A biography of the rancher and Texas folk hero whose comic gifts were an inspiration for the song "Let's Go to Luckenbach, Texas."

Braiding strands of earthen insight with uproarious storytelling, Texas Hill Country legendary author Becky Patterson recreates the history of the Steiler Hill Ranch in twenty-four anecdotal chapters interspersed with original artwork. The result is a mixture of memoir and montage, treasure chest and tableau vivant of a world that’s beautiful, brash, and wonderfully heartbreaking. Patterson -- the daughter of Texas folk hero and self-proclaimed mayor of Luckenbach, Hondo Crouch -- has big shoes to fill and she does so successfully in this colorful collection of Hill Country and Texas ranch vignettes. Foreman and general cowboy guru Raymond Kuhlmann tells stories of the Goat King and German drinking songs, the buzzard traps and Mexican corridos that filled the nighttime pastures. First-person accounts and vivid historical narratives evoke the ranch’s past, overlaid with Patterson’s breathless personal histories of afternoons spent rescuing a doe in a nightgown, or saving a porcupine from a pack of dogs. This is a book that will connect you to whatever patch of earth you hold dear. It is poignant reminder of the landscapes we’ve forgotten to keep close, of the land that does not belong to us but simply is who we are. The Ranch That Was Us is an affectionate reminder to go outside and touch the earth that is you.

"The indefatigable T. Lindsay Baker has now turned his enormous mental and physical energies to the subject and has brought to view - if not to life -eighty-six Texas ghost towns for the reader's pleasure. Baker lists three criteria for inclusion: tangible remains, public access, and statewide coverage. In each case Baker comments about the town's founding, its former significance, and the reasons for its decline. There are maps and instructions for reaching each site and numerous photographs showing the past and present status of each. The contemporary photos were taken, in most instances, by Baker himself, who proves as adept a photographer as he is researcher and writer....Baker has done his work thoroughly and well, within limits imposed by necessity. He obviously had fun in the process and it shows in his prose."---New Mexico Historical Review

Based on the real-life events of Jacob Brodbeck, WINGS OVER LUCKENBACH, takes the reader on a journey of Brodbeck's life-long quest to construct and fly an air ship in 1865. As he confronts the obstacles of human flight, he is aided by his loyal brother, Johann. Leaving Germany for the freedom-loving republic of Texas, the brothers endure a treacherous ocean crossing before arriving in Galveston, Texas, in 1846. The harsh and rugged conditions of the Texas frontier force them to learn survival skills before inventor/teacher Jacob can explore his newly found dream of conquering human flight. From the Texas coastline encampment of Indianola to the settlements of Fredericksburg and Luckenbach, the brothers face the daunting task of building homes and schools while contending with the ever present danger of the Comanche Indians and roving outlaws. Love and the loss of love test the fiber of these men's souls as Jacob, aided by Johann's support, steadfastly believes God's calling on his life to bring flight to mankind.

Jan Reid revitalizes his classic look at the Austin music scene in substantially reworked chapters that include musicians and musical currents from all over Texas that have significantly contributed to the delightful convergence of popular cultures in Austin.

A collection of Courtney's columns from the Texas Monthly, curing the curious, exorcizing bedevilment, and orienting the disoriented, advising "on such things as: Is it wrong to wear your football team's jersey to church? When out at a dancehall, do you need to stick with the one that brung ya? Is it real Tex-Mex if it's served with a side of black beans? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos?"--Amazon.com.