Perhaps your average fourth grader can recite the pivotal stories of Texas' fight for independence on land--we all remember the Alamo, of course--but how many of us can recall battles waged over the sea? In "Texas at Sea," the latest in TCU Press' popular Texas Small Books series, Mark Lardas illuminates a little known dimension of Texas history. All too often, we "forget that the history of the United States is a story told from the sea," Gene Smith, director of The Center for Texas Studies, observed, and Texas is no exception. "When people think of Texas they think of cattle, cotton, and...

The newest entry into the Texas Small Books series, Capitol Tales: Legend and Lore from the Texas State House, is a must-read for all Texans. Author Mike Cox shares a variety of stories about the Capitol, from the fire that gutted the old limestone building to the debate over having a statue of a lady or a pig crowning the state house. Cox relates these tales with a witty and engaging style that is sure to keep readers entertained from the table of contents through the concluding story. This book is not intended to be a comprehensive history of the Capitol building, but rather a collection of...