Cult of Glory

Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers is a 2020 nonfiction book by Doug J. Swanson.[1] It describes the history of the Texas Rangers.

Douglas Brinkley stated that the book is "revisionist" as it shows incidents of violence not previously covered in histories of the Texas Rangers.[1] He stated that the author "portrays the 19th-century Rangers as a paramilitary squad, proudly waving the banner of white supremacy."[1] The author stated that the positive image of the Texas Rangers that appeared in the media "is a fraud".[2]

Background

Swanson teaches journalism courses at the University of Pittsburgh. He previously worked for The Dallas Morning News where he did investigative work.[1]

According to the author, he did not intend to challenge the previous historiography of the Texas Rangers but that this became apparent to him as he did more research.[3]

Contents

The book has over 400 pages.[2] The Mexican-American War and the Henry Lee Lucas case are described in the book.[1] There is a footnotes section which has 34 pages.[2]

Reception

Brinkley stated that "the most gripping drama of “Cult of Glory” is found in the early chapters."[1]

Aftermath

Joe Holley of the Houston Chronicle wrote that "apparently because of Swanson’s book" Dallas Love Field removed a statue of a Texas Ranger.[3]

References
  1. Brinkley, Douglas (2020-06-09). "The True Story of the Texas Rangers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  2. MacCormack, John (2020-05-27). "Review: New book reveals the rest of the Texas Rangers' history". San Antonio Express News. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  3. Holley, Joe (2020-08-10). "Swanson's 'Cult of Glory" paints a complex picture of the storied Texas Rangers". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-12-05.


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