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Two Counties in Crisis or One State in Transition? A Review of Two Counties in Crisis

Robert J. Dillard’s Two Counties in Crisis is a fascinating exploration of the politics of Texas during the Reconstruction era that followed the U.S. Civil War. The main title does not reflect the breadth of the historical analysis within the book. Within its pages, Dr. Dillard does an exemplary job of educating readers on key developments in the governance of Texas during Reconstruction. Alongside the discussion of broader historical trends, the book used detailed analyses of two demographically distinct Texas counties to illustrate the dynamics at play closer to the level of the individual citizen.

Dillard’s analysis of statewide trends incorporated academic work on political culture (and culture in a broader sense) to explain the development of a more uniform state political culture in the wake of the U.S. Civil War. The book’s historiographical analysis is compelling as well, and raises important points about the interpretation of Texas history. While the central focus of the work is on the U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, Dillard makes the work relevant to present-day political observers. The epilogue highlights how some aspects of Texas political culture have changed in the intervening years. The detail of its discussion of Texas history alone makes the book worth reading; the broadly accessible incorporation of social scientific research into its arguments makes the work a “must-read” for scholars of Texas history and politics.

University and college libraries should definitely purchase Two Counties in Crisis. It is exactly the kind of book that researchers and students of Texas politics should read to deepen their knowledge of the state’s political history and the bases of some of its past political division. The broader citizenry would benefit from reading such a book (and history buffs among them would likely enjoy it). For these reasons, the book may be a less essential purchase for community libraries than those associated with colleges, but it can be a valuable addition to their shelves nonetheless.