Cult of Glory

First edition (publ. Viking Press)

Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers is a 2020 nonfiction book by Doug J. Swanson. It describes the history of the Texas Rangers.

Comments on the book

Douglas Brinkley stated that the book is "revisionist" as it shows incidents of violence not previously covered in histories of the Texas Rangers. He stated that the author "portrays the 19th-century Rangers as a paramilitary squad, proudly waving the banner of white supremacy." The author stated that the positive image of the Texas Rangers that appeared in the media "is a fraud".

Swanson stated that he did not intend to challenge the previous historiography of the Texas Rangers but that this became apparent to him as he did more research.

Contents

The book has over 400 pages. The Mexican-American War and the Henry Lee Lucas case are described in the book. There is a footnotes section which has 34 pages.

Reception

Brinkley stated that "the most gripping drama of “Cult of Glory” is found in the early chapters."

Aftermath

Joe Holley of the Houston Chronicle wrote that "apparently because of Swanson’s book" Dallas Love Field removed a statue of a Texas Ranger.

The author

Swanson (né Douglas Jules Swanson; born 1953) is, as of 2021, a Research Assistant Professor in the English Department at the University of Pittsburgh. He has taught journalism at Southern Methodist University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Texas at Austin. And, he has worked for The Dallas Morning News where he did investigative work.

Bibliography

References

• Brinkley, Douglas (June 9, 2020). "The True Story of the Texas Rangers". The New York Times (book review). Retrieved August 28, 2020. ProQuest 2410638726 (U.S. Newsstream database).

→ Print version of article: "Ranger Danger". New York Times Book Review: 13. June 14, 2020. ProQuest 2412496184 (U.S. Newsstream database).

• "Doug Swanson" (bio). University of Pittsburgh, Department of English. n.d. Retrieved June 9, 2021.

• Holley, Joe (August 10, 2020). "Swanson's Cult of Glory Paints a Complex Picture of the Storied Texas Rangers". Houston Chronicle (book review). Retrieved December 5, 2020.

• MacCormack, John (June 27, 2020). "Review: New Book Reveals the Rest of the Texas Rangers' History". San Antonio Express News (book review). Retrieved August 8, 2020.

Primary references

• Swanson, Douglas J[ules] (born 1953) (June 2020). "The Horrible Truth of Love Field's Texas Ranger Statue". D Magazine (book review). Retrieved June 9, 2021 (includes an excerpt from the 2020 book, Cult of Glory).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)

• Swanson, Douglas J[ules] (born 1953) (2020). Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers. Viking Press. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Google Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 2019-49804 (e-book), LCCN 2019-49805 (print); ISBN 978-1-1019-7988-4 (e-book); OCLC 1235946866 (all editions).

External links

• Davies, Dave (né Albert Ernest Davies III; born 1953) (host-interviewer); Swanson, Doug (interviewee) (June 8, 2020). "Interview With Doug Swanson" (streaming archive of a radio broadcast → 36 minutes; and transcript). Fresh Air (book review: Cult of Glory). NPR and WHYY Public Media (co-producers). OCLC 1161980345. Retrieved August 28, 2020. {{cite web}}: |first1= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)