Invitation to Cat Spring


Book Description

Virtual Serfdom under the Hapsburgs has gripped the Czech lands for generations. In the mid-nineteenth century, letters arrive from Cat Spring, America, telling of unbelievable freedom and opportunity. Rozina and her family decide to leave Moravia and take their chances. After crossing Europe by foot, wagon, and train, they make the arduous sea voyage to their new home, braving unbelievably crowded conditions, hunger, storms, sickness, and death. As the family begins to scratch out a meager living and adjust to the adopted homeland, Civil War looms. They don’t speak English, oppose slavery and are against secession. When Texas joins the Confederacy, difficult choices must be made. Two sons join the Confederate forces and find themselves involved in the Battle of Galveston, the largest Civil War battle fought on Texas soil. Another avoids the military, choosing, instead, to haul cotton to Mexico – a more hazardous undertaking than he can possibly imagine.




The Alcalde


Book Description

As the magazine of the Texas Exes, The Alcalde has united alumni and friends of The University of Texas at Austin for nearly 100 years. The Alcalde serves as an intellectual crossroads where UT's luminaries - artists, engineers, executives, musicians, attorneys, journalists, lawmakers, and professors among them - meet bimonthly to exchange ideas. Its pages also offer a place for Texas Exes to swap stories and share memories of Austin and their alma mater. The magazine's unique name is Spanish for "mayor" or "chief magistrate"; the nickname of the governor who signed UT into existence was "The Old Alcalde."




Discovering Texas History


Book Description

The most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to Texas historiography of the past quarter-century, this volume of original essays will be an invaluable resource and definitive reference for teachers, students, and researchers of Texas history. Conceived as a follow-up to the award-winning A Guide to the History of Texas (1988), Discovering Texas History focuses on the major trends in the study of Texas history since 1990. In two sections, arranged topically and chronologically, some of the most prominent authors in the field survey the major works and most significant interpretations in the historical literature. Topical essays take up historical themes ranging from Native Americans, Mexican Americans, African Americans, and women in Texas to European immigrant history; literature, the visual arts, and music in the state; and urban and military history. Chronological essays cover the full span of Texas historiography from the Spanish era through the Civil War, to the Progressive Era and World Wars I and II, and finally to the early twenty-first century. Critical commentary on particular books and articles is the unifying purpose of these contributions, whose authors focus on analyzing and summarizing the subjects that have captured the attention of professional historians in recent years. Together the essays gathered here will constitute the standard reference on Texas historiography for years to come, guiding readers and researchers to future, ever deeper discoveries in the history of Texas.




Arms of God


Book Description

Still under the effects of heavy anesthesia after heart surgery, the occurrence of the 1858 drowning of an ancestor in the Brazos Rivers overtakes the mind of the patient. Upon awakening, the experience of the drowning, exactly one hundred and fifty years to the day in the past constantly stays with him. Soon one coincidence after another weaves the present into the past and an incident leads him on a journey back in time to Prussia and the events and circumstances that bring his ancestors to Austin County Texas in the mid 1840s. The Journey takes the family with roots back to the 1500s in Prussia, and a middle class existence to the extreme hardships of the sea voyage with the unbelievable crowded conditions in steerage, enduring storms, sickness and hunger to the point of starvation until finally landing in Galveston. Then they face the grueling and tiresome overland travel to their destination. With all the money spent for the sea voyage and overland travel, the family is relegated to tenant farming and slowing regains their fortunes and dignity to buy land after three years. As life unfolds, the family grows its Texas roots and expands their influence and land. Then the tragedy of the two younger brothers drowning while crossing Los Brazos de Dios (The Arms of God) river hauling cotton to Houston devastates the family and presents the necessity of the family cemetery for the first two burials. Suddenly the past and the present again collide leaving a sense that there is a force that flows through time like a river that flows continuously without end, and where we are today is only where we stepped out of the river.




Czechs Won't Get Lost in the World, Let Alone in America


Book Description

This book features a panorama of the lives of selected personalities, whose roots had origin in the Czech lands and who, in the US, reached extraordinary success and who, with their activities, substantially influenced the growth and development of their new homeland. It is a saga of plain, as well as powerful, people whose influence and importance often exceeded the borders of the US. A great portion of included individuals may be unknown to readers since it concerns persons whose Czech origin was usually not known. The book covers the total period from the times of the discovery of New World to the end of the twentieth century. During the selection, little concern was given to nationalistic or ethnographic criteria, the only prerequisite was that the respected individuals were either born on the territory of the Czech lands or were descendants of emigrants from the Czech lands. The image on the front cover is a portrait of Augustine Herman, Lord of Bohemia Manor, the first documented Czech immigrant in the United States. The portrait comes from his famous Map of Maryland and Virginia, dated 1670. The colorful story of his life would be unbelievable if made into a movie. Pioneer, merchant, explorer, surveyor, map maker, patriot, rebel, diplomat, and finally Lord! Read more about him in the book.




How Mama Brought the Spring


Book Description

This delicious tale about how intergenerational traditions warm up the kitchen and the heart is accompanied by stunning illustrations and a recipe for blintzes. Full color.




The White Cat's Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King's Lap: Volume 5


Book Description

With the incident in the Nation of the Beast King behind her, Ruri Morikawa returns to the Nation of the Dragon King at long last. However, now she knows the meaning behind the dragonheart pendant Jade gave to her before she left. As she struggles with her feelings, Quartz, Jade's amicable predecessor, returns to the kingdom after a long absence. As Ruri opens up to the former Dragon King, Jade leaves to track down a suspicious ship that attacked the nation—venturing into witch territory! While Jade is away, what new perils will befall Ruri? Find out as this tale of magic and spirits reaches its conclusion!




Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Volume 9


Book Description

During Kazuhiro and Marie’s travels between Japan and the dream world, the mansion they’ve been living in on the other side has become fully operational. Both have also gone out to dinner with the Ichijos more often. Everything has been smooth sailing on all fronts—or so they thought, until Toru gets drunk and accidentally falls asleep next to Kazuhiro. More fun and delicious food await!




Black Spring


Book Description




Index to the Woodrow Wilson Papers


Book Description