Texas Mountains [Hardcover]

Joe Nick Patoski (Author), Laurence Parent (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2001

Some of the most beautiful views in Texas are also the most remote. Seemingly endless miles lie between the isolated mountain ranges of the Trans-Pecos and the more populous parts of Texas and New Mexico, ensuring that only those who really crave the solitude, rugged loveliness, and hundred-mile vistas of the mountains will ever make the trek. In this book, Laurence Parent and Joe Nick Patoski join forces to offer breathtaking views of the Texas mountains. With magnificent images and words, they take us on a journey not only through the familiar Guadalupe, Davis, and Chisos mountains, but also through lesser-known ranges with evocative names such as Sierra Diablo, Eagle, Chinati, Beach, and Christmas. Capturing the Texas mountains from first light to the glowing rays of sunset and from winter snows to summer droughts, Parent's photographs reveal many hidden treasures--pine forests, waterfalls, old forts, aspens, movie sets, Indian pictographs, and red-rock pinnacles. Patoski's text ranges as widely as the photos, using places from Marathon to El Paso's Franklin Mountains as starting points for "field notes" that explore the myriad ways in which the land has shaped and been shaped by the people who live on it. For everyone who longs for mountain views and wide-open spaces, Texas Mountains comes as close to being there as you can get without endless driving.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The sparsely populated Trans-Pecos region of extreme western Texas covers about 50,000 square miles across eight counties and contains more than 30 named mountain ranges. Featuring stunning color photographs by Austin resident Parent (Hiking Texas) with accompanying text by Texas Monthly senior editor Patoski, this work will amaze readers who have never visited this vast and remote area as well as those few who have. In addition to the wonderful photos, Patoski's text presents a colorful history and paints a vivid portrait of a wide variety of locals who seem to share a love of the wide-open spaces and solitude afforded by the rugged terrain. This very nicely conceived and well-executed work includes both a color map and brief descriptions of each of the mountain ranges covered. Highly recommended for all regional and larger public libraries as well as those with travel/natural history collections. Tim Markus, Evergreen State Coll. Lib., Olympia, WA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Laurence Parent is a freelance photographer and writer in Austin, Texas, whose work has appeared in Texas Highways, Texas Monthly, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and many other publications. Joe Nick Patoski is a Senior Editor of Texas Monthly magazine in Austin.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 156 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1st edition (November 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292765924
• ISBN-13: 978-0292765924
• Product Dimensions: 14 x 10.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,377,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mountain Magic In Texas, December 29, 2004

By 

G. Pearson (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Texas Mountains (Hardcover)

I am a collector of photographic mountain / wilderness books from around the world and I can safely say that this one takes a special place on the shelf. No huge glacier covered peaks here but a superb collection of photos featuring a rocky and rugged landscape like no other. Well written, interesting text combined with 127 crystal clear, colourful and beautifully printed photos make this book a pleasure to read and admire over and over. I never knew Texas was so wild and beautiful - highly recommended.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magical Book, December 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Texas Mountains (Hardcover)

I'm a photographer not easily impressed. This book is simply the best rendering of this breathtaking, little known part of Texas that I've seen. The essay is well written and together with the photography makes for a classic.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing!, November 3, 2011

By 

Stephen H. Newberg (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Texas Mountains (Hardcover)

The photographs are spectacular and the writing just draws you in to enjoy the wild,rugged beauty of far West Texas ... scenes that are all too rapidly disappearing . It encourages the reader to go and savor the experience first hand ! Superb !