The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 106, July 2002 - April, 2003 Page: 468
675 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
If Vaqueros, Cowboys, and Buckaroos has a central point, it is that the Spanish in-
fluence on ranching in the western United States was a monumental one. Al-
most every aspect of stock-handling gear and techniques-in Texas especially
but in California and the Great Basin also-can be traced to the vaqueros out of
Mexico. Clayton, in maintaining what to most cow people is obvious, discusses
and criticizes the writings of Terry Jordan on the subject of ranching (pp.
68-72). Agreeing with the work of Richard Slatta and other historians, Clayton
says that there is "doubt as to the validity of some ofJordan's conclusions, and in
some cases he is just wrong" (p. 70). As I tried to emphasize in Los Mestenos
(1986), Clayton confirms that "the deepest debt of gratitude for the origin of
Texas ranching goes to the Spanish-Mexican influence" (p. 72). But Clayton also
acknowledges the contributions to the industry made by Anglo breeders and by
cowpokes of different ethnic/cultural groups. This makes Vaqueros, Cowboys, and
Buckaroos a well-balanced study of ranching past and present
Footnotes are not provided and are not needed here. Dusty trails have been
traveled to reach the men who are the experts at what they do. We learn from
them firsthand about the life of cowboys and can sense their pride at being cen-
taurs of the mountain valleys, open plains, and brush country. Practically every-
thing worth knowing about their style of life and their profession is covered in
this book. It is a worthy addition to Southwestern bookselves and an enjoyable
read. The coauthors dedicate it to the memory of Lawrence Clayton (1938-
2ooo), a man whose knowledge of ranching in Texas from ground level will be
sorely missed.
Austin JACK JACKSON
Texas Flags. By Robert MaberryJr. (College Station: Texas A&M University Press,
2002. Pp. ix+198. Illustrations, maps, foreword, preface, notes, bibliogra-
phy, index. ISBN 1-58544-151-15. $50.00, cloth.)
This full-color, oversized, and lavishly illustrated book takes a look at flags
used by Texans from the Mexican period of our history to World War II. Apart
from the photographs of flags in the text, there is a plate section of thirty-two
flags at the rear of the book. Numerous other flags are shown as colored draw-
ings by Anne McLaughlin's Blue Lake Design of Dickinson, Texas. Altogether,
Texas Flags is a visual feast and will be much appreciated by those interested in
how the Lone Star banner evolved through time.
Robert Maberry Jr.'s text follows this evolution and is laced with quotes from
eyewitnesses who described various flags in the early days. His running historical
treatment is a welcome guide to the episodes where these flags were used. Of
particular interest is the author's discussion of flags that flew at the Alamo and at
Goliad during the revolution (pp. 25-32). Maberry postulates that the Mexican
"1824" tricolor was not an Alamo flag (pp. 11-12), and thinks that the flag sup-
posedly described by David Crockett in his bogus Exploits diary "should not be
dismissed as an outright fabrication" (pp. 31-32). None of this speculation will
put the debate to rest, despite Maberry's bold contention that "the true flag of468
January
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 106, July 2002 - April, 2003, periodical, 2003; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101223/m1/536/?rotate=90: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.