Early in the year 1854 Frederick Law Olmsted; a young New England journalist; crossed the Louisiana border and set off on horseback into the teeth of the Texas winter. In A Journey through Texas he recounts his travels along the Old San Antonio Road through East Texas' piney woods; the dry prairies further west; the chaparral of South Texas; the coastal prairies; and the rich bottomlands around Houston and Galveston. Olmsted does not romanticize the discomforts of his trip—the monotonous food; crude housing; wet and dry northers; rough companions—yet his book reflects a sense of limitless possibility for this new and open country. The cultured Easterner remembers in relentless detail the squalor and brutality met with in parts of East Texas; but he writes fondly of the civility and cleanliness of the German settlements around New Braunfels. In his introductory "A Letter to a Southern Friend;" omitted in earlier reprints; Olmsted sets forth his views opposing the extension of slavery into the West and promoting free-soil agriculture for frontier states. The remarkably versatile Olmsted is best known as the founder of landscape architecture in America and for works including Central Park and Stanford University. In his Foreword; Larry McMurtry calls A Journey through Texas an "intelligent; lively; readable book; packed with keen observation and lightened by a delicate strain of humor."
#5289135 in Books 1999-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 6.75 x 1.00l; #File Name: 0292704860232 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. High marks for Flames After Midnight.By ~doc"The cycles of existence are odd. particularly for those of us experiencing them for the first tme that we recall.This year; 2012; tracks the days of the weeks of the events in Kirvin 90 years ago--the 4th is Friday; etc."MA ...On my third reading of Flames After Midnight by Monte Akers; I find it more facinating with each read. All information about the characters come to life; with familiarization. All reasoning; and lack there of...come to lite as i become familiar with the timing of the emotions set into play with each event that starts a chain reaction of mob rule. The same exists today with modern times events unraveling showing human emotion taking over - over reasoning and fair deliberation. Actions in the heat of moments- taking over due process of law. Will we never learn ? Admittedly; most of us do abide by the law. It is not a martial law state of the union yet. Yet. *this book should be required reading for all public and private schools; open discussion-forums on due process; and how things could have been done different. Or not. Perhaps dealing with circumstances as presented in this form; in this historical time...can only make us examine ourselves. Had i been there-how could i have made a difference in the writing of this tale of vengence; hatred; envy; and every other human emotion that one can think of. All are part of the story of Eula Ausley King; the alledged vengence of a white family; it's chain reaction on all the other people in town-be it white-black-and mixed; a town; and county; Texas state; the country; and then; the world. Is a ripple in the water felt on the other side of the earth? answer: Like a tsunami! 05-04-22. God bless you Eula King. Time only amplifies your heartbreaking demise. Most of all ... thankyou Monte Akers.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. This will make you weepBy Martha FailingOh the horror--the horror. And it's true. If you are interested in Texas history; read this.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is not a book to love..By Peggy WrightBecause my husband was a longtime newsman and we lived in the area where the murder and ensuing events happened; we had a special interest in this book and felt the author made every effort to be complete and accurate in his chronicling of 'justice' carried out by the community. This is not a book to love...it is a book of apparent historical accuracy of tragic times in Freestone County; Texas. The author obviously researched his subject well.
