A Brief History of the Seminole-negro Indian Scout
Thomas A. Britten
This book provides the first comprehensive history of the Seminole Scouts.
Lewsiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1999 (Hard cover, $99.99). Available from the Mellen Press website.
Britten is an associate professor of history.
Britain, the Empire and the World at the Great Exhibition of 1851
Jeffrey A. Auerbach and Peter H. Hoffenberg, editors
Chapter 6: Russia and the Crystal Palace in 1851
David C. Fisher
This chapter discusses the response of Russian state servitors and subjects to participation in Britain’s Great Exhibition, the first world’s fair. Although Russian authorities and specialists in industry knew the tsarist empire could not compete with French, or British machinery and manufactures, they believed that participation would mitigate Russophobia in the West. The Russian exhibits, especially decorative art objects, proved to be quite popular with the crowds in the Crystal Palace, yet British press coverage relied on well-established stereotypes of Russians as barbaric and despotic in order to underscore traits of British national identity related to democracy and the free market. More important, the exhibition animated the debate in Russia over national identity and the thorny problem of western cultural influence. That debate continued to play itself out at world’s fairs over the next half century as Russians struggled with how best to overcome Western prejudices with exhibits of the resources, achievements and people of the tsarist empire. Chapter 6 is one of nine in this volume on the meaning and significance of the Great Exhibition in a global context.
Aldershot, U.K.: Ashgate, 2008 (Hard cover, £55.00; E-Book, £49.50). Available from the Ashgate website.
Fisher is an assistant professor in the History Department.
Charro Days in Brownsville
Anthony Knopp, Manuel Medrano, Priscilla Rodriguez and the Brownsville Historical Association
Brownsville, Texas, was established in 1850 on the banks of the Rio Grande. Every February since 1938, this thriving community of nearly 200,000 has joined its Mexican neighbor, Matamoros, to celebrate their shared cultural heritage. Charro Days burst upon the Rio Grande Valley scene in the depths of the Depression, bringing dances, parades, fireworks, boat races and a rodeo to a dispirited populace. The celebration achieved instant success, followed by national recognition in magazines, radio and television. Renowned dance bands and celebrities increased the enjoyment of revelers dressed in “charro” costumes. As time passed, Charro Days evolved with the addition of events such as the Mr. Amigo presentation, which recognizes an outstanding Mexican, and the Sombrero Fest, which attracts a large number of attendees with its diverse entertainment.
Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2009 (Soft cover, $21.99). Available from the Arcadia website or from major booksellers.
Knopp is an emeritus professor of history.
Medrano is a professor of history.
Continuing Studies in Rio Grande Valley History
Milo Kearney, Anthony Knopp and Antonio Zavaleta, editors. Camilla Montoya, layout designer.
Illustrated by Zamorano and Milo Kearney, this is the 9th volume in the UTB/TSC Regional History Series.
Brownsville: UTB/TSC, 2009 (Soft cover). Available from the Office of the Special Assistant to the Provost, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, Texas 78520; call (956) 882-7313 or fax to (956) 882-7312.
Kearney and Knopp are emeritus professors in the History Department.
Zavaleta is special assistant to the provost and professor of anthropology.
Montoya is lead designer in the Office of Creative Services.
Documenting the American Past, Vol. I
James W. Mills, editor
This is an edited compilation of select primary sources, which range from the voyages of Christopher Columbus to Civil War Correspondences. Care has been taken in the selections and editing to cover all major social and political events for this time frame of United States history. Also included are individual experiences and hardships of participants in the American experience.
Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008. Available from the Cengage website.
Mills is an assistant master technical instructor in the History Department.
Documenting the American Past, Vol. II
James W. Mills, editor
This is an edited compilation of select primary sources, which range from the Sand Creek Massacre and other related issues through to presidency of George W. Bush. Care has been taken in the selections and editing to cover all major social and political events for this time frame of United States history. Also included are individual experiences and hardships of participants in the American experience.
Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008. Available from the Cengage website.
Mills is an assistant master technical instructor in the History Department.
Events that Changed Russia since 1855
Frank W. Thackeray, editor
Chapter 2: The Rise of the Radical Intelligentsia, 1862-1881
David C. Fisher
Chapter 2 traces the development of radical populism in tsarist Russia during the late 19th century. The essay demonstrates how the populist movement in Russia grew in intellectual and student circles that never quite succeeded in transferring their revolutionary zeal to emancipated peasants or urban workers.
