Texas Hill Country

"John Graves and Wyman Meinzer have proven themselves to be a winning combination in their books on the Texas sky and on Texas rivers, and this new volume is a worthy and logical addition to the franchise. In fact, of their three collaborations, I like this one the best.... These two artists clearly value the same things. They share a bone-deep appreciation of the landscape and a deep commitment to craft, and their work in this splendid book is mutually reinforcing."

—Stephen Harrigan, author of Gates of the Alamo, A Natural State, Water and Light, and Comanche Midnight

Limestone hills, cold spring-fed streams, live oaks and cedar, old German towns—the Texas Hill Country may well be the most beloved region of the state. Unlike West Texas with its dramatic expanses of plains and sky, or the eastern Piney Woods in their lush fecundity, the Hill Country never overwhelms. Its intimate landscapes of rolling hills, fields of wildflowers, and cypress-shaded rivers impart a peace and serenity that draws the urban-weary from across Texas and even beyond.

In this volume, two of the state's most respected artists join their talents to create an unsurpassed portrait of the Texas Hill Country. With an unerring eye for landscape photography, Wyman Meinzer distills the visual essence of the Hill Country—long vistas of oak-and-cedar-covered hills, clear streams running over rocks, bluebonnets turning fields into lapis-colored seas. His photographs also go beyond the familiar to reveal surprising contrasts and juxtapositions—prickly pear cactus delicately frosted with ice, black-eyed susans growing among granite boulders.

With an equally true feeling for what makes the Hill Country distinct, John Graves writes about the land and its people and how they have shaped one another. He pays tribute to the tenacious German pioneers who turned unpromising land into farms and ranches, the Anglo-American "cedar-choppers" who harvested the region's pest plant, and even the generations of vacationers who have found solace in the Hill Country. As Graves observes, "since well over a century ago, the region has been a sort of reference point for natives of other parts of the state, and mention of it usually brings smiles and nods."

Together, John Graves and Wyman Meinzer once again demonstrate that they are the foremost artists of the Texas landscape. The portrait they create in images and words is as close as you can come to the heart of the Hill Country without being there.

Some of our land's most breathtaking landscapes and a melange of cultures are found in the Hill Country, a stretch of about 200 miles through the state capital, Austin, to colorful San Antonio, and further almost to the Mexican border.

In the words of John Graves, a man who loves and understands his state, readers are privy to little known facts and moving remembrances as he pinpoints German architecture, small town life, and the wonders of nature. Marks left on this region by its varied settlers are noted - the effects of Native Americans, Spaniards, Mexicans, Western Europeans, and other pioneers.

Vistas, as captured with the lens of Wyman Meinzer are incredible - stark outcroppings lean into the sky while miles of wildflowers delight the senses.

Texas Hill Country will be treasured by historians, travelers and, of course, Texans.

- Gail Cooke