Lieutenants and Light provides an accurate, detailed historical study of the U.S. Army’s use of the heliograph as a tactical means of communication and command and control in the desert environment of Arizona and New Mexico in the late nineteenth century.The heliograph network in the Southwest, which began development in 1882, used mirror-based signaling devices to facilitate communication across remote outposts, forts, and detachments. Heliographs enabled...

Albert Johnson was a loner, a deadly shot, who in 1932 triggered a gruelling manhunt that has become an Arctic legend. For over six weeks, amid blizzards and numbing cold, he eluded a posse of trappers, First Nations and RCMP, who for the very first time used a two-way radio and an airplane in their search.Johnson was involved in four shoot-outs, killing one policeman and gravely wounding two other men before being shot to death. Over a half-century later, an intriguing mystery rem...

Bringing together Custer, Sherman, Grant, and other fascinating military and political figures, as well as great native leaders such as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Geronimo, this “sweeping work of narrative history” (San Francisco Chronicle) is the fullest account to date of how the West was won—and lost.After the Civil War the Indian Wars would last more than three decades, permanently altering the physical and political landscape of America. Peter Coz...

The #1 New York Times –bestselling author of The Miracle of Dunkirk tells the story of the Texans who fought Santa Anna's troops at the Battle of the Alamo."Probably the best of all Alamo accounts . . . a history which should last." — The New York Times Book ReviewLooking out over the walls of the whitewashed Alamo, sweltering ...

" A lively, enlightening history of one of the oldest, most esteemed law-enforcement agencies in America." — BooklistStarting in 1821 with just a handful of men, the Rangers' first purpose was to keep settlers safe from the feared and gruesome Karankawa Indians, a cannibalistic tribe that wandered the Texas territory. As the influx of settlers grew, the attacks increased and it became clear that a much larger, better trained force was necessary.From ...

Winner of the John Carroll Award and the G. Joseph Sills Jr. Book Award. A deeply researched work on the infamous 1876 battle, filled with new discoveries.This remarkable book synthesizes a lifetime of in-depth research into one of America's most storied disasters, the defeat of Custer's 7th Cavalry at the hands of the Sioux and Cheyenne, as well as the complete annihilation of that part of the cavalry led by Custer himself.The author, Gor...

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in HistoryA dramatic, riveting, and “fresh look at a region typically obscured in accounts of the Civil War. American history buffs will relish this entertaining and eye-opening portrait” (Publishers Weekly).Megan Kate Nelson “expands our understanding of how the Civil War affected Indigenous peoples and helped to shape the nation” (Library Journal, starred review), reframin...

Winner, T. R. Fehrenbach Book Award, Texas Historical CommissionSummerfield G. Roberts Award, Sons of the Republic of TexasHonorable Mention, Certificate of Commendation, American Association for State and Local HistoryHardly were the last shots fired at the Alamo before the Texas Revolution entered the realm of myth and controversy. French visitor Frederic Gaillardet called it a "Texian Iliad" in 1839, while American Theodore Sedgwick pronounced the ...

There were 17 Canadians present when Lieutenant-Colonel George Armstrong Custer made his last stand in the battle at Little Bighorn River in 1876. Some had served in the Civil War, some were close friends or admirers of Custer, and some were mercenaries who just wanted a job with adventure.William Winer Cooke, the scion of two prominent wealthy families in Upper Canada, became Custer's right-hand man. Mark Kellogg, a Canadian-American, was a journalist who joined the expedition by ...

The decades-long military campaign for the American West is an endlessly fascinating topic, and award-winning author Jerome A. Greene adds substantially to this genre with Indian War Veterans: Memories of Army Life and Campaigns in the West, 1864-1898. Greene's study presents the first comprehensive collection of veteran (primarily former enlisted soldiers') reminiscences. The vast majority of these writings have never before seen wide circulation. Indian War Veterans addresses soldiers' e...

The renowned historian's classic study of the Texas Ranger Division, presented with its original illustrations and a foreword by Lyndon B. Johnson.Texas Rangers tells the story of this unique law enforcement agency from its origin in 1823, when it was formed by "Father of Texas" Stephen F. Austin, to the 1930s, when legendary lawman Frank Hamer tracked down the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde. Both colorful and authoritative, it presents the evolution an...

In "Six Years With the Texas Rangers," James B. Gillett presents a gripping firsthand account of his experiences as a ranger in the tumultuous landscape of early 20th-century Texas. The narrative blends autobiographical elements with detailed historical context, painting a vivid picture of the challenges faced by lawmen during a time marked by lawlessness and violence. Gillett's prose is both engaging and descriptive, seamlessly weaving thrilling anecdotes with reflections on morality and ...