In 1892, Bryan Mealer's great-grandfather leaves the Georgia mountains and heads west into Texas, looking for wealth and adventure in the raw and open country. But his luck soon runs out. Beset by drought, the family loses their farm just as the dead pastures around them give way to one of the biggest oil booms in American history.

Here is a unique look at the dynamics of the interplay between Spain, Mexico, the United States and the Republic of Texas governments, heavily illustrated with maps, flags, & portraits.

Bestselling author Bryan Burrough's spellbinding chronicle of Texas oil Weaving together the multigenerational sagas of the industry's four wealthiest families, Burrough brings to life the men known in their day as the Big Four: Roy Cullen, H. L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Sid Richardson, all swaggering Texas oil tycoons who owned sprawling ranches and mingled with presidents and Hollywood stars. Seamlessly charting their collective rise and fall,...

"The astonishing story of Benny Binion-a rip-roaring saga of murder, money, and the making of Las Vegas Benny Binion was many things: a cowboy, a pioneering casino owner, a gangster, a killer, and founder of the hugely successful World Series of Poker. Blood Aces tells the story of Binion's crucial role in shaping modern Las Vegas. From a Texas backwater, Binion rose to prominence on a combination of vision, determination, and brutal expediency....

"From the murder of French explorer La Salle to the impressive career of the state's first female black senator, It Happened in Texas looks at intriguing people and episodes from the history of the Lone Star State. Discover why a group of migrant farm workers marched nearly 500 miles in sweltering summer heat to meet with Texas's governor. Find out how the annexation of Texas into the United States led to the first war Americans ever fought on foreign...

Publisher Annotation: In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Texas Monthly, a collection of original essays and portraits of fifty groundbreaking Texans who have shaped the Lone Star State-and the nation-over the past half century. 288pp., 100K.

"After spending her early years in Wuhan, China, riding water buffalos and devouring stinky tofu, Laura immigrates to Texas, where her hometown is as foreign as Mars—at least until 2020, when COVID-19 makes Wuhan a household name. In Messy Roots, Laura illustrates her coming-of-age as the girl who simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter. Insightful, original, and hilarious,...

"José de la Luz Sáenz (1888-1953)--or Luz--believed in fighting for what was right. Although he was born in the United States, he and his family experienced prejudice because of their Mexican heritage. When World War I broke out, Luz volunteered to join the fight. Because of his ability to quickly learn languages, he became part of the Intelligence Office in Europe. However, despite his hard work and intellect, Luz often didn't receive credit for...