Synopses & Reviews
Review
andquot;Howell has managed to gather eighteen of the very best Texas Civil War historians for this fine publication that is certain to attract considerable attention. It surpasses similar edited versions of the war in Texas and may well be one of the very best books on the subject.andquot; --Jerry Thompson, professor of history, Texas AandM International University
Review
andquot;This book is an important addition to works pertaining to Texas 1861andndash;1865 as a Confederate state. The survey chapter by Alwyn Barr on historiography is exemplary. Particular chapters that stand out include James Smallwood on the causes of the Civil War and Vicki Betts on the families of Confederate soldiers.andquot;--Joseph G. andquot;Chipandquot; Dawson, professor of history, Texas AandM University
Review
andquot;The volume opens with a historiographical essay by Alwyn Barr that covers the research on Civil War Texas published since 1990. The highlight of the collection, Barr's essay does a fantastic job of detailing the state of this particular field.andquot;--Journal of Southern History
Review
andldquo;The essays covering military topics are particularly strong. . . . Overall, this is a first-rate essay compilation and Editor Howell should be applauded. The essays are tied together smoothly with hardly any overlap. . . . Seventh Star of the Confederacy is an important collection for any historian of the Civil War period in Texas and would serve as an excellent book for undergraduates.andrdquo;andmdash;Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Review
andldquo;With its sweeping coverage of military, political, economic, and social issues and subjects, thereandrsquo;s something new for scholars and interested readers of all stripes. This is the best Texas Civil War essay compilation Iandrsquo;ve encountered. Highly recommended.andrdquo;andmdash;Civil War Books and Authors
Review
andldquo;Among the strongest essays in the collection are James Smallwoodandrsquo;s piece on Texasandrsquo;s role in the secession crisis, Gary Joinerandrsquo;s work on the role of Texas cavalry in the Red River Campaign, and Vicki Bettandrsquo;s discussion of the role played by families of Texas soldiers.andrdquo;andmdash;New Mexico Historical Review
Review
andquot;This book is a significant addition to the Texas Confederate experience and will be read with great interest by students of Texas history for generations to come. . . . All aspects of the war are covered in what may well be the definitive work on the subject.andquot;--Blue and Gray Magazine
Review
andquot;In sum, Howell does a fine job of bringing a somewhat disparate group of articles together into a very cogent whole. . . . [T]he work is well crafted and worthy of an interested scholarand#39;s time and effort.andquot;--Louisiana History
Synopsis
On February 1, 1861, delegates at the Texas Secession Convention elected to leave the Union. The people of Texas supported the actions of the convention in a statewide referendum, paving the way for the state to secede and to officially become the seventh state in the Confederacy. Soon the Texans found themselves engaged in a bloody and prolonged civil war against their northern brethren. During the curse of this war, the lives of thousands of Texans, both young and old, were changed forever.
About the Author
Kenneth W. Howell is an assistant professor at Prairie View AandM University. He received his Ph.D. in history form Texas AandM University and also taught there as a visiting assistant professor. He is the author of Texas Confederate, Reconstruction Governor: James Webb Throckmorton and coauthor of The Deviland#8217;s Triangle: Ben Bickerstaff, Northeast Texans, and the War of Reconstruction in Texas and Beyond Myths and Legends: A Narrative History of Texas.