Customer Reviews

Passionate Nation: The Epic History of Texas

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

 

 

One of the great things about Haley's writings is that he generally manages to escape the confines of political correctness and liberalism that constrict so many histories written in modern times. In "Passionate Nation", with the exception of the last 10 pages, he does it again, stating truths which will both irritate and inspire the entire political spectrum. For example, Haley paints a clear picture of many of the icons of early Texas that is often unflattering but none the less true; all the while expressing a deep reverance for these same people. He's also not afraid to descibe Santa Anna's actions in Texas as nothing less than an attempt at ethnic cleansing. An idea that is sure to give the LULAC types fits. Though, if they'll read on, they'll find that Haley makes it clear that after independence ethnic Mexicans were treated just as badly by the Anglo majority.

If I could change anything about the book it would be longer. Haley has the proven ability to go into greater depth without boring the casual historian to death. That being said, what he has written is remarkably readable and entertaining while giving the reader a broad lesson in Texas history.

As for the last ten pages, well, even in Texas historians won't make it far without at least a nod to liberal academia.
The reader can detect a slight tinge of contempt for the rise of conservative Republicanism in the last 30 years. And some facts (stating that Anne Richards signed the concealed weapons bill when it was actually George Bush in his first term, for example) are just plain wrong. But don't let that scare you off; "Passionate Nation" is still one of the best Texas histories since Fehrenbach.

Passionate Nation, The Epic History of Texas, by James L Haley

This is a very interesting book about Texas, and a good guide for non-Texans to understand the impact of Texas industry and politics on the nation. I am a 4th generation Texan and my family talked a lot about the history of their region when I was growing up so I appreciated this history from a personal point of view. The author provides a good sense of Texas from the original Texans, to the Spanish and American populations, to today. It is a well balanced discussion about the various contributors to Texas' identity and culture. I really liked the descriptions of what he calls "The Red River War" but my relatives called "The Comanches". He picks up pieces of history from a wide context that provides some insight into Texas history. This is not comprehensive history but very educational. The author is opinionated and in particular to the impact of racism on the culture of today, especially now that Texas has a mixture of Hispanic, Anglo, African American, along with the increasing Asian influences. He uses Texas history to explain how Texas became a national influence in commerce and politics, especially the importance of the oil business and religion. He provides examples of Texas innovations and differences in governance of Texas as opposed to other states. A good example is the limited power of the governor and the legislator only meets every other year. There is an extensive list of references with descriptions about them to allow more study of this subject.

In general this is an excellent short book about a state that has made a major impact on the country.

James Haley doesn't break much new ground in his history of the Lone Star state, but he does present a very readable, evenhanded account of the state's rise from prehistory to George W. Bush's presidency. Haley mostly steers a middle course between many 20th century historians' wildly heroic hagiographies of Texan uber-patriots and more recent revisionists who tend to view most early historic Texan figures as slave-mongering land pirates. Haley generally tries to illustrate both the great heroism and the notable greed that have motivated much of Texas' journey over the centuries.

I find it admirable that Haley tries to bring his account of Texas history right up into the 21st century, but I have to say that he does manage to fumble a bit in his last few sections (for example, his brief retelling of the Branch Davidian siege oddly muddles the sequence of events; makes it sound like the initial failed ATF raid happened in the middle of the siege rather than starting it).

I reviewed this book for the local Colonial Dames of the XVII Century.
Many details on the early history of Texas I had not seen before although I am a
native and have studied the history of Texas for more than 60 years. Haley found many amusing stories to tell and covered a lengthy and complex history.

Perhaps I'm being unfair, but this book suffers in comparison to T. R. Fehrenbach's "Lone Star," published in 1968. One would like to think the present book would have brought us up to date, but less than a dozen pages are devoted to those 48 years. There are a number of interesting vignettes in this book, well worth enjoying. But if one wants a balanced view of Texas history, "Lone Star" is your book.

Two points: Haley fails to provide enough background on the forces which produced the events he describes. One example: in discussing the Civil War era where he does not do a good job setting the stage for the reaction of Texans at the time of secession, which means he does not explain why they reacted the way they did- why the overwhelming majority of non-slave-holding Texans voted for secession.

Second, as George Bernard Shaw said, every man should be judged in the context of his own time, a lesson many Americans have forgotten but the thing which, at least for me, makes the study of history so enjoyable. This book has also forgotten, in my judgement and views Texas history through the lens of current-day moderate liberalism. If this is what you want, buy the book. If not, read "Lone Star."

