Four New Books From the Longhorn Universe to Read in 2019

By Alcalde Staff in 40 Acres, Jan | Feb 2019 on January 2, 2019 at 4:25 pm | No Comments

Heirs of the Founders

By H.W. Brands, PhD ’85

New York Times best-selling author and UT history professor Brands is known for his gripping narration and colorful profiling of prominent figures in U.S. history. His latest work details how those who succeeded the founding fathers debated, dueled, and worked their way through the early formation of this country. Nicknamed “The Great Triumvirate” and the “immortal trio,” Henry Clay, John Calhoun, and Daniel Webster’s epic, yet little-known drama, shaped the government’s authority and constitutional issues that parallel problems the nation still faces today.

 

Go Ahead in the Rain

By Hanif Abdurraqib

In this homage to the seminal rap group A Tribe Called Quest, Abdurraqib pens the first chronicle of the award-winning, alternative hip hop pioneers. Abdurraqib, a poet and visiting writer in the MFA program at Butler University, traces the Tribe’s creative career, from the group’s debut album to its 17-year-long hiatus to its resurrection. Abdurraqib tells their story while drawing on his personal experience as a black kid growing up the ’90s who idolized the collective that would go on to revolutionize rap.

 

Franklin Steak

By Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay

Over the past 10 years, Aaron Franklin has risen to the top of the barbecue ranks as one of the most recognized pitmasters in the business. Following his best-selling book named after his wildly popular Austin restaurant, Franklin Barbecue, the chef moves from how to braise prize-winning brisket to telling readers how to season the perfect steak. This mouth-watering guide is a must-have for any carnivorous cook, detailing the difference between cattle breeds to culinary techniques to how to build your own backyard grill, producing the best steak you’ll ever make.

 

Why Karen Carpenter Matters

By Karen Tongson

Why Karen Carpenter Matters is the next book in the “Music Matters” series recently acquired by University of Texas Press, following books on musical greats The Ramones and The Beach Boys. The work explores how the singer-slash-drummer of the sibling duo The Carpenters used music to transcend cultural differences and accrue a broad global fanbase for their soft rock sound. Tongson writes the book as part personal memoir, part biography, weaving a story that reveals the intent and effects of the late musician’s short life.