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FATHER'S DAY

City of Fortune, How Venice Ruled the Seas

Roger Crowley

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PROVENCE & THE COTE D'AZUR

A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France

Georgeanne Brennan

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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PENGUIN CLASSICS

The Log from the Sea of Cortez

John Steinbeck

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Houston

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Books for

We feature a handpicked selection of travel guides, maps, literature, books on art, nature and culture, all designed to help you get more out of your travels to Houston. Order an essential package, and we'll ship any additional items for free.

Essential Reading

Item EXTEX05. Buy these 4 items as a set for $106 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Texas, A Modern History

Texas, A Modern History

by David G. McComb

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 237 PAGES

A brief, entertaining history of Texas by a distinguished Texas historian. It covers the oil industry, land and nature, Spanish legacy, bluebonnet, Texas rangers and the "Texas mystique." (TEX24, $24.99)

The Raven, A Biography of Sam Houston

by Marquis James

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 489 PAGES

A fascinating biography of Sam Houston, who was elected president of the Republic of Texas in 1836. (TEX33, $29.95)

Texas, 150 Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

by Houston Museum of Fine Arts | Alison De Lima Greene

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2000
  • HARD COVER
  • 278 PAGES

An exhibition catalog focusing on Texan art. (TEX40, $55.00)

Streetfinder Houston Map

by Streetwise

  • MAP

A folded, laminated pocket map of Houston, shown at a scale of 1:31,000. (TEX32, $7.95)

 
Birding Texas

Birding Texas


by Roland H. Wauer | Mark A. Elwonger

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 525 PAGES

A site guide to the birds of Texas featuring birding strategies, a list of resources for planning a birding trip, and information on 200 of the best birding sites. (TEX17, $22.95)

Shifra Stein's Day Trips from Houston


by Carol Barrington

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 271 PAGES

A guide to getaways within two hours of Houston. (TEX36, $14.95)

In a Narrow Grave, Essays on Texas

In a Narrow Grave, Essays on Texas


by Larry McMurtry

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 173 PAGES

First published in 1968, this is a wide-ranging collection of essays on the Texan character. McMurtry covers topics such as rural Texas sexual behavior, cowboys, southwestern literature and country music. (TEX20, $14.00)

Lone Star, A History of Texas and the Texans


by T.R. Fehrenbach

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 784 PAGES

A comprehensive, readable history of Texas from prehistory to the present, with particular focus on the Texan republic, secession, and the role of oil in the state. (TEX72, $26.00)

The Indians of Texas: From Prehistoric to Modern Times


by William Wilmon Newcomb

  • HISTORY
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 404 PAGES

An excellent reference of history and cultures of Native Americans in Texas. (TEX10, $24.95)

The Oxford History of the American West


by Clyde Milner | Carol A. O'Connor | Martha A. Sandweiss

  • HISTORY
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 872 PAGES

A collection of wonderfully written essays by 25 contributors on the cultural and environmental history of the American West. With color illustrations and period photographs. (USW02, $29.95)

The Spanish Frontier in North America


by David Weber

  • HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 579 PAGES

The definitive history of the Spanish colonial period in America. (NAM01, $30.00)

Houston Hispanic Artists, New Views


by Bela Bibliowicz

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1987
  • PAPER
  • 32 PAGES

A brief exhibition catalog. (TEX39, $7.00)

Philip Johnson & Texas


by Frank D. Welch | Paul Hester | Philip Johnson

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2000
  • HARD COVER
  • 328 PAGES

American architect Philip Johnson and his buildings in Texas. (TEX41, $39.95)

Getting Over the Color Green


by Scott Slovic

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

An anthology and tribute to the American desert. (SWU62, $19.95)

The Best of the West, An Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West

The Best of the West, An Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West


by Tony Hillerman

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 528 PAGES

A campfire collection of unforgettable portraits of the West, this anthology takes in travelers, homesteaders, Navajos, government officials, pioneers and authors as diverse as Meriwether Lewis, John Steinbeck and Edward Abbey. (USW87, $18.99)

Adventures with a Texas Naturalist

Adventures with a Texas Naturalist


by Roy Bedichek | Rick Bass

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 330 PAGES

First published in 1947, this classic combines Bedichek's profound observation and his curiosity with the natural world. Employing a friendly, narrative style and a love of literature, Bedichek delivers memorable commentaries on subjects such as the northern mockingbird, country people and the naming of birds and wildflowers. (TEX14, $25.00)

Desert Solitaire

Desert Solitaire


by Edward Abbey

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

One of the great works on the value of the desert, eloquent and laugh-out-loud funny. Although Abbey writes specifically about his experiences as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah, his message is universal. (DES02, $14.95)

Roadside Geology, Texas


by Darwin Spearing

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 432 PAGES

The geology of Texas as seen through the car window. (TEX51, $24.00)

Birds of Texas


by John H. Rappole

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1994
  • PAPER

A photographic field guide to the birds of Texas. (USW93, $18.95)

Wildflowers of Texas


by Geyata Ajilvsgi

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2003
  • HARD COVER
  • 544 PAGES

A field guide to 378 common wildflowers. (TEX29, $19.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.