The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 405
576 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Book Reviews
the field and deal with a number of topics not found in the
older textbooks.
Professor Clark's book is the logical product of his many years
of investigation and teacher training. The space he allots to the
several topics and eras does not in all respects correspond to this
reviewer's idea of relative importance; but such matters will vary
according to individual taste. For instance, counting his chapters
on underlying causes and preliminaries, he devotes 115 pages, more
than one-fifth of the total, to the Texas Revolution. Yet, I must
say that every line of it is interesting, and the subject is pre-
sented in a masterly way. Likewise he devotes eighty-seven pages
to the Spanish era, two-fifths as much as he gives to all the
eventful years since 1861. In the latter part of the book he makes,
nevertheless, some substantial contributions. Chapters, such as
the two on agriculture, and one each on industry and natural
resources, make the book indispensable in any well-selected library
on Texas history.
Professor Clark's practice of referring in the body of his text
to his sources is especially commendable. The student learns that
the author has not pulled a textbook from his hat by some trick
of magic, but that he has secured his information largely from
books and periodicals which he who will may read. Teachers as
well as students should profit from these references; also the
select list appended to each chapter is good. His treatment of
political history is brief and subordinated to social and economic
development. The questions and topics for study in connection
with each chapter bear evidence of much thought. They are de-
signed to encourage the student to read beyond the confines of
his textbook, and they should stimulate his interest in his own
community.
In his introduction Professor Steen states that "more than the
usual space has been devoted to the Spanish period and to the
developments of the present century." He gives 57 of his 481
pages to the Spanish period, 76 to independence, and 153 to
Texas since 1875. It may be that this distribution is the most
practicable to be attained; but those who know Professor Steen
will regret that he was not permitted to write even more fully
about recent Texas, a field in which he is unusually well qualified.
The chapter on twentieth century politics is excellent as is also405
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940, periodical, 1940; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101111/m1/429/?rotate=270: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.