The successful repression of anti-tsarist agitation eventually led radicals to terrorism and the assassination of Tsar Alexander II. Although the populist movement dissipated under increased pressure from the state, populism proved to be a formative stage for young radicals like Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin), who turned to Marxism.
Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2007 (Hard cover and e-book, $75). Available from the Greenwood website.
Fisher is an assistant professor in the History Department.
Explorers and Settlers of Spanish Texas
Donald E. Chipman and Harriett Denise Joseph
Drawing from their earlier book, Chipman and Joseph have adapted “the language and subject matter to the reading level and interests of middle and high school students” to “present the men and women of Spanish Texas for young adult readers and their teachers.” Illustrated by Jack Jackson.
Austin: University of Texas Press, 2001 (Soft cover, $19.95). Available from the UT Press, (800) 252-3206.
Joseph is a professor in the History Department.
Further Studies in Rio Grande Valley History
Milo Kearney, Tony Knopp and Antonio Zavaleta, editors. Cover by Carlos Gómez. Layout by Camilla Montoya.
This is the seventh in a series of collections of articles on local history.
Brownsville: UTB/TSC, 2006 (Soft cover). Available from the Office of the Special Assistant to the Provost, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, Texas 78520; call (956) 882-7313 or fax to (956) 882-7312.
Kearney and Knopp are emeritus professors in the History Department.
Zavaleta is special assistant to the provost and professor of anthropology.
Gómez is a professor of fine arts.
Montoya is lead designer in the Office of Creative Services.
Hitler’s Death Squads: The Logic of Mass Murder
Helmut Langerbein
This book examines the motivations of the members of the “SS Einsatzgruppen” (death squads) who executed more than a million Jews, communists and other "undesirables" in the Soviet Union during WWII.
College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2003 (Cloth, $27.00). Available from the TAMU Press website.
Langerbein is a professor in the History Department.
The Ghosts of Fort Brown: An Informal Study of Brownsville Folklore and Parapsychology
John Hawthorne, Javier García and Justin Lawrence, editors
The Ghosts of Fort Brown: Another Informal Study of Brownsville Folklore and Parapsychology
Javier García and John Hawthorne
The Ghosts of Fort Brown and Beyond
Javier García and John Hawthorne
These three volumes chronicle the ghost stories told on campus as well as the history that may have caused the hauntings.
Brownsville: UTB/TSC Arnulfo L. Oliveira Literary Society Press, 2003, 2004, 2006 ($6 each). Available at UTB/TSC Arnulfo L. Oliveira Memorial Library, John Hunter Room, (956) 882-7410, Ghosts of Fort Brown, Stillman House Museum and Brownsville Historical Museum.
Hawthorne is manager of special collections and university archivist, Garcia is a former library assistant and Lawrence is a reference librarian.
Many others on campus contributed to these volumes, including: Antonio Zavaleta, special assistant to the provost and professor of anthropology, Peter Gawenda, dean for the College of Applied Technology and General Studies, Manuel Medrano, professor in the History Department, Chip Dameron, professor of English and Estevan Medrano, son of Manuel Medrano (cover illustrations).
The Historical Roots of Medieval Literature: Battle and Ballad
Milo Kearney
This work presents a survey of the historical rooting of the main genres in medieval literature. The powerful works examined in this study form an epic all their own, a literary triumph whose roots lie in the anxieties and aspirations of the societies which gave them birth. Included for study are Celtic fairy tales and nursery rhymes, Irish bardic literature, Britanno-Welsh material, German epics, Latin Christian verse, Anglo poetry, the Icelandic saga, the crusading epic, medieval religious drama, academic satire, French and German chivalric literature, Italian Franciscan revival verse, the social crisis of the 14th century and the despondent verse of the dying Middle Ages.
Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1992 (Hard cover, $119.95). Available from the publisher, (716) 754-2788.
Kearney is a professor emeritus in the History Department.
The Indian Ocean in World History
Milo Kearney
This book argues that significant participation in the trade of the Indian Ocean, with its strategic location, lucrative productions and exploitable consumer markets, has been a consistent factor in the success of those societies, which have led in wealth, power and creativity throughout history.
