Graveyard Of the West: the Pecos River Of History--Where Myth Meets History

A recent entry in the award-winning Texas History Series, Graveyard of the West takes viewers on a colorful journey along the legendary Pecos River with authors' Patrick Dearen and Mike Cox. Carrying a less than savory reputation the word "pecos" was even a part of Texan slang back in the rip-roarin 19th-century, as in "to pecos a man." Getting "pecosed" did not mean taking a step up the corporate ladder; no sir; it meant swimming in the Pecos River after one's vital functions had ceased, if you get my drift. Using a map of the Pecos area for orientation, Dearen or Cox introduce one sorry hellhole after another, where drowned cattle, Indian fights, or lawless gunslinging left a coterie of tales (some taller than others) for generations of storytellers to pass along. Combining interviews with historians and local storytellers with old photos and western blues music (that kind of music where the guitar hits a questioning note as if to say "now, jist what in hell do you s'pose is over yonder ridge, Bill?"), Graveyard of the West offers an interesting slice of Lone Star history. Unfortunately, the information is more fun than the presentation; not a terribly slick production, this title is likely to have more regional than national interest. Other titles in the series include: The Frontier Forts and the American Indian Wars in Texas, 1848-1888; a History of the Guadeloupe Mountains & Carlsbad Caverns; and The Texas Revolution: From Anhuac to San Jacinto. Regional libraries should consider. (R. Pitman)