Clarence R. Wharton (1873-1941) spent his adult life practicing law in Houston. Legal work made him a prosperous man, which allowed him to indulge in collecting rare volumes of Texas history, and writing works which have become rare. Like this one.

His History of the Republic of Texas was published in 1922 and has been almost entirely forgotten. That's a real shame, because Judge Wharton tells the story of the Republic better than anyone. His history reads like a knowledgeable friend talking to you, and that makes it a pleasure.

Judge Wharton breaks the history of the Republic of Texas into four parts: The Colonies, The Revolution, The Republic, and Annexation. Each of those sections contains several of his "talks". Like I said, his writing style is clear and easily absorbed. The judge accomplishes the literary miracle of conveying a depth of information with grace and simplicity in these nearly 70 vignettes about early Texas history.