The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 87, July 1983 - April, 1984 Page: 109
468 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Book Reviews
about the region of his birth found in the "national archives, military
and county records, newspaper files and the writings, both published
and unpublished, of many of the pioneers."
The southwestern frontier of Texas is the subject of an extensive
literature, including at least two monographs on Fort Davis, the major
army post in the trans-Pecos region, and a work by Ron C. Tyler,
The Big Bend, which incidentally is subtitled A History of the Last
Texas Frontier. Nonetheless, as a source of information about the
southwestern quadrant of Texas in the latter half of the nineteenth
century, Williams's Texas' Last Frontier makes a significant contribu-
tion to the literature of the Lone Star State.
Regrettably, the rich lode of information mined by the author has
not been skillfully synthesized. The narrative is marred by long and
unnecessary digressions, and the work lacks a coherent conceptual
framework. Despite editorial assistance from Ernest Wallace, Horn
Professor of History, Emeritus, at Texas Tech University, Williams
failed to discriminate between the trivial and the meaningful. The
work is cluttered by unimportant names, biographies, and asides that
impede the story the author is attempting to relate. The trans-Pecos
frontier has an exciting and colorful history, but Williams's book
strips much of that color and excitement and makes what should be
a joyful reading experience a dull chore. One wonders what the edi-
torial staff at Texas A8cM University Press was doing when this manu-
script was being prepared for publication. Anyone with the most
casual acquaintance with William Strunk and E. B. White's Elements
of Style should have been able to tighten and streamline the narrative.
Northeastern State University BRAD AGNEW
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Six Months from Tennessee. By Skipper Steely. (Wolfe City, Tex.:
Henington Publishing Co., 1982. Pp. ix+ 184. Acknowledgments,
maps, illustrations, appendix, index. $30.)
This book tells the story of Claiborne Wright (1779-1829) and his
relatives and friends who lived in Old Miller County, Arkansas. It
may perhaps be described as a life-and-times account, with some at-
tention to genealogy. Since most of the narrative is concerned in one
way or another with the original Miller County, whose boundaries in-
cluded portions of present southeastern Oklahoma and and north-
eastern Texas and whose existence was complicated by the uncertain109
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 87, July 1983 - April, 1984, periodical, 1983/1984; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117150/m1/129/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.