I had to keep reminding myself Fehrenbach was not actually in Texas 40,000 years ago because his book, Lone Staris so detailed, so expansive that it felt like he should have been. In 719 pages Fehrenbach details every aspect of Texas one could imagine. From practically primordial beginnings to present day the birth, growth and development of Texas is detailed. Everything from agriculture, architecture and attitude to wars (civil and great) is meticulously described. Other reviews have used the words expansive, panoramic, extensive, vast, comprehensive, detailed...and I would have to agree. Not a stone in Texas is left unturned when it comes to recounting the political, the people, the powers, the progression of the state. What sets this book apart from other histories of Texas is the fact that Fehrenbach is from Texas. One can hear the passion for his home state woven into every knowledgeable sentence. ( )

This books was originally published in 1968. I have the first edition. It offers an interesting portrayal of what race relations were like in Texas in the decades leading up to the 1960s. For example, a chapter title is "Red Ni**ers, Red Vermin" regarding the Indian Wars. Mexican Americans and African Americans do not fare much better in this history of Texas; however, it does give an accurate portrayal of Euro-American attitudes towards people of color in these decades of Jim Crow legislation in Texas. As a native Texan of Mexican American heritage, I can say it's definitely a worthwhile read. ( )