London and New York City: Routledge, 2003 (Hard cover, $100). Available at the Routledge website and (800) 634-7064.
Kearney is a professor emeritus in the History Department.
The Lipan Apaches: People of Wind and Lightning
Thomas A. Britten
This book is the first full-length tribal history of the Lipan Apaches.
Albuqurque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 2009 (Hard cover, $34.95). Available from the publisher at the UNM Press website or major booksellers.
Britten is an associate professor of history.
Medieval Culture and the Mexican American Borderlands
Milo Kearney and Manuel Medrano
This book explores the medieval roots of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic white cultures of the Mexican-American borderlands. It asserts that border culture cannot be fully understood without knowledge of the medieval underpinnings. It argues that the medieval evolution of Hispanic and non-Hispanic white societies make the two cultures more closely related than is often realized. Finally, it traces the origins of non-Hispanic white and Hispanic tensions back to the Middle Ages.
College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2001 (Hard cover, $34.95). Available from publisher at (800)826-8911 or the TAMU Press website or UTB/TSC Barnes & Noble Bookstore, (956) 882-8249.
Kearney is a professor emeritus and Medrano a professor in the History Department.
A New Mexican Family: Tafoya Sullivan and the Origins of Sierra County
James B. Sullivan
James Sullivan tells the story of four generations of his family, combining personal history with that of Sierra County, New Mexico. The author journeys back to the 19th century to tell stories of marauding Apaches under the leadership of Geronimo and Victorio. Also included are tales of the naming of Monticello and the original settlements in territorial New Mexico, as well as the rise of Hillsboro to the position of county seat.
San Antonio: Burke Publishing Co., 1994 (Soft cover). Available from major booksellers.
Sullivan is a professor in the History Department.
Notable Men and Women of Spanish Texas
Donald E. Chipman and Harriett Denise Joseph
This is a book which explores the lives of some of the most legendary figures that discovered, explored, and settled Spanish Texas. By combining dramatic, real-life incidents, biographical sketches, and historical background, the authors bring to life these famous men and women of the Spanish Colonial Era.
Austin: University of Texas Press, 1999 (Hard cover, $40.00; soft cover, $17.95). Available at (512) 471-4032 or the UT Press website.
Joseph is a professor in the History Department.
People, Places, and Conflicts in Northeastern Mexico and Texas / Espacios, Poblamientos y Conflicto en el Noreste Mexicano y Texas
John Hawthorne, Antonio Zavaleta and Camilla Montoya, editors
“Places/Espacios” is the proceedings of the third colloquium on the study of the history and culture of Northern Mexico and South Texas. The colloquium was held in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Brownsville, Texas, in 2007 and attracted the most notable scholars on the topic from Texas and Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, Mexico. The 758 page book of proceedings is a treasure for anyone interested in the history, geography, archaeology and culture of the region.
Brownsville: UTB/TSC and the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas (Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas), copublishers, 2008. Limited copies are available from editor John Hawthorne, located at the Oliveira Library on UTB/TSC’s Fort Brown Campus.
Hawthorne is special collections manager, archivist and publisher at UTB/TSC.
Zavaleta is special assistant to the provost and professor of anthropology.
Montoya is the lead designer in Creative Services.
Portrait of a Border City: Brownsville, Texas
William L. Adams and Anthony K. Knopp
This book was written from the authors’ perspectives of Brownsville to explain the unique features of the community to those who have preconceived notions about “dusty little border towns.”
Austin: Eakin Press, 1997 (Soft cover, $19.95; hard cover, $34.95). Available from the publisher, (800) 880-8642, and at the UTB/TSC Barnes & Noble Bookstore, (956) 882-8249.
Adams is a professor and Knopp a professor emeritus in the History Department.
Remembering Xinxiang
William L. Adams
The author’s experiences of living and teaching in impoverished Central China are recounted here. Chinese language translation by Lu Yuefeng is also available.
Austin: Eakin Press, 2001 ($18.95). Available from the publisher, (800) 880-8642, and at the UTB/TSC Barnes & Noble Bookstore, (956) 882-8249. Chinese edition ($20) available by calling the author at (956) 544-4776 or (956) 882-8989.
Adams is a professor in the History Department.
