"The Robinson Crusoe of Texas." said J. Frank Dobie. "The most literate of all nineteenth-century Texas memoirs...authentic history." wrote John H. Jenkins in his "Basic Texas Books". In 1835, Texas offered young men like John C. Duval a chance for action and glory. That year he and his brother, Burr, the sons of a former governor of Florida, organized a volunteer company called the "Mustangs." Like Davy Crockett, they were fired up "to give the Texans a helping hand on the road to freedom" from Mexican rule. The first chapters of this book lead up to the Goliad Massacre, in which Burr was killed. John was luckier. After a hair-raising escape from Goliad, he wandered across the country-side, dodging the Mexicans and living by his wits. The diary that Duval kept during these exciting months was the basis for this book, which was published more than fifty years later, in 1892. In the intervening years he was a Texas Ranger known as "Texas John" and later was recognized as one of Texas's first men of letters as the author of "The Adventures of Big-Foot Wallace". A must for any Texas collector.

I've been avidly researching George Parr as a topic in political science for some time now, and I find this book very dissapointing and upsetting. This is not a history book. This book was written by a man who was personally involved in a ideological battle against George Parr, and says many things that aren't true. He obviously knew all the details from memory, because he didn't cite any sources for his information. The captions for the pictures in the book are extrememly ridiculous. A picture of a dirt road is supposed to convince readers that George Parr kept the people poor. This is silly. If you talk to anyone who lived in Duval County during that time, you will find that he took care of everyone, and everyone loved him. Duval County actually had one of the better school systems in Texas during his reign, and according to one woman "he was our Robinhood." Political scandal, yes. Humanitarian, yes. Good book, no. I hope no one believes everything they read.

This book is an outstanding journal of the "Duke of Duval"
George Parr. Parr had made his mark on history by determining
the final outcome of the 1948 Senate election in Texas. Thanks to
his efforts Lyndon Johnson emerged the winner by an 80 vote margin. This book details how George Parr was finally brought to
justice. You have details of the investigation that resulted in the sucessful prosecution of The "Duke of Duval" and several of
his associates. The details of his downfall will prove to be very
interesting. You will also understand the dominant role that the
"Duke of Duval" had in Texas politics. This is an excellent read.
You will not be dissapointed.

The Duke of Duval reigned supreme in his South Texas domain in the 1930's while I was in early school years in Corpus Christi, Texas near Duval and Jim Wells Counties. Many people knew what was going on in Duval County since businessmen from Corpus Christi, including my father Clinton E. Smith, CPA, interfaced with George Parr's regime in their normal business dealings.

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Clark, the author of The Fall of the Duke of Duval at a book signing event at the small library at San Diego, Texas on March 2, 1996. Several hundred copies were signed that day. Mr. Clark's short message was to recognize and help prevent it all from happening again. While at the event, I had occasion to talk to the current Mayor of San Diego, TX and he quietly said to me about the book, its only the tip of the iceberg.

George Berham Parr changed U.S. history by orchestrating a vote fraud that caused Lyndon B. Johnson to become a U.S. Senator and later a good candidate for Vice President with Kennedy to help get southern votes. Many Texans never thought of Johnson as presidential material and after two Kennedy terms LBJ would have been too old to run effectively.

But The Duke of Duval made it happen, leading eventually to LBJ's starting programs that today have been bloated by beltway politicians until they are about to bankrupt the country and destroy our culture.

The speech in Mr. Clark's book, delivered by Mr. Josh Groce, a San Antonio attorney, should be MUST reading for any student of history.