Red Sky Morning

Red Sky Morning

A few years ago I visited the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame Museum in Waco TX and as a result piqued my interest in reading this book.
Many of the names in this book I remembered from my visit.
The book didn’t disappoint. Very well written and not afraid to show the dark side of the Rangers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it.

Excellent and intriguing history, but the jumping around in the chronology can get confusing. Some more obvious pointers as to the time and the relation to the main action would be helpful. And the use of present tense adds to the confusion.

Free ARC from NETGALLEY

Ah yes, those who never write, or the writing doesn't fit their own view of events they were not present for, so they trash it with bad reviews

This is a great read written about men in a time and in a context few have ever experienced.

Take your snowflakes off and just learn a thing or two

great book

Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. This is the story of Texas Rangers Company F and their role in Texas history. Company F was formed after the Mexican War, Civil War and most of the Indian wars. Company F was created for one purpose, to chase robbers, killers, rustlers and fence cutters, and they did their job well. The primary focus is on two Rangers, James Brooks and Captain William Scott. It details Brooks involvement in a shooting in the Indian Territory and subsequent trial in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In even more detail it follows the long search for the feuding Connor family in Sabine county, Texas that involved a major shootout with the Rangers. In between it touches on the fight against fence cutters and the bitter fight in Texas between the small ranchers who favored an open range and the larger ranchers who supported fences. At times it reads like a genealogy book as the author goes into painful detail of every character’s family history and who begat who. And in the middle of the book he throws in a chapter on the modern idiocy of removing a Ranger statue by the woke crowd. That would have been better held until the end. On the positive side he does a wonderful job of bringing in historical detail on the old west. Following a remote shootout where several Rangers were badly injured he discussed field surgeries and roles of the local country doctors in great detail. I found that fascinating. There was also much interesting details about the famous court in Fort Smith and the fence cutting war. But continuing that genealogy bent rather than ending the book with the retirement of the Rangers and end of the company, he follows their post Ranger lives in painful detail until their deaths. That made the end drag and could have been shortened considerably. Overall it was an interesting book for anyone interested in Old West, Texas Ranger or Texas history.

This is the most interesting history book I have ever read. There is so much information about these Rangers that you'd think that it was fictional. The references are extensive, and the accounts are from multiple points of view. It is a great read about a wild time in our country's past. The dangers that Ranger's faced on a regular basis are a testimony to their integrity and fortitude. Although so much has changed in this country over the years, some things still remain the same. I was impressed with the judicial system in place in that era, as well as the investigative methods used. So much research went into this book, and this resulted in a read that was informative and entertaining. I highly recommend this book.

A truly interesting look at the Texas Rangers. The story was intriguing and really holds your interest. A great book for the western fan.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

nonfiction, law-enforcement, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, Texas, criminal-acts, rough-justice****

The presentation was thoroughly spoiled by the in text listing of sources as opposed to a much less intrusive use of footnotes or endnotes. Can't fault the research, however. This is an examination of one troop and their campaign against one particular crime family but carries the characteristics of the Ranger's mentality and mode of operations. Historically excellent.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you

I love western stories and was so looking forward to this one. The author has a big story to tell, and he certainly did his research. The cons: It reads like a history book and I had to keep a log on paper to keep track of who, what, when, and where we were talking about. So many characters, so many different time frames and we even went back and forth a few times.
But other than those few distractive issues, as I said, this is a big story and I certainly learned a lot. I only can wish it would have been told in a more conducive story telling format. Western lovers, sit back, get ready to learn more than you ever expected. 4 stars is the best I could do since I didn’t care for the writing style.
I personally thank the publisher for the privilege to be offered this ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with 4 stars.

This was a great book that provides great snapshots and glimpses of Texas Ranger Company F as the men of this company traverse the Texas frontier. One feels they are riding alongside Brooks as he solved the crimes facing the state of Texas at that time. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories that came with this and was excited to see the great use of the primary source materials as well. I would highly recommend this book to American historians, law enforcement scholars, and Wild West buffs.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of the book from the publisher and NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. I knew very little about the Texas Rangers when I was asked to read this book. It certainly sounded interesting and the unique topic piqued my curiosity. Unfortunately, the book just fell short for me. Center stage was the Connor family--a band of outlaws hiding in the Texas range and the lawmen who sought them during the late 1880s. Led by Sargent James Brooks, the lawmen themselves came from a wide background of non-drinkers to killers. They were feared as well as respected. Author Joe Pappalardo did not focus on the chase for the Connors, however. He was sidetracked by other cases and other criminals that all jumbled together. He also switched back and forth between time periods, which I found confusing. There were way too many characters that were hard to keep track of with way too many details that bogged down what should have been the story. For example, because one ranger happened to see Belle Starr, the author provided background on the female outlaw that had no bearing on the main story. While Author Pappalardo certainly did an abundance of research, the telling of the tale fell short for this reader.

