| |||||||||||||||
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific read.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Governor's Stake: The Parallel Lives of Two Texas Governors: Richard Coke and Lawrence Sullivan Ross (Hardcover)
I highly recommend this book. With insightful commentary and meticulous research and analysis, historian Dede Casad has brought to life the tale of two heroic and extraordinary men, Richard Coke and Sullivan Ross. These men deserve far more attention than mere footnotes in state history, and the book will tell you why. Both men were from Waco,Texas during the early years when law and order was a matter of personal involvement and survival dependent upon almost daily self-defense. Coke was born to an aristocratic Virginia family and was educated in law at William and Mary College. He came to Waco in 1849 as a young man of twenty with his law books strapped to his horse. Sullivan Ross' family brought him to Waco as an infant in 1838, and he survived his childhood in the dangers of frontier life mostly by his wits and shear determination. Both Coke and Ross fought in the Civil War and each eventually became Governor of Texas. Sullivan Ross (Sul) emerges perhaps as the more colorful, and certainly the more romatic, hero of the two men thanks in part to the survival of the letters he wrote to his young bride while he was away fighting in the Civil War. He entered the war as a private in 1861 and came out four years later a General at the age of twenty-seven. Reading details of Sul's battels, exploits and leadership, one is reminded of Ken Burns' now classic documentary of the Civil War. What Burns did with old pictures and voice over, Casad does with her writing - bringing to life the vivid images of the horror of the Civil War. Sul Ross was a small, wiry man. Richard Coke was the opposite, six-foot three and at least 240 pounds. And yet, Coke's most meaningful battles were fought were words. While Coke also distinguished himself during the war, it was the bravery he displayed after winning the race for governor in 1873 that demonstated his mettle. It was a bitter campaign, somtimes illegal and not without down right fraud. The incumbent governor refused to turn over power and hundreds of Coke supporters poured into Austin, well armed and ready to fight. The story of the siege and taking of the Capitol reads better than a Hollywood script and serves as historic warning that the transition of power is not guaranteed to be peacful. While some may scoff at the notion, the events in Austin in 1873 are a cautionary reminder of what could have happened in the last presidential election between Gore and Bush when the vote count was in doubt. Other parallels with issues of today can be found in the challenges faced by Coke and Ross. It you like history or just a darn good read, get this book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
