'Richard Coke: Texan' is here
The first in-depth biography of a key figure in Texas history is now available in bookstores and online
“Painstakingly researched, this full-scale biography highlights one of the pivotal figures of the last half of the nineteenth century.” — John A. Adams, Jr., U.S. policy advisor, professor, author, Sul Ross at Texas A&M
“With access to great family stories, this book is a handsomely written and sympathetic portrait of a legendary 19th century Texas soldier, jurist, governor and U.S. Senator.” — William Chriss, attorney, historian, and political scientist author, Six Constitutions over Texas: Texas’ Political Identity, 1830-1900
Richard Coke played an important roles in Texas history, and his leadership of his beloved Texas still resonates 150 years after he took office as governor. Until now, the passage of time has not only obscured the record of Coke’s importance to Texas but also the legend of the tumultuous events and armed contingents involved in Coke assuming the governor’s office. Richard Coke: Texan, which is now on sale in hardcover, paperback, and ebook format, may be the first book about this era to weave a rich mosaic of real people and events that immerses the reader in the life and times of Richard Coke.
Richard Coke brought Texas out of Reconstruction following the Civil War and is often credited for restoring democracy to the state after this perilous time. Richard Coke: Texan is his story — one in which a young Virginia lawyer emigrates to a Texas frontier village and changes history. It follows Coke as he starts a new life in Waco, Texas, serves in the Civil War, endures the hardships of Reconstruction, and is called into service as governor to rebuild the state and return rights to local government and the people of Texas. The story of Coke and his legislature taking office is one of the more spectacular in Texas history, with Coke’s predecessor, Edmund Davis engaging armed forces to occupy the Capitol and remain in office. But the true story is the leadership shown by Coke as a committed citizen, an honored soldier, a dedicated governor, then as a respected U.S. senator — the results of which still impact the government of Texas today.
Before the advent of digital technology, much of the record of this time was inaccessible to researchers. Authored by Rosser Coke Newton, Sr., an indirect descendant of the governor, the book is enriched by first-person accounts, Coke family records, Richard Coke’s direct correspondence, as well as actual events documented by journals and debates from constitutional conventions, the Secession Convention, and legislative sessions. These are supplemented by newspaper articles, census records, city directories, and a myriad of other sources of information compiled at the time. These sources have been combined into Richard Coke: Texan which not only delivers a rich history of the era, but a personal look at one of Texas’ greatest leaders.