The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 53, July 1949 - April, 1950 Page: 100

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

be sure, did not deal exclusively with the War of 1812, but which
this reviewer regards as an infinitely better book, and one which
Beirne ignores.
Yet The War of z812 has its merits and belongs on the shelves
of most historians. If it does nothing else but pave the way for
a truly definitive book on the subject, it will have served its pur-
pose, and until such a study comes along, The War of r8r2 pro-
vides a convenient reference for the bizarre doings of America's
most neglected war.
ELMER WILLIAM FLACCUS
The University of Texas
America's Heartland: The Southwest. By Green Peyton. Norman
(University of Oklahoma Press), 1948. Pp. xviii+286. Il-
lustrations, maps, and index. $3.75-
The author's purpose in this work, which is written in a pop-
ular vein, is to describe the culture of the Southwest: "It is sim-
ply an impression of the Southwest as I see it, with some obser-
vations on its past and its future."
A logical pattern of organization is used in the work. A brief
discussion of the topography and geography of the area is fol-
lowed by several chapters devoted to a summary of its history,
with special emphasis on longhorn cattle and trail driving. Four
chapters concerning the oil industry follow in which Mr. Peyton
draws considerably from experiences of friends, making it one
of the best sections in the book. Only a relatively small propor-
tion of the book is devoted to describing the Southwest itself;
in something less than a hundred pages the author discusses
Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas, in the
order named. Most of the chapter on Louisiana is taken up by
New Orleans and recent state politics. Hot Springs dominates
the Arkansas section, and Indians the Oklahoma chapter. Per-
haps the best general discussions are those on New Mexico and
Texas.
In his chapter on Texas, Mr. Peyton indulges in some interest-
ing speculation involving a parallel between the arrogance of
Texans and that of Germans. "I sometimes wonder whether this
... may not be a product of the German penetration in Texas."
In closing his discussion of Texas, the author remarks:

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