Texas! (Wagons West, No 5)

Dana Fuller Ross' novels of America's great expansion into the western territories is some of the most intelligent, well written and well researched historic fiction I have read. "Texas" is Book 5 in a series of 24 novels which truly bring history to life in a panoramic saga of one of the United States' most important and fascinating periods.By 1844 the pioneers who forged the Oregon Trail were well established in Oregon Territory. Various wagon trains had followed their lead and the American population in the Pacific Northwest began to grow at an amazing rate. The new settlers' farms, ranches, offices, boatyards, orchards and lumber mills were thriving. Men like the aging former President Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas, future US President James K. Polk, Majority Leader of the US Senate, Andrew Johnson and President John Tyler planned to fulfill America's "manifest destiny" - the belief that America had a God-given right, or destiny, to expand the country's borders from "sea to shining sea." Their priorities were to settle the Oregon boundary dispute with Great Britain and admit Texas to the Union.Rallying to the cause of Texas liberty from Mexico, volunteers from Oregon left their homes and joined the Texas Rangers, built the Texas navy, consented to repeat their arduous journey across the American continent and traveled east to lead wagon trains of new settlers to Texas. The United States sent wagon loads of rifles, guns and ammunition to assist the Texans, and finally the new state of Texas joined the Union as the nation's 28th state. The Mexican American War, which followed, culminated in US victory. The Texas boundary was set at the Rio Grande, and the US also bought New Mexico Province and what was called Upper California from the Mexicans. And the US/Oregon border with Great Britain was finally established at the 49th parallel.Many of the characters from the first four books appear in "Texas" and new ones, both historical and fictitious, are introduced. Colonel Leland Blake and his wife Cathy leave their home in Oregon temporarily when they are given charge of the huge new wagon train to Texas. Danny Taylor and Chet Harris, who were adolescents on the Oregon Trail, both volunteer for the Texas Rangers to fight under their idol Captain Rick Miller. Harry Canning, another Oregon veteran, goes to Texas to put his boat building skills to use. The author gives these characters tremendous depth and illustrates how settling in the new land, along with new responsibilities, changes them and effects their relationships and lives.The history, characters, plot and subplots in "Texas" are some of the most exciting and dynamic in the series. I love history, and while I have read and studied this period in America's development, I have learned so much from reading the first five Wagons West" books. I plan to continue until I read them all. A wonderful reading experience.JANA

This is Book #5 of the Wagon's West Series and just as good as the previous ones.This one deals with the war between Texas and Mexico as well as how Texas becomes a state. A lot of our favorite characters are back and in this one Danny Taylor and Chet Harris are not only forced to make choices that will affect their lives but they also grow up rather quickly. The Blake's as well as Ginny are again in this one.

Maybe it's because it's the first non-Oregon Trail book in the series, but Texas just does not have the "oomph" of most of the other books. The major characters of the series so far take a backseat to lesser characters in this book, breaking away much of the familiarity with the series. It is still a good book, especially if you want a novel set during the Mexican-American war. However, don't lose any sleep if you are trying to read the entire series and can't find this one in your library.

I am the proud owner of the entire Wagons West Series (all 24 novels). I began reading them in high school some 19 years ago. I have just recently begun re-reading the series and it's like visiting old friends. Texas, picks up two years after the settling of Oregon and we find the United States in the process of annexing Texas into the Union. Soon old characters like Whip Holt and Lee Blake are back in the saddle doing what they do best, helping our country expand, with selfless dedication. We are introduced to new friends who display the same attributes of the earlier settlers in the Oregon series. Overall, the book is quite enjoyable, and it is almost imposssible to put down. The reader is transported to the old West, and can develop a sense of pride and understanding for those brave men and women who were the trailblazers of our American history.