Gerry Dobson

Passionate Nation is by in large a good readable history of Texas. Writing a Texas history is a huge task. Haley apply notes that really only a few have tried it and only a few of those are in the popular genre. As life student of Texas History and small 5 year career of teaching the subject I immediately noticed that Haley chose the standard out line of Texas history. You can find this in any 7th grade Texas history book. Indians, Mexicans, Americans, Texas Revolution, Texas Republic, Statehood, Mexican War, governor, War between the States, Governors, splash of culture along the way, WW 1, Governors, WW2, Governors, National Politics along the way, predictions. Ok; I wish writers could be more inventive, but this outline works pretty well and it pretty much is the outline most native Texans relate to.
Haley gives us a very readable history of the state. I wish it was required reading for any one who lives or spends time in the state. True to Haley's goals he does not make this book too academic. He does show he has done his homework with his end notes of sorts in the closing pages of the volume. He also avoids modern history's hang up with political correctness. I did find his work on the "Cowboy and Indian" issues in the book refreshing. Most volumes kind of stick this huge part of Texas history in a chapter and go on.
One mystery I would like feedback on is; why is this book so ridiculously cheap. I keep seeing it for less than 3 dollars. I think the book is a keeper for any Texan's library. I could also see this book being used in college courses. Texas history is only taught for about 1 ½ credit hours in most required settings, along with Texas Government.

Narrative histories of Texas seem to be disproportionately founded in political and military history. Social history is terribly subordinated to "Great Men" and OIL.

Considering that, this is standard fare: Spanish and Mexican settlement, The Alamo, the Texas Revolution, the Civil War, Austin, Houston and Lamar.

OK, let's think about this for a minute. Texas is the second most populous and second largest state in the country. It has a wonderfully rich cultural history derived from remarkable ethnic diversity. It contains two of the country's largest metropolitan areas, continuing to expand. Two of our most recent Presidents, our personal feeling aside, have come from here. Music. Literature. Exceptionally wealthy universities propped up with oil money. Sports. Architecture. Film. Theatre. Can someone PLEASE write a cultural history of this state? I mean, is it established in the state constitution that every history ever told of Texas MUST be political?

This book, well written as it is, is just a revision of previous political histories. And you know what? Just as with those, it basically stops with oil in 1901. It's as if there's nothing really good to tell after Spindletop.

It's a good book, but it doesn't really add anything new to Texas history, that we haven't read a hundred times in other books. GONE TO TEXAS, by Randolph Campbell, is a much better, more comprehensive study.

I love Texas. I was born in Dallas and grew up never more than a hundred miles from the Trinity River. Today I live in the shadow of the Twin Sisters Peaks in Alpine. Since the 7th grade Texas history has been my heart's constant home. Her geography and cultures have also commanded my focus on learning things.

I don't believe that the history of any nation or state in the world, including US history, could ever compare to the wild and powerful history of Texas!

