A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles

A History of Politics and Race in Texas (The Texas Bookshelf)

By: Bill Minutaglio

Narrated by: John Guccion

Length: 15 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles 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 industry, the economy, and race relations, recasting the narrative of influential Texans. With journalistic verve and candor, Minutaglio delivers a contemporary history of the determined men and women who fought for their particular visions of Texas and helped define the state as a potent force in national affairs.

The book is published by University of Texas Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2021 Bill Minutaglio (P)2024 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Smoothly 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)

"A vibrant political history of Texas from the 1870s to the 2020 presidential election...This is a rollicking and richly detailed portrait of the Lone Star state." (Publishers Weekly)

"Minutaglio has produced the best book about the intersection of race and politics throughout Texas history." (San Antonio Express-News)