Award-winning historian Mike Cox is a master of the short article, as he has proved again in Central Texas Tales. Cox is widely known for his two-volume history of the Texas Rangers,
but during his career as a reporter and as spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and for other state agencies, he has written hundreds of short articles.
The 50 short pieces in Central Texas Tales feature his eye for colorful detail and fascinating characters, from young Will Porter (later O. Henry) to a parade of early Texans. In articles such as “Dead Man’s Hole” and “Hold the Press for a Hanging,” Cox regales readers with stories of vintage Texana.
—Bill O’Neal, state historian of Texas