Larry McMurtry and the West: An Ambivalent Relationship

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This is the first major single-authored book in almost twenty years to examine the life and work of Texas' foremost novelist and to develop coherent patterns of theme, structure, symbol, imagery, and influence in Larry McMurtry's work. The study focuses on the novelist's relationship to the Southwest, theorizing that his writing exhibits a deep ambivalence toward his home territory. The course of his career demonstrates shifting attitudes that have led him toward, away from, and then back again to his home place and the "cowboy god" that dominates its mythology. The book utilizes original materials from five library special collections, as well as interviews with McMurtry, his family and his friends such as Ken Kesey.
Date: May 1995
Creator: Busby, Mark
System: The UNT Digital Library
1941: Texas Goes to War (open access)

1941: Texas Goes to War

This book is a collection of essays discussing the role of Texans in World War II. It examines both the Texas soldiers fighting in the European and Pacific theaters as well as the Texans on the Homefront. The essays describe both the military and social aspects of the war. Index starts on page 241.
Date: 1991
Creator: Lee, James Ward; Barnes, Carolyn N.; Bowman, Kent A. & Crow, Laura
System: The UNT Digital Library
In the Line of Duty: Reflections of a Texas Ranger Private (open access)

In the Line of Duty: Reflections of a Texas Ranger Private

This book contains a series of anecdotes about Lewis Rigler's life, focusing on his time as a law enforcement officer in Texas. He discusses his life growing up, various cases that he worked on as a Texas Ranger, and general observations that he gained from his job. Index starts on page 181.
Date: 1995
Creator: Rigler, Lewis C., 1914- & Rigler, Judyth Wagner
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Cowgirls

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An important chapter in the history and folklore of the West is how women on the cattle frontier took their place as equal partners with men. The cowboy may be our most authentic folk hero, but the cowgirl is right on his heels. This Spur Award winning book fills a void in the history of the cowgirl. While Susan B. Anthony and her hoop-skirted friends were declaring that females too were created equal, Sally Skull was already riding and roping and marking cattle with her Circle S brand on the frontier of Texas. Wearing rawhide bloomers and riding astride, she thought nothing of crossing the border into Mexico, unchaperoned, to pursue her career as a horse trader. In Colorado, Cassie Redwine rounded up her cowboys and ambushed a group of desperadoes; Ann Bassett, also of Colorado, backed down a group of men who tried to force her off the open range. In Montana, Susan Haughian took on the United States government in a dispute over some grazing rights, and the government got the short end of the stick. Susan McSween carried on an armed dispute between ranchers in New Mexico and the U.S. Army, and other interested citizens; and in …
Date: January 15, 1990
Creator: Roach, Joyce Gibson
System: The UNT Digital Library
Benjamin Capps and the South Plains: A Literary Relationship (open access)

Benjamin Capps and the South Plains: A Literary Relationship

Book discussing the life and work of author Benjamin Capps, organized into sections based on categories of his work: Capps the Man, the Anglo Novels, the Indian Novels, the historical Nonfiction, and the Writer on His Craft. Index starts on page 189.
Date: 1990
Creator: Clayton, Lawrence
System: The UNT Digital Library
The WPA Dallas Guide and History (open access)

The WPA Dallas Guide and History

This book gives an overview of the city of Dallas, Texas including statistics about the people and businesses as well as background information regarding the government, businesses, and social aspects of the city. The book also gives information about tourism and points of interest in the city and in Dallas County. Index starts on page 421.
Date: 1992
Creator: Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the City of Dallas
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Best of Texas Folk and Folklore: 1916-1954 (open access)

The Best of Texas Folk and Folklore: 1916-1954

This volume of the Publications of the Texas Folklore Society contains information about folklore in Texas and Mexico, including folk songs and ballads, ghost stories, Mexican animal tales, sermons, stories about games and celebrations, folklore of Texas plants, and information about folk remedies. The index begins on page 349.
Date: 1998
Creator: Texas Folklore Society
System: The Portal to Texas History
A Book Lover in Texas (open access)

