Captain J.A. Brooks, Texas Ranger

James Brooks was the kind of rip-snortin’ Texas Ranger we all like to read about. His endless escapades are skillfully presented by the author along with enlightening political history of the state from Reconstruction well up into the 20th century. Brooks was known to be an excellent shot with rifle and pistol, but he was as fast with a bottle of bourbon as he was with a six-shooter.

His personal life as a husband and father was less than ideal, although he excelled as a Ranger and had three fingers shot off along the way to show for it. When his badge-toting days were over, he served as a state legislator and later as a county judge. Brooks is one of four great captains in Texas Ranger history, and this book tells us why. —Chuck Lewis