BONHAM, Texas –– The Friends of Sam Rayburn and the Creative Arts Center will host three Texas authors at a book signing and reception on November 19, 2009 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the Creative Arts Center in Bonham, Texas. The event will celebrate the release of The Austin/Boston Connection, with contributing authors Dr. Anthony Champagne and Dr. James Riddlesperger, Jr., and The Wrecking of La Salle’s Ship Aimable and the Trial of Claude Aigron, the latest release from Ector native Robert Weddle. Mr. Weddle is the recent recipient of the H.G. Dulaney Public Service Award from the Friends of Sam Rayburn.
The Austin/Boston Connection examines the pattern of Democratic leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, which for the past fifty years has been controlled by a representative from either Massachusetts or Texas.
Dr. Champagne, UT-Dallas and Dr. Riddlesperger, Texas Christian University collaborated with Dr. Douglas Harris, Loyola University in Maryland and Dr. Garrison Nelson, University of Vermont to offer insights on the history of the North-South alliance, its influence in party politics and how the connection has been perpetuated through the years.
More information about The Austin/Boston Connection is available online at http://www.tamupress.com/product/Austin-Boston-Connection.5220.aspx
The Wrecking of La Salle’s Ship Aimable and the Trial of
Claude Aigron recounts the doomed attempt of La Salle to
establish a French colony on the Texas coast in 1685 and his
subsequent accusation against Captain Claude Aigron of
purposefully wrecking the supply ship Aimable.
Using court documents, Robert Weddle tells the history of the ship and Aigron, who upon his return to France was imprisoned facing La Salle’s accusations. Translations provided by Francois Lagarde, Associate Professor of French, UT-Austin, illustrate the events surrounding the wreck and Aigron’s successful defense.
The book reveals the intricacies of the French legal
system and sea laws of the period. More information about
the book is available at http://www.utexas.edu/utpress
Also available from Robert Weddle will be After the Massacre,
which recounts the events following the attack on the Mission
Santa Cruz de San Sabá 1758: the Spaniards’ expedition to the
Red River to punish the offending Indians tribes; the intrigue
responsible for the erroneous view of the episode; the fruitless
effort to bring peace to the frontier; and the recent archeological
efforts that have contributed to a more complete understanding of
the story.
Weddle’s research focuses on the diary of Juan Ángel de Oyarzún, a captain on the 1759 expedition, and other documents from Spanish archives. More information about After the Massacre is available online at http://www.ttup.ttu.edu/BookPages/0896725960.html
The Friends of Sam Rayburn is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) that supports the Sam Rayburn House Museum and the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum. The Friends provides funds for various projects not funded by the parent institutions, as well as providing volunteers and other support services when requested by these organizations. For more information, contact the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum, (903) 583-2455 or visit the website http://www.friendsofsamrayburn.org/
The Creative Arts Center is a project of the Fannin Community Foundation, Inc., a public, non-profit 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to creating, implementing, and maintaining educational, social, cultural, and recreational programs based on traditional values, which benefit children, youth, adults, and senior citizens. To learn more about the Creative Arts Center, its programs or events, contact them at (903) 640-2196 or visit the website http://www.creativeartscenter.us/index.htm
