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
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The author of nearly 50 books, Bill O’Neal became Texas state historian in 2012. His next books will be about Sam Houston as a leader (for University of North Texas Press) and Texas gunslingers (for Arcadia Publishing). Although he retired as a history professor at Panola College in Carthage, Texas, he continues to teach at the college periodically. His honors include being named the “Best Living Nonfiction Writer” by this magazine and receiving the NOLA award for his 2004 book, The Johnson County War.