What is a Texan though? Certainly it cannot be just someone who was born here. For Texas would never have been it's own nation between 1836 and 1845 if it were not for men and women from Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana or Virginia!
What's more is that being born in Texas does not necessarily make one a Texan. Case in point-Mr. Haley. Though this gentleman was born in Fort Worth, his different tones regarding Texas history listing favor to some parts while smearing other parts is nothing short of blasphemy against our one heritage. A true Texan embraces the whole of Texas history and wraps himself in the blood and honor of all her six flags.
How is Mr. Haley not a true Texan? The same reason George W. Bush is not. Just before the ending of his last term as Texas governor, Bush and aids cowardly removed plaques memorializing the Texans that fought for the Confederacy from the state house grounds. Though Bush committed this act of public vandalism against the Confederate descendent people of his states and even though he had actually been born in Connecticut, Mr. Haley included Bush on the front cover of his book.
In Passionate Nation, while appearing to take sides with his hero, Sam Houston, he denounced Texas' statewide decision to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy. The general language of distain and dishonor that he used to describe the leaders and citizens of Texas that chose independence once again from a tyrannical government was out of bounds and contradicted the principals authors of history are supposed to oblige. He described the Texas Confederates as those being seduced by an unfounded paranoia that the US government was plotting against the South.
He also used words like slaveocracy to describe Texas' greatest moment in her history next to her first war for independence.
Mr. Haley ridiculed a piece of history that for four years almost 100,000 true Texans fought, starved, and had died defending. Like so many authors regarding the Civil War, he used little or no historical fact, replacing it with 21st century views and prejudices and a vile lack of understanding of the cause and it's defenders.
Mr. Haley, while kicking at Texas' proud Confederate history unwittingly denounced the history he felt passionate enough to publish. His book is a sad and pathetic disrespect towards the giant of what I love, Texas history. For the same kind of men that fought under the lone star on the fields of Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor had stood also at the Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto. If the author knew nothing of Texas' gallant contribution and duty to the Confederate nation, he is no more fit to describe the chapters of the Texas Revolution or her role in WWII. The author should have well remembered that Less than 10% of Texans during the start of the Civil War owned slaves and the very few advocates of the institution did not serve on any major front during the war.
One of the reasons he listed for Texas seceding was the state's wish to re-open the international slave trade. His book would not have become a farce upon the history wall in our library if he had remembered to include that not only was this issue not included in Texas' ordnance of secession but that it was the state of Texas herself that outlawed the slave trade (many years before any of the northern states had done so). Any crew caught smuggling slaves in Texas waters were tried and convicted harshly.
Lastly, Mr. Haley would have done well to remember that the state of Texas seceded from the US for many of the same reasons she had seceded from Mexico. Just as Santa Anna had done when he overthrew the Mexican constitution of 1824 that saw to the rights of the citizens of Texas, Abraham Lincoln and his puritan party in Washington adopted principals that denied all of the states and their people some of the most basic rights in the American constitution. Rule of the government began to be controlled by one section or the majority. Not only did that power alone shift the Southern minority into second place citizens but that same power began producing and passing policies and acts that overwhelmed local and state decisions throughout the South. Why was none of this included?
Mr. Haley's personal views and opinions of this part of Texas history that Texans defended with as much passion as it's independent organs had shown greatly left out a lot of the facts and actual events that such a history book should have included. His whole justification against the decisions and united sacrifice that Texas had made was based on Sam Houston's personal reservations towards secession. Yet, Mr. Haley had also left out that when President Lincoln requested Houston's support to land Federal troops in Texas in 1861, Houston refused and quietly submitted to the will of the land he helped create.
Texas history is indeed an epic one. Mr. James Haley my friend, the more than forty graves of Confederate infantry and cavalrymen buried in the high altitude sands of the cemetery outside of Alpine testifies to this appealing to true Texans to remember their true history.
How can one truly pick up this book when the writer attempts to subjugate the truth and honorable reputation of the Texas men and women that are honored on more than four hundred Confederate monuments and Austin stone historical markers not only on nearly every courthouse lawn, state house grounds, but also on nearly every major Civil War battlefield from Gettysburg to Vicksburg? What about the Texas giant, an officer of three nations, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the second highest ranking general of the Confederate States Army who was mortally wounded at Shiloh? Why did the author not give the reader a glimpse of the glory behind Lt. Dick Dowling and his forty soldiers of the Jeff Davis Guards aka the 1st Texas Heavy Artillery who in 1863 won the most lop sided victory of the whole Civil War conflict when they defeated more than four thousand Northern troops trying to invade the homes and communities of unarmed Texan citizens by the way of Sabine Pass? Why did he not mention that Dowling and his men were the only soldiers to receive military medals while serving their South? Or that President Jefferson Davis described the Texans fighting for his new nation as, "Troops of other states have their reputations to gain. The sons of the Alamo have theirs to maintain!" Or that the highest casualties rate of any unit during the whole Civil War was the 1st Texas with 80% at the battle of Sharpsburg? Or that even though Texas was as blockaded as other parts of the South, it's Northern POW camp boasted the best conditions and survival rate of any POW camp South or NORTH? Or that one of the very few naval victories for the Confederacy happened on Jan 1 1863 by the cotton clads and horse marines in Galveston Harbor? Or that Robert E Lee remarked of his Texans during the spring of 1864 Wilderness campaign "My Texans always move them"?
How does the author feel about the Texas that named Brewster County, Jeff Davis County, Stonewall County, Hood County, or Gregg County after officers that served for the Confederacy? Does he consider these other names of the state not fully beloved like Sul Ross State University, Cleburne, Granbury, Fort Hood, Lubbock, or Hartley all named for Confederates that Texas and it's history is proud of?
Shame on this writer for not considering the true history of a period that so many brave sons of the Texas revolution fought to be free in. Of the thirteen states that had seceded and joined the battle flag of the Confederacy, perhaps none other provided more willingly and faithfully to the their independence. If Mr. Haley knew a thing or two about Texas he would admit that Texas by 1861 had already known a thing or two about independence!
"I hope the day will never come that my grandsons will be ashamed to own that I was a Confederate Soldier."-Texas Confederate soldier.