Customer Reviews

The Texas Rangers

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Written in 1935, this book takes a look at the first 100 years of the Texas Rangers. Not an easy read it is very detailed . This book should be used in Texas History Classes where that course is taught. It offers a realistic look at the brutality of life in frontier Texas. Although slow going at times this book has fascinated me for the twenty odd years I have owned it. I use the index as a source of reference when I want to look back into my native Texas' history. I enjoyed this book and readily recommend it for those interested in the early history of Texas.

This classic was first published in 1935. The consummate western historian Walter Prescott Webb, assimilated a history of the first century (actually from 1823 - 1935) of the Texas Rangers in his book, THE TEXAS RANGERS: A CENTURY OF FRONTIER DEFENSE. This 1965 reprinting contains a foreword by Lyndon B. Johnson.

Webb covers not only the history of the Texas Rangers, but also focuses on some of its more noteworthy, or to some, notorious, men who wore the star. From Jack Hays to Frank Hamer, the reader is given some of the high points of their careers, from the Battle of Plum Creek to the capture of Bonnie and Clyde.

Webb, great historian that he was, was not a great writer and the book reads rather slowly at times. For entertainment value, I preferred Robert Utley's book of a similar name, Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers, but this one does cover some interesting material you wont find in Utley's book, so both should be considered for a better understanding of the early years of the Rangers. One frustrating thing about this book, because of its age, most of the books mentioned in the brief bibliography are long out of print and nearly impossible to find. Utley's book being far more recent (2202) contains numerous resources that are more available for further study.

Please don't consider that a knock on this valuable book, however, as much of what is provided here is quite detailed of major events. Webb gives a good account of many specific events in Ranger history and a good narrative of the Ranger's role in shaping the Texas frontier.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com

In his forward to this book former President Lyndon Johnson describes the American West not so much a place as it is a symbol, a symbol of America's confidence that on beyond the moment, on beyond the present terrain, the world will be brighter, the future better. This is the story of a group of Texas men who sought to fulfill those words.

Originally written in 1935, this is the book upon which most other works on the Texas Rangers are based. Unfortunately, the real story of the Texas Rangers, i.e., the unsanitized version, is not here. According to the author the records of the early years were destroyed by not one but two fires. As a result, this book, like most others, can only do its best to cover the origin of the Rangers up to the Civil War. This portion of Ranger history, the more juicy and flamboyant portion of the Ranger story, is limited but there is a sufficiency to leave a very good taste of what the early rangers were all about, defending the early Texas frontier against the Indians and Mexico. However, with records since the Civil War abundant, the story thickens up quite a bit as it moves into the era of the Wild West and the twentieth century. Along the way we see the Rangers transition from a frontier paramilitary force to a more formalized constabulary.

This is quite a good work about the early Texas guardians who were as indifferent to the lives of their enemies as their enemies were to the lives of the people the Rangers defended. It is a shame the early story has been lost to time and memory. But maybe it is better that way.

Full of stories of heroes and bad guys, this is a book you can read to your kids and enjoy it as much yourself. If you want to know about the sometimes brutal history of Texas, and the brave men who made our state a safer place to live, this is THE BOOK to read on the rangers.

Excellent overview of the history of the Texas Rangers from their beginnings to around 1935 (approximately 100 years). I had read some other books about specific periods first and decided I really should have started with this one.

Dr. Webb's account about the Texas Ranger, should spark an interest to the reader's love for Texas History. His account of people's down to earth lives is so remarkable that even President Lyndon B Johnson foward the work. Money well spent. I will add it to the western section of my personal library.

W.P. Webb's history of the Texas Rangers is an excellent example of the 1935 society in which it was written. It is not a "complete" history of the Rangers (through '35), but the facts that he includes are mostly sound. The format is a bit encyclopedic, but Mr. Webb's narration is always beautiful.

The interesting aspect of the book is the facts that Mr. Webb leaves out. While the racist aspects of the Rangers' exploits, expecially during the Mexican War, were well known to contemporary historians, Mr. Webb does not include this part of Ranger history in his volume. Even so, the book is an enlightening read to anyone who can keep in mind that it is not the whole truth.

This is the definitive history of the Texas Rangers. If you are a history buff and from Texas, this is a must read. I take if off the shelf every 2-3 years and read it again.

It arrived timely and in excellent condition - a wonderful read - I love it!