McNelly. I know Durham is held in disfavor by authors of some more scholarly works. It might be good to read him then look at Parsons & Little "Captain L.H. McNelly" and Wilken's "The Law Comes to Texas".
BTW, any relation or just coincidence?
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Post by stuart on May 20, 2007 16:12:29 GMT -5
Speaking to Gary Zaboly the other day he mentioned that he's currently illustrating an upcoming book by Steve Hardin on the early days of the city of Houston - commenting that it made Deadwood look tame
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Post by sloanrodgers on May 21, 2007 3:23:34 GMT -5
Bob, I think rangerrod and MustangGrey are probably the experts here, they're just not as verbose! ;D Well, I'm no expert on the rangers as a whole. I'm just knowledgeable and well-read. Six Years with the Texas Rangers by James Gillett is a classic of the genre. It is a well written primary account by a ranger in his own voice and hard to compare to other works. Taming the Nueces Strip by newspaper reporter Clyde Wantland is a much lesser book even though he got it from the lips of McNelly Ranger George Durham. It is has many errors, but is an interesting read.
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Post by bobdurham on May 21, 2007 6:30:30 GMT -5
To Wolfpack's question about George Durham -- naw, sorry to say but its just a coincidence. My side of the Durham family was all in Tennessee, as far as I know, when all this took place. I do have some relatives in Texas now though. Years ago, when I went to my first Alamo Society symposium, I drove back through Waco and stopped at the Texas Ranger museum. I saw Taming the Nueces Strip and couldn't pass it up when I saw George Durham's name on the cover.
Stuart -- didn't know about the book by Steve Hardin about Houston. With Gary Zaboly illustrating, I think that's one I'll have to make a point of adding to my collection!
Ranger Rod -- thanks for your opinions on the books I asked about.
Take care, Bob
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Post by sloanrodgers on May 22, 2007 11:44:20 GMT -5
Ranger Rod -- thanks for your opinions on the books I asked about. Your welcome. I think Parson's biography is a much better treatment of McNelly. It's based on tons of research and gives a more rounded view of the man and his company
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Post by Herb on Jun 28, 2007 10:11:55 GMT -5
Hey, RangerRod,
Is Mike Cox' "Ranger Tales" worth getting?
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Post by sloanrodgers on Jun 28, 2007 20:01:59 GMT -5
Yes. Although, Mike (not name dropping) being a friend of mine, I might be a little biased. He was also the spokesman for DPS and the Rangers for several years, which gives him a lot of inside knowledge on the force.
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Post by marklemon on Jul 1, 2007 0:56:22 GMT -5
Speaking to Gary Zaboly the other day he mentioned that he's currently illustrating an upcoming book by Steve Hardin on the early days of the city of Houston - commenting that it made Deadwood look tame Stuart, Last March, I had the honor of dining with Steve Hardin and Bruce Winders, at which time I had the great pleasure of having Hardin show us a few of Zaboly's original pen-and-ink drawings of this book you reference. Seems he said it was going to be titled "Texas Macabre" or something like that, if memory serves. Anyway, as a fellow artist and Alamo student, while I may disagree with a number of Zaboly's decisions about his Alamo recreation, I have to say that he is a modern master of the pen and ink medium.In fact, he may be the best pen and ink artist living in America today. I have purchased several of his originals, for ludicrously low prices on eBay, and they are just jewels of the craft. If you speak to him in the near future, send him my sincere regards. Mark
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Post by Jim Boylston on Jul 1, 2007 11:17:23 GMT -5
Me too, but let's not tell anybody. I'm digging those low prices! ;D Jim
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Post by sloanrodgers on Jul 7, 2007 5:16:19 GMT -5
I like Zaboly. I hear that he's doing illustrations for a book on my distant cousin Bobby Rogers of the New Hampshire Rangers. It may already be out. Does anybody know about this project? All for now.
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