31 is a collection of stories by Lawrence Clayton. Clayton, author of many books about ranches in Texas, tells his favorite stories about ranches and cowboys in the West Texas area, particularly in Shackleford and Throckmorton counties. It is a good collection, particularly to those who are interested in the history of Albany, Texas, and the cowboy culture that still exists there.

I purchased this book for my high school's library and it has proven to be very popular. We also have many of Rosen's other titles and they all have been an important assett to us.

This book has received an Award of Excellence from the 2001 Southern Books Competition. "The austere black and white Contemporary Ranches of Texas with its barbed-wire rule and powerfully understated photographs captures the essence of Texas." Congratulations to the author and photographer, designer Ellen McKie and the University of Texas Press.

This work is a complete collection of chronicles for the De Soto expedition into La Florida (which is most of the south-east USA). Due to the fact that this work comprises two volumes of almost 600 pages each, I have so far only read volume II which is the complete account "La Florida" by Garcilaso de la Vega. Following others (including the Narvaez expedition that de Vaca relates) De Soto went into Florida to find gold and eventually settle the new land. Garcilaso used one captain from the expedition as his source and is a great storyteller, claiming his abhorrence of exaggerating the contents, much of it is told with the heroic chivalry and noble virtue of the times, whether speaking of Spaniards or Indians, and always some purposeful enthusiasm. If all you know of De Soto is that he was the first to see the Mississippi, that doesn't begin to say anything about what happens during the expedition, and even to the way those who were on it considered it afterwards. It shows also the real nature of the natives, showing great differences in their treatment of the Spanish, their use of slavery, and the brutatilty they showed towards other tribes. (Not as placid as Las Casas would have you believe). Also describing the native cultures and life-styles to some degree. All wonderful and interesting stories. The volumes contain some maps and black and white illustrations. Volume I contains all the other existant accounts including the more historical one by the Gentleman of Elvas. Well worth the price.

This book is a great way to introduce Modern Latin America. The authors provide a wealth of information and present it all in an engaging narrative style. The text is ideal for college courses on Latin America or for anyone who wants to understand the Latin American and Caribbean countries with whom the U.S. shares a hemisphere.

Briefly, I have been looking for a good non-Microsoft book that will offer a critical review of their latest OS - Win95. I had a client with a number of problems after an upgrade and I found the answers immediatly when I looked in the index. I then looked for other odd index topics and found reference to all of them. Other books, including MS Press titles, did not have reference or at least the depth that this book did. Buy it. Greg Barry

Having just finished The Vengeance Trail of Josey Wales I will soon begin to read Gone To Texas. Carter portrays the Missouri Bushwackers and American Indians in a sympathetic light without the syrupy romanticism of Political Correctness. The Old West slang helps the reader get into the mindset of the previous Century. I strongly encourage this book -- and unlike the movie --the chess pieces do not fall into place with a tidy resolution.

This book tells two consecutive stories about Josey Wales that take place right after the War for Southern Independence, a period of time about which I did not have a lot of previous information. The first is a story about individualism and government abuse of those individual who don't fit the mold or have no use for the "services" that a government longs to provide. The second is more of a pure western and a vengence tale after some of Josey's friends are murdered. Although he'll kill a man in a second if he's crossed, you can't help but admire his character and courage. I've lent this book to three of my friends and they all tell me that the book was great. Overall, a very enjoyable read, expecially if you're not a big government lover.

I'd rank this one right below Owen Wister's The Virginian on my own list of all-time greatest westerns. If I'd read this book two years ago my son would've been named Josey Wales Lambert. Every Southerner, no, every American should read it, digest it, and live by the same code. Yeeeha!

Give me fifty Marines not afraid to die is a book written from the guts of a modern warrior. Obviously Lt. Wells is not a writer, he is a Soldier. He has been a Soldier and he always will be one, no matter what he do to earn his life.
We are presented with the shocking story of Iwo Jima battle seen with the eyes (the soul I'll better say) of a front line combat Marine. Wells let us share his feelings from the time he is still a college student, how he decide to be a Marine in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, his life at Boots Camp, Paratroop training, Guadalcanal experience, more training at the States and finally through all the rugged strife of Iwo Jima.
This book is a very straightforward account of a teenager evolving into hardened young soldier ready to give his life for his Country. At the same time gives the reader an inkling of the historical period, its values, ideals and expectations. Also pictures the life style of the Marines Corp, its written and unwritten codes, language, ethics, training, etc.
Every word in this book sounds true and without ornament. A must read for any WWII buff.

I have known the author for over thirty years. He is man of integrity and courage. This book took several years for him to complete due to its personal nature. His dedication to the Corps, his men and his mission are obvious in every chapter. I am proud to have him as a friend. Read this book!!!

This is one of the best memoirs I've read about the battle for Iwo Jima and ranks right up there with the best from the Pacific War. It's style is akin to Eugene Sledge's "With the Old Breed", only from an officer's perspective. As with Sledge's book, Wells' book is very readable. In fact, I was fascinated and found it very hard to put down. Wells starts off with a taste of his experiences of the battle to wet our appetites and then shifts to the early years of his preparations and various trainings that led him to that place. These are the sections in many other memoirs that I find somewhat ho-hum or lackluster. I usually find myself wanting to get on to the 'action' and combat experience. Not so with Wells' book! His story telling ability held my attention and his vivid descriptions of the personalities in his unit made the battle scenes (where you find out what happened to each of these young men) more poignant. Even though his time in battle was limited (due to wounds) there is still a wealth of information rich in detail pertaining to this campaign. Taken along with Richard Wheeler's "The Bloody Battle for Suribachi", Wells' book provides a fascinating insider's view of the experiences of his unit (Wheeler was a corporal under Wells). This book is a must-read for students of this campaign!

The idea behind this book is very good. A comparative history of vaqueros, cowboys and buckaroos is needed. These three groups share much in common but they are nevertheless historically distinct. I was hoping to understand the uniquess of each experience by learning about the common threads that tie the three groups together.

Unfortunately, the authors were not up to task. The authors are amateurs who share a great love for the subject. Unfortunately, there is large chasm between an enthusiast and a professional author. Sadly,the writing and analysis was weak. While reading the book, I wanted them to succeed but in the end, this was a book written by enthusiasts. This book only proves that gifted amateurs are a rare bird.

This book is all you could hope for in the truth about vaqueros, cowboys, and buckaroos. These authors have done a wonderful job compiling all the true facts about these three similar, but not exactly a-like groups. This a must for anyone ineretsed in expanding your knoweleg. It is perfect for research or just fun. I would never part with my copy, and I wish I could have owned it sooner. Don't waste your time with other more falshy books, this is the only one you'll need.

This the most comprehensive collection of Vaquero, cowboy and buckaroo history. Comparing in equal page length the diffrences and similarities of each group of horsemen. This is a wonderful book. I can't recomend it highly enough. It is perfect for research work or just to expand you knowlege. It is amust have for any person who enjoys the thruth behind the mythic cowboy. Wonderfuly complete, not a thing left out in this book. I don't know how I survived without it. Comgradualtions to the authors on such a complete job.