Customer Reviews

Illustrated History of Texas Forts

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sadly, this book did not meet my expectations of what I thought it was going to be. It is one of several books published by the excellent Republic of Texas Press Company, but this particular book did not meet my expectations for the subject matter; in particular, it falls short on the specific history of Texas Forts.

My faults with the book are that it provides only sketchy details on lesser-known forts located throughout Texas. Some of the fort histories barely make a sentance or short paragraph in the book. Historical dates in the book are very generalized and I am a stickler for specific dates and names of historical figures associated with a fort. Several of the forts listed do not include a specific location, only a generalized region. In the Civil War-section of the book, the histories of several Confederate camps are not addressed at all, and only the location of their historical markers are printed. And for some inexplicable reason, the map of Presidio de Los Adeas is presented on page 42, but no text accompanies it in the book to explain its significance to Texas history.

The book does have some good points, such as the historical overlay map of the Alamo outlining its place in modern-day San Antonio. Bigger forts and battles are covered in more detail, but not any more than can already be found in other existing Republic of Texas books such as Bill Groneman's "Battlefields of Texas". The book does have a few more maps of other forts and some accompanying modern-day drawings are presented, but I believe the book can hardly be called an "illustrated" history of its subject matter.

This book would also not make a good travel guide, except to the most well-known forts, for which information can be picked up elsewhere.

Therefore, I can only reccomend that this book be bought by those who want only a general listing and short history of Texas forts. The short paragraphs and sketch information will be appreciated by those who want a short but not concise book on forts in Texas history. More serious historians will not like this book. Those who want more in-depth histories of these specific forts can find it in Claude and Betty Dooley's "Why Stop?-A Guide nto Texas Historical Markers" or Bill Groneman's "Battlefields of Texas."....

Upon re-reading the book's section on Presdio de Los Adaes, I did find the a few sentances relating to the history of the fort on page 41. I want to correct myself and clarify that the book does have some text related to the drawing on page 42. It is not enough to satisfy my own desire for historical information.

The book also presents a nice overlay map of historic Fort Stockton and its present location in the present-day Fort Stockton, Texas.

I would also like to state that however disappointing the book was to me from my own historical scholar's viewpoint, "An Illustrated History of Texas Forts" would be nice reading for those who are interested in a less-detailed history of the state's forts. It would be good reading for those buyers who have a casual interest in Texas fort history and would suffice as a nice gift for them.

"Something of Value" is not just the title of Robert Ruark's book but also a fitting description of this one by Rod Timanus. It should be highly recommended to anyone interested in Western history, generally, and in Texas history in particular. Among its outstanding illustrations is a fascinating overlay titled "The Alamo - Then and Now," comparing the current plot parameters with those of the sprawling original compound in 1836.

The author's acquired professional skills, his evident personal predilections, and exceptional perceptions are evident in the book. What were the real names of Kit Carson and Bat Masterson? What was "the mile-long shot"? Here you'll find the answers to these and other questions.

Gathering information is only one facet of a researcher's work. Finding what he seeks is one of the more time-consuming features of his job. What distinguishes this book from most others is its efficiency: it presents information which apparently can't be found elsewhere in a single volume, thereby saving time and effort for both the interested reader and the historian.

It's not a textbook and wasn't so intended. Too many reviewers examine a volume merely by reading only the text - and they very often do so, it seems, without overmuch regard to an actual examination and real consideration of it, focusing not on the book's substance but on how they'll "criticize" it. The Introduction or Preface to any book is usually the key to understanding its target, and clarifies the scope and intent of the volume. The aims of the author become clear when that section is read. As just one example, some might see this book as an unlikely "travel guide." That's not the book's purpose.

In keeping with available information, historical priority and practical logistics, some entries have relatively thorough histories while others have shorter sketches. If the aggregate details in each and every case don't resolve conjectures or provide explanations to questions long-unanswered (and which may remain forever-unanswerable), they are still details which shed more light on what transpired in those places so long ago.

It's very relieving to see that this book isn't saddled with the affectation known as footnotes, which are comparable to hearing a knock at the door on one's wedding night. Anyone can provide them. Not everyone, however, can take the information normally and traditionally found in footnotes and weave it skillfully and seamlessly into the tapestry of the text. Those who are sticklers for specific dates and names of historical figures associated with a fort should look elsewhere. That's not the aim of this book.

This volume's very existence exemplifies the principle of priority, a concept from which many of us could learn. The author of this work has evidently set a goal, which he's clearly met, of producing a book that can be read and enjoyed by the reader, not merely examined and studied exclusively by the scholar (though they should surely benefit from it). The author discusses matters that would be of interest to virtually anyone with even an indirect interest in Western history.

The astute and discerning reader would view this book for what it is: an illustrated history of Texas forts, just as the title says. Those who can gauge something on its own merits are the exceptions, not the rule - but they're the gems in the settings of an author's readership.

Those who would benefit most by this volume and would respond most positively to it, be they laymen or historians, are those with the prudence and integrity to form their own opinions and draw their own conclusions. The author evidently has enough confidence in his readers' intellect to feel they will do this. This book would be at least enough to satisfy one's desire for historical information, would be the ideal starting point for additional research, is enjoyable reading and, perhaps most importantly, it should meet the expectations of those interested in learning about the forts of Texas. - - JEFFREY DANE, e-mail: Jeffdane43@aol.com / March 14, 2001.