Many years ago, John Graves said goodbye to a wild river that 
tumbled out of the Hill Country and was forever changed by dams and 
people. In this book we say hello to that same river farther down its 
course, in the valley that carries its name.

    When naming the signature landscapes of Texas, if you have never 
said "Brazos Valley" in the same breath as "Hill Country" or "Big 
Bend," this book could change your mind. In the fine, penetrating 
photography of D. Gentry Steele and the revealing, affectionate 
reflections of M. Jimmie Killingsworth, the Brazos Valley has found 
its champions in two adopted sons who have learned to love its quiet, 
uncelebrated beauty.

    In words and pictures, Killingsworth and Steele remind us that this 
valley was the birthplace of a republic, was once the agricultural heart 
of Texas, and was the ancestral home of a great alluvial river. Here, 
the Brazos is—and isn't—John Graves's river, the one with clear-
running waters flowing beneath limestone cliffs. A little south of Waco, 
the river gets bigger, slower, muddier. In its middle reaches it creates 
a wide swath of bottomlands and prairies where, if you take the time 
to look, you will discover the natural virtues of this place: peaceful 
glens, watered forests, flowers, birds, and backyard wildlife.

    This book will inspire all who live and work here—and those who 
just visit—to see the Brazos Valley anew and form a fuller 
appreciation of what it offers.

_________________________________________________________

D. GENTRY STEELE is an emeritus professor at Texas A&M 
University. A physical anthropologist with expertise in skeletal 
biology who has contributed two important books and many articles 
to his field, Steele is also an experienced photographer whose book 
on the Big Bend, Land of the Desert Sun, was also published by 
Texas A&M University Press. M. JIMMIE KILLINGSWORTH is 
professor of English at Texas A&M University and chair of the 
department. Widely published on topics ranging from nature poetry 
to technical style, Killingsworth is author or coauthor of seven books. 
A native of South Carolina, he has lived in College Station since 1990.



What people are saying about this book

"Reflections of the Brazos Valley is a beautiful book and deserves a 
place on your coffee table or as a gift."—Mexia Daily News, January 5, 
2008