Recollections of Old Texas Days - 1827-1861

"The best of all books dealing with..."

"Having fleeced off the flesh of the dead Comanche, they borrowed a big wash kettle from Puss Webber, into which they put the Comanche meat, together with a lot of corn and potatoes - the most revolting mess my eyes ever rested on."

That's the start of Noah Smithwick's account of a Tonkawa cannibal feast. He saw that and a whole lot more.

• He held Jim Bowie's original knife in his hand...and made him a new one.
• He put the Gonzales cannon in working order, put wheels on it and hitched it to a team of longhorns.
• He was a blacksmith, Texas Ranger, and even lived among the Comanches.
• He knew Bowie...and Austin...and Houston. Travis...Burnet...and Borden. He even met Davy Crockett when he passed through Bastrop, headed for the Alamo.

And that's maybe ten percent of what's recorded in his memoir.

But Smithwick doesn't just tell you about the big events. He also records how people talked, what they ate, wore and how they had fun.

J. Frank Dobie pronounced it, "The best of all books dealing with early life in Texas." Coming from the man who literally wrote the book on Texas history books, there is no higher praise.

If the "Best of all books dealing with early life in Texas," sounds like something you want in your library, go ahead and place your order.