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20ogBook Reviews447 accessible format and place diem in the public domain for easy access by future generations whom he believes should not be forced to search for those records "under the bed of some old lady." The author's desire to impart unbiased and uncensored family history is evidenced in his lamentation of the deliberate destruction of presumably "embarrassing" family records by a deceased aunt and the machinations of anodier relative who purposefully changed the names ofvarious family members recorded in an old diary, presumably to protect their reputations . In addition, Kuykendall does not shy away from sharing his ancestor's personal foibles and peccadilloes. On die contrary, he embraces dieir character flaws and failings as essential to understanding his family's history. His enthusiasm for genealogical and historical research is evident throughout, most notably in the almost ubiquitous parenthetical asides expressing personal reactions or commentary. They Slept upon Their Rifles is a compelling genealogical tale of the Kuykendall family, which historian William Goetzmann compares to Louis Lamour's fictional Sackett family. Goetzmann's endorsement, along with that of Ron Tyler, Al Lowman, and Mike Cox, confirm this as a worthwhile read for Texas history enthusiasts. Academic historians will also find great value in the footnotes which point to substantial amounts of primary source material, much of which is to be found in the Center for American History at the University ofTexas at Austin. Texas Stale University—San ManosJody Edward Ginn Voices from the Goliad Frontier. Edited byJohn R. McLean. Translated by Malcolm D. McLean. Illustrations byJackJackson. Foreword by David J. Weber. (Dallas: William P. Clements Center for Southwestern Studies, Southern Methodist University, 2008. Pp. 720. Illustrations, glossary, CD-ROM. ISBN 9781 92953! 080. $75.00 paper.) Malcolm McLean, best known for his nineteen-volume Papers Concerning Robertson's Colony in Texas, has once again provided scholars and laymen alike with another powerful research tool. This time joined by his son, John R. McLean, the duo has produced a translation of the minutes of the Goliad Ayuntamiento, or municipal council, from 1821 to 1835, with a calendar and page numbers for easier accessibility. David Weber's introduction provides an excellent overview and, as always, Malcolm McLean has produced an impeccable translation, clearing up sometimes confusing terms and archaic phrases while still remaining true to the written documents. In addition, the father and son have added materials relating to the missing year of 1829, a critical time when the small town changed its name from La Bahía del Espíritu Santo to Goliad. Of equal interest are the five appendices which take up almost half of the book and include, for the first time, the many documents relating to the James Long invasion of Goliad in 1821 (Appendix E, p. 567). The extensive appendices are preceded by an easy to search calendar widi page numbers and cover general correspondence about Goliad, petitions for land, land grants, as well as all laws relat- 448Southwestern Historical QuarterlyApril ing to die ayuntamiento. The glossary of names and places at die end, unlike the calendars of the minutes and die appendices, does not provide page numbers, the authors opting instead for a searchable CD. This may be awkward for those without a computer. John R. McLean, recently retired from IBM, used his expertise to include not only die searchable CD, but an unusual way of printing the historic documents. He uses a variety of fonts to differentiate the stamps on the paper from die printed laws, die title, the manuscript material, modern material, and the signatures. Scholars, long used to the challenge of reading historic documents in print, will be pleased to find that the various fonts, although confusing at first, make the material surprisingly readable. The accompanying CD includes not only his father's translations, which can be searched using key words, but the facsimiles of the documents, which scholars and students can read for themselves and compare to die translations. This book is an ideal source of information for scholars interested in the details of early Texas history. The minutes cover day-to-day activities in die small town as well as complaints about die many problems faced by the underfunded and...

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