The Role of Swine Symbolism in Medieval Culture: Blanc Sanglier
Milo Kearney
The pig has probably evoked more unexplained extremes of human emotions than any other animal. “The Role of Swine Symbolism in Medieval Culture” explores the possible origins of the symbolism attached to this animal. Has it ever been viewed differently? In alliteration and with a light, bantering humor, Kearney’s book explores many original theories, which show how our Western heritage’s subconscious associations toward the pig have developed.
Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1991 (Hard cover, $119.95). Available at the Mellen website.
Kearney is a professor emeritus in the History Department.
Rural Voices Radio Volume III: Writing About the Places We Call Home
Paulette Tsuyako Parson
“Rural Voices Radio” is the first original spoken word and musical production of the National Writing Project. Volume III features “Crossings: Border Voices along the Rio Grande” with Parson and Brownsville Porter High School’s Atzlan Mariachi Band and Tenamta Estudiantina.
Berkeley, California: University of California, 2003 (CD). Available from the National Writing Project, based at the University of California at (510) 642-0963 or by e-mail at nwp@nwp.org or rsnetwork@nwp.org.
Parson is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Stories Brownsville Told Its Children: A Child’s History of Brownsville /Historias Que Brownsville Contó A Sus Hijos: Una Historiade Brownsville Para Niños
Milo Kearney, Illustrated by Milo Kearney
An album of memories addressed to young children, this collection of stories describes the border town of Brownsville. Among its treasures are a river that likes to move, two parts of the town that are reunited, a fort that gives up fighting for book learning, animals who have visiting hours, steadfast churches, a playful beach and a nostalgic parade.
Austin: Eakin Press, 2001 (Paperback, $7.95). Available from the publisher, (800) 880-8642, and at the UTB/TSC Barnes & Noble Bookstore, (956) 882-8249.
Kearney is a professor emeritus in the History Department.
Studies in Matamoros and Cameron County History
Milo Kearney, Tony Knopp and Antonio Zavaleta, editors
Illustrated by Carlos Gómez, this is the fifth in a series of collections of articles on local history.
Brownsville: UTB/TSC, 1997 (Soft cover). Available from the Office of the Special Assistant to the Provost, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, Texas 78520; call (956) 882-7313 or fax to (956) 882-7312.
Kearney and Knopp are emeritus professors in the History Department.
Zavaleta is special assistant to the provost and professor of anthropology.
Gómez is a professor in the Fine Arts Department.
Studies in Rio Grande Valley History
Milo Kearney, Tony Knopp and Antonio Zavaleta, editors
This is the sixth in a series of collections of articles on local history.
Brownsville: UTB/TSC, 2005 (Soft cover). Available from the Office of the Special Assistant to the Provost, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, Texas 78520; call (956) 882-7313 or fax to (956) 882-7312.
Kearney and Knopp are emeritus professors in the History Department.
Zavaleta is special assistant to the provost and professor of anthropology.
Valley Vets: An Oral History of World War II Veterans of the Lower Rio Grande Valley
William L. Adams
The wartime experiences of 54 Valley soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen are told here in the veterans’ own words. An enemy machine-gunner and an acclaimed battlefield photographer are represented.
Austin: Eakin Press, 1999 (Hard cover, $34.95; soft cover). Available from the publisher, (800) 880-8642, and at the UTB/TSC Barnes & Noble Bookstore, (956) 882-8249.
Adams is a professor in the History Department.
Valley Vets II: Korean and Vietnam Veterans of the Rio Grande Valley
William L. Adams
The wartime experiences of 44 Valley fighting men are recounted here.
Also, Adams traveled to Korea and Vietnam to interview former enemy soldiers to see the war from their points of view.
Austin: Eakin Press, 2004 (Soft cover, $28.95). Available from the publisher, (800) 880-8642, and at the UTB/TSC Barnes & Noble Bookstore, (956) 882-8249.
Adams is a professor in the History Department.
World Saviors and Messiahs of the Roman Empire, 28 BCE-135 CE: The Soterial Age
Milo Kearney and James Zeitz
This book seeks a better understanding of Jesus by placing him in the context of about 20 living “world saviors” and “messiahs” of the early Roman Empire.
Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2009 (Hard cover, $129.95). Available from the Mellen Press website.
Kearney is an emeritus professor in the History Department.