I received a free electronic ARC of this western historical history from Netgalley, Joe Pappalardo, and publisher St Martin's Press. I found this history heavy weather. Even after living 30 years in coastal Texas, it was difficult to follow the action, and the timeline jumps were very confusing.

I enjoyed some of the personal information in the lives of some of the Rangers, but the best thing about this story was it reminded me that it was time to re-read Big Sky AT Morning by Richard

A Detailed History of Texas Ranger Company F

In the 1800s the West was a lawless place. The Texas Rangers were charged with bringing the outlaws to justice, but they did more than that being involved in Indian problems, family feuds, and cattle and land disputes. Sergeant James Brooks from Company F is one of the more colorful characters of the era. He was involved in numerous gun fights, and was convicted of second-degree murder.

The book also tells the story of the other members of the company led by Captain William Scott. It even dips into the families of the men. The author uses diaries and news articles to bring the stories to life.

This book dispels the picture of the Rangers as just hunting outlaws. They did much more including becoming involved in the Conner family feud. I found the book well-researched and interesting, but often hard to follow. It felt as though the author had a large quantity of information and wanted to put it all in the book.

If you’re interested in American history, particularly the history of the West, this is well done, but if you’re looking for an adventure tale about the Rangers, it’s not your book.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Author Joe Pappalardo presents a slice of history in this book dedicated to the story of Texas Ranger company F. Based upon diaries, news articles, and other pieces of documentation, “Red Sky Morning” gives readers a full look at what times were like back in America’s wilder times. People wanted justice, and the Texas Rangers recruited men to fill the void.

Mr. Pappalardo does his best to fill in all the blanks, explaining why events happened and how the people involved got caught up in the action. At times, this does cause the retelling to jump around a bit (back and forth through the timeline), but in the end, it was easy to make sense of it all. One particular chapter dealt with three lawmen who were charged with murder, and it is interesting to see how the court followed the law while being much different than what we are accustomed to see in today’s world.

Recommended for lovers of history and those who want to learn more about how the United States was tamed, and the men who were brave enough to step forward and accept the challenge. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

Red Sky Morning is an ode to a lifestyle that few people can comprehend in an era of great complexity. It follows a Texas Ranger company through their pursuit of outlaws over a two year period. Along the way you get to meet the men who formed Texas Ranger Company F, learn about their backgrounds, and learn about what life was like as Americans continued to push and settle West in the late 1800s. This includes the realities of living on the trail and life in remote areas of Texas far from the hustle and bustle of well-developed cities.

Author Joe Pappalardo tells the story with great detail. The book has a lot to offer for those interested in the world of law enforcement and bounty hunting. The chapters are almost presented in a diary, cataloging important dates and individuals neatly for readers to follow the adventures of Company F.

As an amateur historian, I found his contextual research very compelling. He provides a great deal of background information to really help set the stage for readers and help them better understand the moment. For example, when describing a man-hunt that included bloodhounds, Pappalardo provided an amazing overview of the bloodhound breeds and their tactics when hunting. It was really fascinating.

I definitely recommend this book for those interested in Texas history, law enforcement and the Old West.

3.5 rounded to four
When I was a kid in the fifties, the radio waves were full of ballads about the Old West, and many of them mentioned the Texas Rangers, who brought law and order to the chaos of the Old West. As time went on, the name cropped up from time to time in American History courses and reading, and not always with approbation, such as wholesale slaughters against people whose only crime seems to have been speaking Spanish.

This looked like a good book to get a sense of the history of the rangers, and in a sense, it is. The author clearly did mountains of research about individual rangers, and the people they encountered, and so delves not only into the Rangers' exploits but into vital aspects of Texas history, such as cattle rustling, fencing vs free range, barb wire cutting, law, politics--and politics means not only politicians, but the community's attitudes, such as those who willingly or for money served as snitches.

That makes for a mosaic of a book, bouncing from historical figure to situation, sometimes ranging back and forth in time. Central seems to be F Company's battle against the Conner family, who appear to have lived on the margins, hot tempered and ready to shoot anything and anyone. Many of them died young, and took neighbors and rivals with them.

At best, one gets a sense of the painfully evolving control of chaos in those times, when waves of white people pushed westward, claiming vast tracts of land from those who had lived there for centuries, and building towns to serve themselves. Where it falls down is on the Rangers' treatment of people other than those white settlers; it also fails to take a hard look at the character of the Rangers, and of men who like to pick up guns and shoot other people. Sort of a timely topic.

