Texas Takes Shape is a beautifully illustrated and designed book of the most comprehensive map collection relating to Texas. Texas is unique in the Union in that it retained ownership of its public land, and this book makes clear that the creative and judicious use of that land is, in many ways, the creation story of present-day Texas.
— Ron Tyler, University of Texas at Austin, author of Texas Lithographs: A Century of History in Images
Texas Takes Shape is an astoundingly beautiful work of visual history. Surveying the Texas past through more than a hundred historical maps, this collection offers readers a remarkable new window into how individuals and empires have imagined, explored, and fought over the lands that became Texas. For anyone interested in understanding how maps have literally shaped the modern landscape of Texas, this is an absolute must-read.
— Andrew J. Torget, University of North Texas, author of Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800–1850
Texas Takes Shape is both a guide to the extensive and ever-increasing map collection of the Texas General Land Office and a remarkable study of maps of Texas and the Southwest. This handsome and colorful volume is a pleasure for the eye of the book collector but also a treat for the reader who wants to understand how maps framed understandings of the state and the region over several centuries.
— Kenneth Hafertepe, Baylor University, author of The Material Culture of German Texans
Four members of the GLO’s staff have selected more than one hundred [historical Texas maps] for inclusion in a stunning new volume, Texas Takes Shape...The result is that rarest of birds: a coffee-table book that advances an argument...The authors’ provocative thesis—that maps not only reflect the past but have influenced it too—puts Texas Takes Shape into conversations about books by scholars and critics as well.
— Texas Monthly
What’s missing from your Texas history bookshelf? How about a gorgeous volume of old maps that helped define and develop our state, that also includes cogent historical context for each image?...This magnificent book cajoles the reader to linger over every page with a magnifying glass in hand. You don’t want to miss any of the telling details.
— Austin American-Statesman
[This book is] a comprehensive analysis of historical mapping in Texas from the early 16th century to today…presented in a way to take readers on a journey through history that defines and develops Texas through centuries of research and preservation…[It’s] ‘a perfect gift for every Texan out there.’
— Temple Daily Telegraph
Detailed, artistic maps tell the story of Texas’s evolving borders and landscapes. Great for history buffs, designers, and fans of vintage cartography.
— 365 Things Austin
Each map is beautifully rendered and the accompanying essay is engrossing.
— Denton Record-Chronicle
Featuring Spanish, French, Indigenous, and frontier‑era cartography, the collection reveals surprising misconceptions and evolving boundaries.
— KUT's Texas Standard
As a stunning visual narrative, Texas Takes Shape will be an excellent addition to any library or personal collection. It is a great conversation starter. Flipping through the book one is bound to get captured by an amazing graphic on almost every page...Overall, Texas Takes Shape is an amazing work that should encourage people to learn history and geography through maps that had been previously locked away in an archive.
— H-Net
Texas Takes Shape is a large, beautiful book packed with images and information about the history of Texas as told through the medium of cartography. The authors accomplish their goal in an erudite, but readable and engaging, manner. The GLO played (and plays) a central role in the history of the state, and this book demonstrates the important truth that maps are more than mere neutral illustrations, but serve as an adjunct to empire, settlement, and governance. Texas history buffs and historians of cartography and discovery will find much amusement and knowledge in Texas Takes Shape.
— Terrae Incognitae
An insightful and authoritative exhibition of significant maps in the cartographic history of Texas. The map selection is thoughtful, comprehensive, and engaging...The casual reader will enjoy flipping through the pages to view maps while pausing occasionally to read more. The emerging scholar will find a plethora of ideas for exploring cartographic history in more detail...Texas Takes Shape is an outstanding addition to the literature in cartographic history, Texas history, and historical geography.
— Journal of Southern History
With huge, exquisitely printed reproductions and compelling insets that encourage closer viewing, Texas Takes Shape is an impressive and thoughtfully commented demonstration of the cartographic holdings of the Texas General Land Office.
— The Journal of Texas History
