This is "a book that should be required reading for every American". Kinky Friedman, normally known for his internationally best-selling mysteries, has compiled in one volume a series of remarkable biographical snapshots of twenty-three unique Texans. Many, or perhaps even most, of these heroes are not household names "because their names weren't on the test", but they are among America's greatest founders, soldiers and citizens. The figures portrayed in this remarkable work include:

• Ace Reid - Drawing from Experience
• Lottie Cotton - Lottie’s Love
• Willie Nelson - Notes on a Bus
• Tom Friedman - The Navigator
• Molly Ivins - The Conscience of Texas Politics
• Barbara Jordan - Common Humanity
• Audie Murphy - To Hell and Back
• Sam Rayburn - The Incorruptible One
• Racehorse Haynes - God Bless You, Mr. Racehorse
• Ann Richards - A New Day for Texas
• Sam Houston - The Magnificent Barbarian
• Heman Sweatt - The Trailblazer
• Henry B. González - In the Minority
• Juan Seguin - The Paul Revere of Texas
• J. Frank Dobie - Defender of the Strays
• Emily Morgan - The Yellow Rose of Texas
• James Bonham - The Messenger
• Ralph Yarborough - Man of the People
• John Henry Faulk - Fear on Trial
• Lady Bird Johnson - First Lady
• Davy Crockett - King of the Wild Frontier
• Bigfoot Wallace - Folk Hero
• Quanah Parker - Last Chief of the Comanches

About "Heroes of a Texas Childhood", from the Author's Introduction: "Heroes of a Texas Childhood" is not a children’s book but it could be. There are no sports figures in this book but there could have been. There are no stars from the world of entertainment except Willie Nelson, but that’s not why he’s in the book. Indeed, at this writing, of all the heroes, only Willie and Racehorse Haynes are still alive, yet the inspiration keeps flowing from all of them. That’s why they are heroes. Some heroes of mine, like my mother, seem yet too close to my heart to write about. So how did I select the heroes for this book? Like an old man patiently whittling on a stick. But I’m not that old. And besides, it’s a big stick. It could possibly be used to climb a mountain. Heroes of a Texas Childhood is a personal book, yet it is also a history book of sorts. That is as it should be. All historical writing, they say, is either autobiography or plagiarism. That this book is a little bit of both is freely acknowledged here. Some of the heroes in this book are covered with glory, and some remain unsung even to this day. They are here because of the way they faced the failures, challenges, and tragedies of their lives. My friend Jim Hightower once told me that the best way to know somebody is to find out who that person’s heroes are. It is an honor to share with you some of mine. …"

Vandam Press is proud to be able to make this remarkable collection available to Kinky’s old friends and to those readers worldwide who are discovering Kinky Friedman for the first time.

(The complete list of all Vandam Press' Kinky Friedman e-books can be found at: www.kinkyfriedman.com/ebooks.html.)

" Kinky can be poetic, hilarious, philosophical or crude -- all within one paragraph…In the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson or Jack Kerouac." (Tribune & Times)

"The Kinkster is a catcher, not in the rye, but in the sagebrush, and that's what is truly appealing about him and his work." (Los Angeles Times)

"Two Thumbs Up, and pardon the Barbecue smears." (Texas Monthly)

"A true Texas legend." (former President George W. Bush)

"Dear Kinky, I have now read all of your books. More, please. I really need the laughs." (former President Bill Clinton)

"Smart, funny and tough." (Robert B. Parker, author)

"The Sam Spade of South Texas. Only soft boiled. And hipper. And funnier." (Sunday Mail)