Jan Reid

the life and times of Ann Richards

Let the people in

This intimate biography of the pioneering Texas governor is “required reading for political junkies—and for women considering a life in politics” (Booklist). When Ann Richards delivered the keynote of the 1988 Democratic National Convention and mocked President Bush—“Poor George, he can’t help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth”—she became an instant celebrity and triggered a rivalry that would alter the course of history. In 1990, she won the governorship of Texas, becoming the first ardent feminist elected to high office in America. Richards opened pathways for greater diversity in public service, and her achievements created a legacy that transcends her tenure in office. In Let the People In, Jan Reid offers an intimate portrait of Ann Richards’s remarkable rise to power as a liberal Democrat in a deeply conservative state. Reid draws on his long friendship with Richards, as well as interviews with family, personal correspondence, and extensive research to tell the story of Richards’s life, from her youth in Waco, through marriage and motherhood, her struggle with alcoholism, and her shocking encounters with Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter. Reid shares the inside story of Richards’s rise from county office to the governorship, as well as her score-settling loss of the governorship to George W. Bush. Reid also describes Richards’s final years as a mentor to a new generation of public servants, including Hillary Clinton.

The Life and Times of Ann Richards

Let the People In

Musical magic hit Austin, Texas, in the early 1970s. At now-legendary venues such as Threadgill's, Vulcan Gas Company, and the Armadillo World Headquarters, a host of country, rock-and-roll, blues, and folk musicians came together and created a sound and a scene that Jan Reid vividly detailed in his 1974 book, The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock. The breadth of talent still astounds—Willie Nelson, Janis Joplin, Jerry Jeff Walker, Doug Sahm, Delbert McClinton, Michael Martin Murphey, Willis Alan Ramsey, Kinky Friedman, Steve Fromholz, Bobby Bridger, Billy Joe Shaver, Marcia Ball, and Townes Van Zandt. Reid's book even inspired the nationally popular and long-running PBS series Austin City Limits, which focused attention on the trends that fed the music scene—progressive country, country rock, western swing, blues, and bluegrass among them. In this new edition, Jan Reid revitalizes his classic look at the Austin music scene. He has substantially reworked the early chapters to include musicians and musical currents from other parts of Texas that significantly contributed to the delightful convergence of popular cultures in Austin. Four new chapters and an epilogue show how the creative burst of the seventies directly spawned a new generation of talents who carry on the tradition—Lyle Lovett, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robert Earl Keen, Steve Earle, Jimmy LaFave, Kelly Willis, Joe Ely, Bruce and Charlie Robison, and The Dixie Chicks.

New Edition

The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock

Lou Dubose

Describes the life and political career of the majority leader of the House of Representatives.

God, Money, and the Rise of the Republican Congress

The Hammer

George W. Bush calls Karl Rove "boy genius" and "the man with the plan." Insiders call him the man behind the Republican ascendancy. Who is this guy? And what is the plan?

Karl Rove, The Brain Behind The Remarkable Political Triumph Of George W. Bush

Boy Genius

Carl M. Cannon

Reid has assembled writings by an astonishing array of leading authors--Larry McMurtry, Woody Guthrie, and more--to explore the politicization, culture, history, and ecology of the vital river.

Rio Grande

A second title in a new series offers insight into the emotional power and ongoing influence of "Layla," describing the backgrounds of the band's defining songs as well as the often painful and prematurely ended lives of several of the band's members.

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos

The Washington Post Bestseller - Now Updated with Five New Chapters and a New Epilogue Unlike President George. W. Bush, Karl Rove, his chief political adviser, is rarely "misunderestimated." Many of the president's opponents see Rove's hand in everything the president does. His friends, and the president himself, are just thankful he's on their side, and always has been. From their earliest days in Texas, Rove saw and tapped the potential of George W. Bush. "Political hacks like me wait a lifetime for a guy like this to come along," Rove said of the future president. The authors of Boy Genius fill readers in on the man, his methods, and his plans for the Republican majority for a fascinating, entertaining look at the Man Who Would be Kingmaker, an investigation that debunks myths as it reveals facts, and the story of exactly how American politics works now. From allegations of bugging his own office back in Texas, to shadowy dealings with Swift Boat veterans in the last election, Rove has played politics all the way to the highest levels, and though it sometimes isn't pretty, it works.

Karl Rove, the Architect of George W. Bush's Remarkable Political Triumphs

Traces the rise of the man credited with engineering George W. Bush's victories, discussing his considerable political skill in the management of the Bush campaigns for governor of Texas and the president of the United States.

Jan Reid

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