In his preface to this beautiful volume, Hon. Price Daniel, of The Texas Library and Historical Commission, points out that among the responsibilities charged by law to the Commission are directives to “collect materials relating to the history of Texas . . ., [to] encourage historical work and research,” and to “diffuse knowledge in regard to the history of Texas.”
Towards this objective this book recounts in direct and at times even colloquial style, without footnotes or index, the history of six of its most venerable religious monuments around which the history of the state is woven from the Spanish invasion and evangelization to the annexation of Texas to the United States. Each chapter is illustrated with a fine four-color plate reproduction of a painting of the Alamo, La Bahía, Concepción, San Francisco de Espada, San José, and San Juan Capistrano missions by Granville Bruce, commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. John B. Godfrey of Austin.
The authors have done an excellent job in a spirit of objective but warm appreciation for the work of the mission padres as well as for the emergence of the state of Texas. Schools, libraries, and individuals interested in the Spanish era of Texas will find this a most fascinating and valuable contribution.
