1. We Were Not Orphans: Stories from the Waco State Home
By Sherry Matthews
Investigates the treatment of thousands of children who resided at the Waco State Home, an institution that was established by the 36th Texas Legislature in 1919 for dependent and neglected children and operated from the 1920s through the 1970s. Shares the personal narratives from nearly sixty former residents, many of whom experienced terrible abuse. Discusses the harmful effects of a government-run facility that had inadequate public oversight and what it took to shut down the institution, which was meant to house and educate some of the most vulnerable children in Texas.
University of Texas Press, 2011. 220 pages.
362.732 M432W 2011


 

2. No Apparent Distress: A Doctor's Coming-of-Age on the Front Lines of American Medicine
By Rachel Pearson
Narrates the author's experience training to be a doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston shortly after Hurricane Ike. Weaves personal anecdotes with clinical episodes and observations about the shortcomings of health care and physician training in Texas and in the United States.
W.W. Norton & Company, 2017. 260 pages.
362.1 P318N 2017


 

3. Going to Texas: Five Centuries of Texas Maps
By Center for Texas Studies at TCU
Traces Texas history through color plates of 64 historic Texas maps ranging from the earliest sixteenth-century maps of New Spain, the Republic and statehood, and into the twenty-first century. Includes ten essays by noted historians that provide the historical context in which the maps should be viewed. Aims to promote the beauty of maps and to share the history presented by them with all those who seek a better understanding of the settlement and development of the State of Texas.
TCU Press, 2007. 120 pages.
911.764 T312G 2007


 

4. Historic Texas from the Air
By David Buisseret
Highlights through aerial photographs how the varied geography of Texas shaped the state's development and its people. Presents 73 historic sites as seen from the sky, accompanied by a description of each sites' historical background and significance. Complements with contemporary and historic photographs, vintage postcards, and maps.
University of Texas Press, 2009. 206 pages.
700 B868H 2009


 

5. Ten Years in Texas
By Jack White
Tells the story through historical fiction of the struggle leading up to the birth of the Republic of Texas and the ten years that followed until the Lone Star flag was replaced with the Union Stars and Stripes. Features such historical figures as General Sam Houston, Baron de Bastrop, David Crockett, and Santa Anna. Notes the author, Jack White, is also an Official Texas State Artist whose portrait of Sam Houston graces the book's cover.
BookSurge Publishing, 2007. 411 pages.
700 W584T 2007


 

6. The Blood of Heroes: The 13-Day Struggle for The Alamo -- and the Sacrifice that Forged a Nation
By James Donovan
Provides historical context, sketches of central characters, and an impressively researched re-telling of the 13-day Alamo siege, drawing on fresh primary sources. Examines contradictions in sources and provides the author's interpretation of whether Travis drew a line in the sand and whether David Crockett died in battle or was killed later. Includes a detailed notes section and an extensive bibliography.
Little, Brown and Co., 2012. 500 pages.
976.403 D719B 2012