Free Downloads Texas: A Historical Atlas
For twenty years the Historical Atlas of Texas stood as a trusted resource for students and aficionados of the state. Now this key reference has been thoroughly updated and expanded—and even rechristened. Texas: A Historical Atlas more accurately reflects the Lone Star State at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Its 86 entries feature 175 newly designed maps—more than twice the number in the original volume—illustrating the most significant aspects of the state’s history, geography, and current affairs. The heart of the book is its wealth of historical information. Sections devoted to indigenous peoples of Texas and its exploration and settlement offer more than 45 entries with visual depictions of everything from the routes of Spanish explorers to empresario grants to cattle trails. In another 31 articles, coverage of modern and contemporary Texas takes in hurricanes and highways, power plants and population trends. Practically everything about this atlas is new. All of the essays have been updated to reflect recent scholarship, while more than 30 appear for the first time, addressing such subjects as the Texas Declaration of Independence, early roads, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Texas-Oklahoma boundary disputes, and the tideland oil controversy. A dozen new entries for “Contemporary Texas” alone chart aspects of industry, agriculture, and minority demographics. Nearly all of the expanded essays are accompanied by multiple maps—everyone in full color. The most comprehensive, state-of-the-art work of its kind, Texas: A Historical Atlas is more than just a reference. It is a striking visual introduction to the Lone Star State.
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press; Reprint edition (July 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080614307X
ISBN-13: 978-0806143071
Product Dimensions: 9 x 1 x 12 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #153,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #50 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Historical Maps #279 in Books > Reference > Atlases & Maps > United States #498 in Books > Travel > Reference > Atlases & Maps
The colorful new atlas, which aims to supplant a popular one published in 1990 by the same author, seems to have it all. It's also prettier.Step back through the decades and you see the strengths in its graphical presentations, the data often mapped by county. The dwindling of farms, from their peak in 1900 to the present paucity. The dramatic rise in urban populations and extension of the railroads---including a photo of a train crossing the dramatic Pecos High Bridge, built in 1882. Major aquifers, native-plant regions, and dates and locations of the worst tornadoes. Go back farther and, well, how about the distribution of slaves in 1850 and again in 1861? A lot fewer than you might think.There are weaknesses. The modern distribution of cattle, of all things, notably does not include (the fact is noted but the reason left unstated), the numbers of cows in the miles-long industrial feedlots of the Panhandle.As has been said, coffee-table books are supposed to be pretty and not controversial. By that measure it's not surprising the atlas is less informative the closer it gets to its publication date. For one, illegal immigration from Mexico (the politically-correct phrase "undocumented workers" is used) is dismissed as merely "producing much rhetoric." Hundreds of thousands of people a year swamping schools, emergency rooms and charities and increasing the danger on highways is more than rhetoric.No, most of the strengths are in the past, with special maps and diagrams for Mexican Texas, the early explorers from 1519, the grants of the empresarios and major early roads, the Texas Revolution. The modern section is eclectic: mapping nuclear and coal-fired power plants, the lumber industry, distribution of major crops, colleges and universities, and ethnic and racial groups by county.All-in-all, and despite the faults, an invaluable reference work. One only wonders why it's not published by a Texas press.
As a Texan, I have to say that this is one of the most complete book on Texas I have found. It has everything: a little history, a lot of beautiful maps, topography , and pictures. You can't go wrong with this book.
If you have people who like to argue with you about Texas history this is a great resource. A great book for students as well. It is something that you can reach back to for years to come. With so much false information out there this tends to set things straight. A very interesting and surprisingly complete research tool.
Texas A Historical Atlas, by Ray Stephens, is an ideal "read" to achieve a comprehensive understanding of Texas under six flags. Professor Stephens is an experienced and expert college teacher, and this book is the seminal work of his distinguished career. By using the ever changing map of Texas to aid in telling the historical "story", Professor Stephens enables the reader to understand how geography was, is now, and will continue to be the determining factor in the destiny of Texas. People all over the world recognize the map of Texas when they can not recognize a map of France or Iran. This book will help you understand why.
Wow! The best single survey of all that is Texas. The book is larger than I expected and the maps and illustrations are superb. The chapters provide a great overview of an impressive range of topics. The maps and illustrations are a valuable supplemental reference for even the most knowledgeable Texas History buffs. This book is also a great starting point for those beginning the study of Texas history as each chapter is a great launching point for further research.
I bought this book as a present for my Father, a Texan, and he LOVES it. It has so much interesting information in it and is organized in a very user friendly format. I WILL buy on for myself for sure. I wish it was a hardback but that's just a preference.
Need one for myself now. Many great historical maps showing places I have heard about from my grandparents and parents but are no longer around.
The best single reference on Texas that I have ever read. Worth every penny. This book will give you a great big picture view of Texas History from the very beginning of human habitation up until the present era. Illustrated extremely well. I read a piece of it every day.
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