A Book Lover in Texas

This autobiographical text discusses Evelyn Oppenheimer's role as a reader and book reviewer in Texas. The book discusses both her life and opinions regarding books and various topics. A selection of her poetry and one of her short stories ("The Green Conscience") are also included. Index starts on page 153.
Date: 1995
Creator: Oppenheimer, Evelyn, 1907-
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Bounty of Texas (open access)

The Bounty of Texas

This volume of the Publications of the Texas Folklore Society contains a miscellany of Texas, Mexican and Spanish folklore, including information about hunting, canning, cooking, and other folklore. The index begins on page 225.
Date: 1990
Creator: Abernethy, Francis Edward
System: The UNT Digital Library

A Sniper in the Tower: the Charles Whitman Murders

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On August 1, 1966, Charles Joseph Whitman ascended the University of Texas Tower and committed what was then the largest simultaneous mass murder in American history. He gunned down forty-five people inside and around the Tower before he was killed by two Austin police officers. During the previous evening he had killed his wife and mother, bringing the total to sixteen people dead and at least thirty-one wounded. The murders spawned debates over issues which still plague America today: domestic violence, child abuse, drug abuse, military indoctrination, the insanity defense, and the delicate balance between civil liberties and public safety. "An outstanding job of chronicling one of the most significant cases in the annals of American crime. . . . Lavergne skillfully researched, documented, and analyzed a case that in many ways defined the concept of ‘mass murder’ . . . will likely become a classic in anyone’s library of true crime editions."--James Alan Fox, Dean of Criminal Justice, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, and an authority on mass murder
Date: March 15, 1997
Creator: Lavergne, Gary M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Personal Correspondence of Sam Houston, Volume 1: 1839-1845 (open access)

The Personal Correspondence of Sam Houston, Volume 1: 1839-1845

This book is the first in a series of four volumes and contains collected correspondence to and from Sam Houston. According to information on the inside front cover, it includes letters "between Sam Houston and his wife, and their letters to other family members, family physicians, and close personal friends." The letters include footnotes that give clarification and context. The volume also has a bibliography, appendix, and index (which starts on page 377).
Date: 1996
Creator: Roberts, Madge Thornall
System: The UNT Digital Library

Bad Boy From Rosebud: the Murderous Life of Kenneth Allen Mcduff

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In October of 1989, the State of Texas set Kenneth Allen McDuff, the Broomstick Murderer, free on parole. By choosing to murder again, McDuff became the architect of an extraordinarily intolerant atmosphere in Texas. The spasm of prison construction and parole reforms—collectively called the “McDuff Rules”—resulted from an enormous display of anger vented towards a system that allowed McDuff to kill, and kill again. Bad Boy from Rosebud is a chilling account of the life of one of the most heartless and brutal serial killers in American history. Gary M. Lavergne goes beyond horror into an analysis of the unbelievable subculture in which McDuff lived. Equally compelling are the lives of remarkable law enforcement officers determined to bring McDuff to justice, and their seven-year search for his victims. “Texas still feels the pain inflicted by Kenneth Allen McDuff, despite the relentless efforts of law enforcement officials to solve his crimes and bind up its wounds. Bad Boy from Rosebud is an impeccably researched, compellingly detailed account of the crimes and the long search for justice. Gary Lavergne takes us directly to the scenes of the crimes, deep inside the mind of a killer, and in the process learns not only …
Date: July 15, 1999
Creator: Lavergne, Gary M.
System: The UNT Digital Library

900 Miles on the Butterfield Trail

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“Remember, boys, nothing on God's earth must stop the United States mail!” said John Butterfield to his drivers. Short as the life of the Southern Overland Mail turned out to be (1858 to 1861), the saga of the Butterfield Trail remains a high point in the westward movement. A. C. Greene offers a history and guide to retrace that historic and romantic Trail, which stretches 2800 miles from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast. “A fine mix of past and present to appeal to scholar and lay reader alike.”—Robert M. Utley, author of The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull
Date: November 15, 1994
Creator: Greene, A.C.
System: The UNT Digital Library