About this item
In 1838 Texas vice president Mirabeau B. Lamar, flush from the excitement of a successful buffalo hunt, gazed from a hilltop toward the paradise at his feet and saw the future. His poetic eye admired the stunning vista before him, with its wavering prairie grasses gradually yielding to clusters of trees, then whole forests bordering the glistening Colorado River in the distance. Lamar's equally awestruck companions, no strangers to beautiful landscapes, shuffled speechlessly nearby. But where these men saw only nature's handiwork, Lamar visualized a glorious manmade transformation--trees into buildings, prairie into streets, and the river itself into a bustling waterway. And he knew that with the presidency of the Republic of Texas in his grasp, he would soon be in position to achieve this vision. The founding of Austin sparked one of the Republic's first great political battles, pitting against each other two Texas titans: Lamar, who in less than a year had risen to vice president from army private, and Sam Houston, the hero of San Jacinto and a man both loved and hated throughout the Republic. The shy, soft-spoken, self-righteous Lamar dreamed of a great imperial capital in the wilderness, but to achieve it faced the hardships of the frontier, the mighty Comanche nation, the Mexican army, and the formidable Houston's political might.
About the Author
Jeffrey Kerr entered Rice University in 1975 wanting to become a writer and historian, but this plan soon gave way to more practical considerations. In 1984, Kerr earned his medical degree from Texas A&M University, and after a residency at Wake Forest University, the newly accredited pediatric neurologist moved back to Texas to establish a successful practice in Austin.
Not long thereafter, Kerr discovered the Austin History Center and its incredible collection of archival photographs. Jeff's first book was AUSTIN, TEXAS-THEN AND NOW (2004) , followed by THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTIN(2010) , and now his third release--the story of Austin's founding, SEAT OF EMPIRE (Texas Tech University Press, 7/15/13) .
Visit the author at
http://www.jeffreyskerr.com
