Books
Getting Away With Bloody Murder: J.B. Brockman, the Best Criminal Lawyer in Texas
James Brockman rose from shady character to preeminent defense attorney in Houston, Texas representing clients including gang leaders, jilted spouses, wealthy storekeepers and drunken on-duty policemen. These high-profile true crime and murder accounts take place between 1895 and 1910. They cross racial lines, revealing instances of separate and unequal justice in segregated Texas that had a lasting effect on the city and the state. His career gained national recognition, including his involvement in the most famous American murder case of the young twentieth century, when he himself was murdered leaving a dubious legacy.
Sales Tax Included
Houston Baseball: The Early Years 1861-1961
The success of the Astros notwithstanding, Houston is no newcomer to baseball. Imported from the northeast, the sport made its way to the Bayou City as early as the 1850s. Houston Baseball: The Early Years 1861-1961 chronicles each step in the development of Houston baseball from town ball to the emergence of a game that modern fans would recognize. Historian and longtime baseball devotee Mike Vance has crafted a fascinating history that will gratify enthusiasts and shed new light on the game that made Houston a sports town. The book covers the nineteenth-century rise of America's favorite pastime in Houston in far more detail than ever before. Dizzy Dean, Chick Hafey, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo are just a few of the legendary names to appear as Vance details Houston's ascension from minor to major league play. This definitive history of Houston's passion for baseball brings together politics, personalities, and love of the game. Richly illustrated and expertly told, Houston Baseball will delight fans of Houston baseball past and present.
*All items include taxes and domestic shipping
Mud and Money A Timeline of Houston History
Founded on the muddy banks of the confluence of White Oak and Buffalo Bayous, Houston has always been about the money. The founding developers made exaggerated claims about navigable waters, rolling hills and fresh ocean breezes, and young men came to fight for Texas’ independence from Mexico for a promised bounty of land as well as for the more nebulous dream of a grand new beginning. And, ever since, people have continued to come because of our reputation for opportunity. But once they’re here, they discover what really makes this town tick—all the diverse groups who have come here created a remarkable and resilient culture. Why do people choose Houston? And why do they stay? In an accessible timeline packed with intriguing images, Mud and Money provides you with the people, places and tales that are integral to understanding the Houston story.
*All items include taxes and domestic shipping
Murder & Mayhem in Houston Historic Bayou City Crime
When the Allen brothers sold Houston's first lots, the city became a magnet for enterprising tycoons and opportunistic crooks alike. As the young city grew, a scourge of crime and vice accompanied the success of oil and real estate. The Bayou City's seedy side--flashing Bowie knives, privileged bad boys, hardened prostitutes and unchecked serial killers--established its hold. From a young Clyde Barrow to the "Man Who Killed Halloween," Houston's past is filled with bloody tales, heartbreaking loss and despicable deeds. Authors Mike Vance and John Nova Lomax shine a light on these dark days."
*All items include taxes and domestic shipping
Houston's Sporting Life 1900-1950
Houston has been a sports-crazy town since 1837 when the biggest pastime was watching the horse races held southwest of what was then the capitol of Texas. By 1900, spectators and athletes alike enjoyed the team sports played at every school in the city and suburbs. Companies competed with one another in baseball, basketball, and track. Boxing gyms dotted the wards, and downtown boasted billiard halls, bowling alleys, and indoor shooting galleries. There was also hunting and fishing, auto racing, swimming, and hockey at the Polar Wave, a mid-century indoor ice rink. This book presents a history of how Houstonians competed, where their recreation took them, and how they enjoyed a potential 12 months of "outdoor" weather. The 20th century was a fun and vibrant time for the sporting and outdoor life of Houston, and Mike Vance creates a rollicking look back for today's fans of sports and local history.
*All items include taxes and domestic shipping
The PC Cowboy Book
The definitive chronicle of the locally almost famous PC Cowboys, the "World's Only Politically Correct Country & Western Band." As told by one of the two founding members, the book is as funny as the act that graced stages across Texas and random low-rent venues from Scotland to Florida to (God forbid) Oklahoma from 1994 to 2005.
*All items include taxes and domestic shipping
Stand-Up Stories
Stand-Up Stories brings you tales that you will not find anywhere else, all told by someone who made a living headlining clubs across the country for 16 years. It is the ultimate insider’s look backstage. The glimpses into the world of comedy will have you laughing out loud from cover to cover.
The 1980s were the golden age of stand-up comedy, the first time that professional funny people from television came to stages in towns all across America. It was new. The comedy was fresh, and the performers were dedicated both to their art and to having the most fun humanly possible.
The Stand-Up Stories include inside scoop about dozens of famous comedy names including Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, Jay Leno, Richard Lewis, Garry Shandling, Bob Saget and Dick Gregory.
Sales Tax Included