25 TEXAS HEROES is 25 vignettes of remarkable Texans, each with a illustration, from Sam Houston to Beyoncé, inspired by the great Texas historian June Rayfield Welch.
The 25 biographies are ordered by date of birth, providing a panorama of the inspiring lives made so by their association with the great state of Texas. Some are better known - Sam Houston, cowman Charles Goodnight, pianist Van Cliburn, rock'n'rolerl Buddy Holly, Beyoncé; others are less well-known but deserving of attention - sculptress Elisabet Ney, airman Najeeb E. Halaby, musician Robert Xavier Rodríguez, astrophysicist and mathematician Lane P. Hughston.
From other biographies you will learn about...
- Victor Prosper Considerant, the French socialist who truly created the city of Dallas;
- George Henry Hermann, the eccentric Swiss philanthropist who endowed the city of Houston; - Juan Nepomucèno Cortina, the defiant boss of the Rio Grande;
- Thomas Volney Munson, who earned the French Legion of Honor for saving the vineyards of France;
- O. Henry, the Austin native and most widely read short story writer of all time;
- Katherine Anne Porter, another legendary short story writer of literary renown.
- Scott Joplin, the king of ragtime and composer of the opera Treemonisha;
- Jack Johnson, the Galveston Giant, who owned the world heavyweight boxing title at the dawn of the professional sport;
- Tex Avery, the inventor of the animated cartoon;
- James Earl Rudder, who scaled the 100-foot cliffs of Pointe du Hoc with some 225 Rangers on D-Day, 1944;
- Jack Kilby and Robert H. Dennard, scientists who helped launch the computer revolution;
- Herb Kelleher, the zany business genius;
- Ron Paul, the "Dr. Yes" of the U.S. Constitution;
- Tommy Tune, winner of almost every award in dance;
- Stanley Hauerwas, the bricklayer theologian.
Although written in a lively style approachable by any literate reader, each profile references extensive endnotes and a critical bibliography, and - possibly the highlight of this collection - each subject is given the author's unique evaluation. No Texan can read this book without a lift of inspiration that the great state has made possible such enduring personalities, yet anyone with an interest in biography will be fascinated by this unique treatment of so many under one cover. It belongs on every bookshelf, from the airport kiosk to the library of the professional historian.
