The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 94, July 1990 - April, 1991 Page: 629

Book Revzews

The same limitations hold for the descriptions of the archival hold-
ings of the various Texas depositories. For these sixteen essays, the edi-
tors chose the director or person in charge of the facilities, with Alvin
Bailey, Jr., the coeditor of the book, briefly surveying those libraries
omitted in the specific entry category. Here, too, there was much infor-
mation pushed into a scant space that will give to an unsophisticated
researcher some hint of what each depository or library contains.
This reviewer, then, recommends the guide to libraries and refer-
ence staffs. Teachers should send their students to consult it as a handy
place to quickly survey the literature and to find addresses and brief
descriptions of library holdings. The cost of the book precludes its use
in most Texas history classes, and its conciseness will discourage its pur-
chase by most individuals.
Texas A&M University ROBERT A. CALVERT
Texas: A Modern History. By David G. McComb. (Austin: University of
Texas Press, 1989. Pp. 197. Preface, references, index, maps, pho-
tos. $24.95, cloth; $12.95, paper.)
The History of Texas. By Robert A. Calvert and Arnoldo De Le6n. (Ar-
lington Heights, Ill.: Harlan Davidson, Inc., 1990. Pp. viii+479.
Preface, index, appendix, photos, maps. $32.95, cloth; $21.95,
paper.)
For a reviewer the task of discussing two books can often be a difficult
problem caused by the unevenness of the material, the depth of re-
search, and the quality of writing. But such is not the case in regard to
Texas: A Modern History and The History of Texas. The authors, besides
being accomplished scholars, have demonstrated once again under-
standing and expertise of their subject. And they have done so in an
extremely readable fashion.
In Texas: A Modern History, David McComb of Colorado State Univer-
sity, who has written impressive urban biographies of Galveston and
Houston, presents an overview of Texas from the earliest inhabitants to
the present, a broad sweep of the historian's brush rather than a de-
tailed picture. Although discussing the different periods of Texas his-
tory, McComb "wishes to probe into the ethos of a people, taste the
unique flavor of the culture, and experience the rhythm of develop-
ment" (preface). In his emphasis on Texas in the twentieth century, he
enriches his study with anecdotes, folklore, and historical events, espe-
cially reflecting his former research in South and East Texas. In a con-
cluding chapter he examines the Texas mystique, which adds merit to
an already creditable work.

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