Book Review: Yours To Command
Yours to Command: The Life and Legend of Texas Ranger Captain Bill McDonald, by Harold J. Weiss, Jr.
In the history of the Texas Rangers, Bill McDonald was one of the “Four Great Captains”.
Captain McDonald was a legend in his own time, which can make things difficult for historians. McDonald inspired many tales of bravery and gun battles. This book looks at these stories with a critical eye to separate the legend and the truth. The author tries hard to provide a balanced look at the life, noting that many previous works tended to demonize or idolize the Ranger Captain.
Although McDonald was a man of few words, newsmen were soon printing stories about his marvelous feats of marksmanship. In one it was alleged that he could hit a mosquito’s eye at fifty paces. When asked if this was true, McDonald is supposed to have growled, “Which eye?” - John W. Davidson
The book doesn’t ignore the Rangers’ job of chasing down murderers and bank robbers. However, the main point is to show how Captain McDonald functioned in the changing political and economic landscape of Texas during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
His dogged persistence and stealthy tactics are the real secret of his success, not his feisty marksmanship or braggadocio. - John Miller Morris
For contrast, you can also read Albert Bigelow Paine’s 1909 biography on McDonald, Captain Bill McDonald, Texas ranger: A Story of Frontier Reform (full text on the Internet Archive). This book was considered the standard biography on McDonald for many years, but it seems to exaggerate the legend. I would rather read Weiss, but the Bigelow book is entertaining.
Yours To Command is published by the University of North Texas Press. The publisher’s website has an excerpt of the book (PDF), including the preface, the entire first chapter, and a pictorial essay.
Related posts:
- Book Review: The Soldier From Independence A Military Biography Of Harry Truman...
- Book Review: David Crockett in Congress The Rise and Fall of the Poor Man's Friend...
- Book Review: Flight From Monticello Thomas Jefferson At War...
- Book Review: The Big Burn Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America...
- Book Review: The Lincoln Anthology Great Writers on His Life and Legacy from 1860 to...