I was introduced to author JOE PAPPALARDO, by his publisher St. Martins, in July 2020 with his book INFERNO. It was a WW II nonfiction story about a Medal of Honor award winning bomber crewmember.
Once again, thanks to St Martins and the author, I have read another book by this author on an entirely different subject, the “Wild West” of the late 19th Century, especially in the state of Texas (United States). The book is RED SKY MORNING.
The book takes on the famous law enforcement agency known as the Texas Rangers in its formative years 1870 to 1890. The book focuses on several of the Rangers and their careers. Among the featured rangers are Sergeant James Brooks and Captain William Scott. Their careers kept them in close proximity for years.
In 1881, in Cotulla, Texas, Brooks witnessed Ranger Lee Hall face off against six armed men and, without violence, subdue them. At the time Brooks was still a young man trying to find a career. He decided, then and there, to enlist in the Texas Rangers. He became a Private in Company F for the grandiose salary of $45 per month. He had to pay for his supplies such as a horse, weapons, ammunition, etc. from that salary.
From its inception when Texas was a republic (before joining the United States in 1845), the focus of the Rangers wavered before finally becoming the mounted law enforcement agency at the time this book covers. By 1883, the focus of the Rangers settled at catching criminals.
Brooks’ first assignment was to arrest five men accused of fence cutting in Frio. At the time, the crime was a misdemeanor subject to a fine only. By 1884, thanks, in part, to an investigation by Brooks, the crime becomes a felony with a punishment of one to five years’ jail time. It was a serious offense for the ranchers whose fences were destroyed.
One ongoing investigation that the book describes involves the shooting of Kit Smith and Eli Low who are related to each other and to Willis Conner and his family. Conner and other family members are accused of the double murders and are arrested. Before their trial, members of the family and others free the five men from jail. The family goes into hiding in the woods and swamps of Northeast Texas for years. The story reminds me of the story of Robin Hood in England in the 13th Century.
Captain William Scott made his name in law enforcement as a civilian! As a young man in his early 20s in the late 1870s, Scott takes it upon himself, as a civilian, to infiltrate the gang of famed/notorious gangster, Sam Bass. Bass had made a name for himself, in the state of Nebraska (middle of the United States), through a bank robbery that netted his gang $65,000 in gold coins (today worth $1.4 million). Scott gave the Rangers the information, unasked, that Bass was in Round Rock, Texas. A troop of Texas Rangers, without Scott, trapped and killed Bass. That is how Scott became a Ranger.
I enjoyed reading this look at a part of U.S. history that is legendary but little known. There is action to satisfy those readers. There is history to satisfy those readers. It is well written and an easy read. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
GO! BUY! READ!

Company F

In 1886 a young man named Brooks that had wandered and tried his hand at many trades enlisted in the Rangers company F. I don't believe he ever expected the types of crimes he would have to deal with and the range war between two families that put the whole unit in peril.

They settle many disputes and captured many a bad man, but the confrontation with the Conner family who were being hunted for their part in a feud that went way too far was the longest and nastiest confrontation of all.

This is a story mainly of one Ranger and his company. It tells the good, the bad and the ugly of the Ranger unit to which Brooks was a part of .It tell the history of that era in which the feuds became bloody and out of control between the homesteaders and the cattle men who wanted free range and the homesteaders wanting to fence in the land.

It was a little confusing at times as to what year I was reading about as it did skip about a bit. It was still a very good story and I enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to Joe Pappalardo for writing a great story, to St. Martin's Press for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review. All statement are my own words.

Between 1886 and 1888, Sergeant James Brooks, of Texas Ranger Company F, was engaged in three fatal gunfights, endured disfiguring bullet wounds, engaged in countless manhunts, was convicted of second-degree murder, and rattled Washington, D.C. with a request for a pardon from the US president. This is the true story of how the Texas Rangers cam into existence, with Sgt. James Books story being the anchor for this story. If you like true accounts of law enforcement, then this is the book for you.

A well researched history of Texas Ranger Company F in the late 1880's as they worked to bring law to Texas as the free range lifestyle was coming to and end. In addition to fighting fence cutters the company got involved in an East Texas family feud that drew out for years. It took a little while for me to get into it but once I got a little way into it I really enjoyed the story of Company F as they fought public perception as well as lawlessness while keeping up the high standards that the Texas Rangers were known for in the 1880's. Follow up on these men as a new class of Ranger negatively impacted the reputation of the Rangers and the men of Company F moved onto other phases of life with varying degrees of success. I received a free e-ARC of this book from the publisher.

Real Rating: 4.5* of five, rounded down

I'll start by lauding what other readers have liked least about this book: It is a mosaic of multiple stories, and intentionally so. The design of a history that's focused on a story, not a biography, is to collate the fascinating pieces and ugly, disfiguring truths that make up the whole picture of the moment in question...it's meant to be taken in piece by piece, and assembled in one's mental theater as a whole image of The Defining Conflict.

