{"product_id":"ira-aten-harold-preece-9781941324875","title":"Ira Aten: Last of the Old Texas Rangers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIra Aten left this world\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1953, aged ninety years. In that time he had been a sheriff, range detective, ranch manager (of the XIT), and political leader. He even spent some time picking cotton. But from the time he took the Ranger oath, before his twenty-first birthday, it was as a Texas Ranger that Ira Aten saw himself, and it was as a Ranger that Texas saw Ira.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIra Aten was a private man\u003c\/strong\u003e, and a modest one. He had stated that a man's memoirs should only be published after his death. He politely turned away writers who wanted to tell his story.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo you can imagine the the surprise of Harold Preece when, after writing a story of some of Ira's exploits for a national magazine, received a warm letter from the man himself. \"You must be from Texas, too,\" wrote Ira.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndeed he was.\u003c\/strong\u003e Harold Preece had grown up around Round Rock, just like Ira. Three members of his family had been Texas Rangers, including his grandfather.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeedless to say, Harold Preece and Ira Aten hit it off and for the final years of the old Ranger's life, corresponded often and at length.\u003c\/p\u003eIra Aten passed in 1953, leaving Harold with one less friend and pile of letters filled with historical details no one else knew. \u003cstrong\u003e\"Of all the letters I have from pioneers in my files, I value his the most. Of all the Rangers I have written about, I rate him highest.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarold knew those\u003c\/strong\u003e letters would be the basis of a book about Ira's life and adventures. In addition he would interview old-timers who knew Ira in those days, and do a writers due diligence in substantiating the old Ranger's recollections. His goal was for the book to have, \"a complete and scrupulous authenticity.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthenticity. That's the key word. Those times and places come alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere's a listing of the chapters: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1 - BOOTS DOWN FOR SAM BASS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2 - RANGER ROOKIE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3 - TEXAS ALSACE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4 - DEATH ON A HILLTOP\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5 - PISTOL SIGHTS \u0026amp; MAVERICK BRANDS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6 - MAKING HELL PAY TAXES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e7 - THE MEANEST THING I EVER DID\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e8 - THE WORST OUTLAW SINCE SAM BASS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e9 - PRAYER ON DEVIL'S RIVER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e10 - BEAT TO THE DRAW\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e11 - BORN TO BUST BARB\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e12 - BUTCH CASSIDY'S RIGHT BOWER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e13 - TWO ON A TRAIL\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e14 - BARBS SPROUTED BOMBS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e15 - VOTING AT HELL'S BORDER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e16 - ROCK \u0026amp; A ROPE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e17 - WAR ON THE SALT GRASS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e18 - COURTHOUSE KILLING\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e19 - DUEL AT DIMMITT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e20 - RUSTLER ROUNDUP\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e21 - ARSON ON THE RANGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e22 - RANGER FOREVER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \"A lawman til I die...\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Harold Preece\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1941324878\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781941324875\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Copano Bay Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/23\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 270\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.22lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d","brand":"Harold Preece","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46250701521151,"sku":"9781941324875","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_64d59dc8-fa92-4091-ac51-be8d3d2e43dc.jpg?v=1729601136","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/ira-aten-harold-preece-9781941324875","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}