More Zeal Than Discretion: The Westward Adventures of Walter P. Lane (Nonfiction)

This well-documented and skillfully written biography chronicles Walter P. Lane’s journal through some of the most defining moments in American West history. Lane charged the Mexicans at San Jacinto, commanded a company of Texas Rangers, battled warring Indians on the Texas frontier, fought with honor during the Mexican-American War, followed the gold rush in California, led the Texas Cavalry against Union forces during the Civil War and rebelled against Reconstruction in Texas. He followed his own values, challenged his leaders, was stubborn and fearless, and oftentimes deemed a martinet. Yet he was revered throughout Texas, epitomizing the rugged Westerner who “embodied the idealized virtues of honor, courage, and manhood.”