Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania and Other States That Never Made It by Michael J. Trinklein
This is another book that I won in a contest from GoodReads First Reads. It’s actually one I might have picked up at the bookstore anyway because I’m always interested in offbeat historical information.
First off, the book was extremely entertaining. If I hadn’t had so many interruptions, I probably would have read it in one sitting. It’s really a fast read. The stories are concise (1 page in length) and the maps give added context. Add to that, the author throws in some humor to make it even more enjoyable.
Another neat thing about the book is that the cover unfolds into a map of the Lost States. Great idea!
While reading it, I realized I had learned a few things about my own state that were never taught in Texas history class. I knew Texas could slice itself up into four or five states if it wanted (that was a provision in the treaty with the U.S. when Texas joined), but I had never heard about any instances where it had been tried. Although, knowing the knuckleheads in the Texas legislature, I’m surprised they haven’t tried doing it recently.
As with any book, there are some errors. One was listing President Buchanan when it should have been President Polk (page 68) and there were a few typos. All in all, it wasn’t any worse than some novels I’ve read lately. Doesn’t anyone proofread anymore?
If you’re a historical trivia buff like I am, this is a book on the same par as Weird History 101. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I would recommend it to all my friends.
Posts
