EXPLORE DALLAS HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS
BOOK REVIEW: The Kidnap Years
by David Stout
2026 – 2027 Season
The Kidnap Years details the rash of kidnappings that took place during the Great Depression. People were desperate and kidnapping seemed like a viable option to end their financial struggles. I highlight three inter-related kidnappings including two within the Anheuser Busch family of Budweiser fame.
BOOK REVIEW: The Train Crash at Crush, Texas
by Mike Cox
2026 – 2027 season
The Crash at Crush was a wild advertising stunt organized by the MKT (Missouri, Kansas and Texas; the Katy) train line. Taking place outside of Waco, Texas, this was a staged train crash used, improbably, to sell an incredible number of train tickets during the competitive 1890s.
BOOK REVIEW: Zephyr and Sarah
2024 – 2025 season
Zephyr Wright was a major player in the Civil Rights movement but you may not have ever heard her name. She was the African American cook who had the ear of LBJ behind the scenes. Many of her famous recipes are found in cookbooks attributed to Ladybird Johnson. Sarah T Hughes was a trailblazing lawyer and judge who was specifically requested by Lyndon B Johnson for his swearing in. Find out more about their radical lives.