To that end, we meet the main main, James Brooks, as he surveys Cotulla, Texas, on the day he joins the Texas Rangers in 1883. Author Pappalardo begins, then, at a beginning...but we're going to see other beginnings as we go along. We'll see the last of active Rangers Captain Brooks in Cotulla, too...and that's the kind of symmetry I appreciate in a story.

What happens between those two events, not hugely distant in time, is...a lot. A great deal more than one person's life generally holds, and a great deal less as well. Brooks, in his entire life of genuine service to the people of Texas, never shook a debilitating addiction to alcohol and an equally debilitating inability to form sustaining, intimate friendships with anyone. This included, as it is so sad to say, his own family. He was married to one woman his entire adult life. There is no record or indication in any recorded memory that he found any sense of companionship or happiness in their union, nor did she express any enduring or undying affection for her husband. His children were dutiful, and always played their role of help and sustenance for him, but again there is not any record of them feeling hero-worship for their truly outsized and outstanding father.

Brooks County, named for the Captain (as he always preferred to be referred to and addressed despite having the options of Representative or Judge), was a creation of the remarkable man's efforts to drag a thousand square miles of mesquite scrub and caliche and its few thousand residents out of the hands of a corrupt Democratic party machine in the early twentieth century. He was, at the time, a State Representative, and his life-long campaign of fair treatment for Spanish-speaking people and law-abiding souls of all skin colors and ethnicities made Brooks County and Falfurrias havens of good, equitable Democratic-party led government.

In the chapter dedicated to this end-of-life résumé of Brooks, there are résumés of his cohorts in Company F, all of whom were with the Captain during the main action of the book...the take-down of the Sabine County-based Conner crime family in the weird swampy Louisiana-like East Texas world. It was a long, tense fight on the logistical and legal levels, and Author Pappalardo doesn't stint on the practical details. There are a LOT of people in this story. There are a LOT of names that appear, then aren't mentioned for a while, then reappear with minimal fanfare. There is a Dramatis Personae that can be bookmarked or hyperlinked in your ereader, and I strongly suggest that any readers do that very thing. I found it hugely helpful and on occasion, to my utter lack of surprise, its completeness and thoroughgoing explanatory notes were interesting enough to make me want more books about this century-old vanished culture.

What I want from histories is a sense of the why of things. The what is great as a launchpad but I really treasure whys. In that arena, Author Pappalardo is a strong deliverer. I was never at a loss for reasons to pick up the book. I took it at a measured pace, a chapter a week and a section or two a day. I think this is the most likely technique to give the story its full room to expand and its details to slot into each others' proper settings. Since I am from Texas, I was prepared with some ideas of the roles of lawmen, and specifically the Texas Rangers, in the state's history. Since I am from that part of Texas, it was even more of a sense of homecoming, of learning my own family's cultural past. That added soupçon of personal connection is likely the source of the extra half-star I hung on the book.

It really is extra, as I can understand from others' responses to the read. Quite a few readers were unable to see the nature of the story being told and that is squarely on the author's shoulders. His stated aim is to answer this quote from one N.A. Jennings, a former Texas Ranger of that time and later an author in his own right:
<blockquote>"Near everyone has heard of the Texas Rangers, but how many know what the Rangers really are, or what are their duties? In a general way, everyone knows they are men who ride around on the Texas border, do a good deal of shooting, and now and then get killed or kill someone. But why they ride around, or why they do the shooting, is a question which might go begging for an answer for a long time without getting a correct one."</blockquote>
This expectation being set in the Introduction, I can see a history buff feeling let down. This isn't the book that answers that question. It doesn't seem to me to be particularly likely to, set up as it is to tell the story of a group of Rangers involved in one of the organization's formative operations. The personal focus falls most heavily, and in my opinion correctly so, on the Captain, James A. Brooks, and the people he led come in for bits and snatches of attention. But the light that shed on the Texas Rangers as a whole, while bright and revealing, does not get even partway to explaining the entire late-1800s period of the organization's existence that Author Pappalardo indicated it will.

But what the book actually does is, to my way of thinking at least, as valuable or even more so. It traces the roots and the branches of a conflict between the law-and-order forces of state power and the flouters of same whose actions and influence were seriously detrimental to the community as a whole's ability to live their lives free from fear and danger. There are people worse than police today, there were in the 1880s, and the worst is when those terrible actors turn the police into their henchmen. Along come the Texas Rangers of Company F to reset the expectations of the community for law enforcement...and they do.

For the better.

It might not be what we think of in terms of law enforcement's role today, after Rodney King's beating and George Floyd's and Ahmaud Arbery's murders at their hands; but it is true, it happened, and it's worth considering that if it seemed impossible to the people of Sabine County in 1885, and it wasn't, that it isn't impossible today either.

That deserves my attention, and my praise.