{"product_id":"a-single-star-and-bloody-knuckles-9781477328583","title":"A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFinalist, 2021 Writers’ League of Texas Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e For John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner, there was one simple rule in politics: “You’ve got to bloody your knuckles.” It’s a maxim that applies in so many ways to the state of Texas, where the struggle for power has often unfolded through underhanded politicking, backroom dealings, and, quite literally, bloodshed. The contentious history of Texas politics has been shaped by dangerous and often violent events, and been formed not just in the halls of power but by marginalized voices omitted from the official narratives. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Single Star and Bloody Knuckles\u003c\/i\u003e traces the state’s conflicted and dramatic evolution over the past 150 years through its pivotal political players, including oft-neglected women and people of color. Beginning in 1870 with the birth of Texas’s modern political framework, Bill Minutaglio chronicles Texas political life against the backdrop of \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSmoothly tackling this near-herculean research task, [Minutaglio] keeps the sweat stains from showing and writes in prose as cool as a trout stream. * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eEven if you don’t live in Texas, this overview of the state’s history from the 1870s to the 2020 presidential election will have you thinking about the South in a whole new way. * Vogue *\u003cbr\u003eWhat's striking about [\u003ci\u003eA Single Star and Bloody Knuckles\u003c\/i\u003e]...is [Minutaglio's] ability to resurrect not only the marquee names we would expect to find in a history of Texas politics (famous and infamous) but also fascinating names that have faded into the fog of history. * Houston Chronicle *\u003cbr\u003e[\u003ci\u003eA Single Star and Bloody Knuckles\u003c\/i\u003e] offers a well-rounded look at the complexities of race and politics, as well as the various characters involved. Minutaglio is to be commended for adding to the underrepresented topics of race and politics in post-civil war Texas historiography. * Southwestern Historical Quarterly *\u003cbr\u003e[Minutaglio] delivers a vibrant political history of Texas from the 1870s to the 2020 presidential election...Minutaglio packs his brisk history with entertaining anecdotes...and keeps a close eye on the ways that Black and Latino voters have been marginalized by Texas power brokers. This is a rollicking and richly detailed portrait of the Lone Star state. * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003eBill Minutaglio has a written an excellent (and thoroughly readable) analytical synthesis that should inspire anyone interested in American politics to think more carefully about how the racism of our collective pasts continues to shape and plague our world today. * Western Historical Quarterly *\u003cbr\u003eMinutaglio’s work presents a useful introduction to the civil rights history of Texas...Minutaglio tells his stories well...in an easygoing, approachable style...Readers seeking a broad overview of Texas political history that emphasizes the expansion of civil rights will find that here. * Journal of Southern History *\u003cbr\u003eA readable, even rollicking survey of a century and a half of political conflict...\u003ci\u003eA Single Star and Bloody Knuckles\u003c\/i\u003e does the vital work of presenting to a general audience a powerful argument for the centrality of race in the past, present, and future of Texas politics. * Texas Monthly *\u003cbr\u003e[An] engaging new work... \u003ci\u003eA Single Star and Bloody Knuckles\u003c\/i\u003e is a noteworthy, timely, and well-written addition to the continuing debates over politics and race in Texas. * Lone Star Literary Life *\u003cbr\u003eMinutaglio is one of the greatest living prose stylists in the land, including lands outside Texas...Starting in 1870 and working up to the present, Minutaglio has produced the best book about the intersection of race and politics throughout Texas history. * San Antonio Express-News *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrologue\u003cbr\u003e Chapter One. Remain Quietly: The 1870s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Two. Our Defective Plan: The 1880s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Three. Elites and Aliens: The 1890s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Four. The Bosses: The 1900s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Five. Legislative Rest: The 1910s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Six. The Second Coming: The 1920s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Seven. Black Blizzards: The 1930s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Eight. Beautiful Texas: The 1940s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Nine. I Have a Plaintiff: The 1950s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Ten. The Mink Coat Mob: The 1960s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Eleven. Bitten by the Political Bug: The 1970s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Twelve. The Sands Have Shifted: The 1980s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Thirteen. Reality Day: The 1990s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Fourteen. Smear Tactics: The 2000s\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Fifteen. Total Command: The 2010s\u003cbr\u003e Epilogue\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003cbr\u003e Photo Credits\u003cbr\u003e Index\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"University of Texas Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49408965378391,"sku":"9781477328583","price":18.04,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781477328583.jpg?v=1730504890","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/a-single-star-and-bloody-knuckles-9781477328583","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}