11 Fascinating Books About the History of the Texas Coastal Bend
The Texas Coastal Bend is more than a beautiful place to fish, birdwatch, or hit the beach—it’s also steeped in stories. From mysterious shipwrecks to long-lost port towns, from early explorers to tarpon-fishing legends, the coast holds layers of history just waiting to be uncovered.
Whether you’re a lifelong Texan, a history buff, or simply someone who loves the Gulf, these books explore the people, wildlife, disasters, and discoveries that shaped the shoreline from Galveston to Port Isabel and everywhere in between.
Here are 11 hand-picked books that bring the Texas Gulf Coast to life—complete with our Amazon affiliate links so you can start reading today.
1. Texas Gulf Coast Stories
By C. Herndon Williams
This is the perfect starting point—a collection of short, compelling stories covering hurricanes, lost ports, and local characters that defined the coast’s colorful past.
2. Birds of the Texas Coast: Photographs
By Ron Grimes
Part field guide, part visual celebration, this beautiful photo collection highlights the diverse birdlife of the Gulf Coast—an essential book for nature lovers and birders along the Coastal Bend.
3. The Vanished Texas Coast: Lost Port Towns, Mysterious Shipwrecks and Other True Tales
By Mark Lardas
This one reads like a mystery anthology—covering forgotten towns, haunted ruins, and tales of shipwrecks swallowed by time and tide.
4. Glory of the Silver King: The Golden Age of Tarpon Fishing
By Hart Stilwell
A must-read for anglers and Gulf Coast sportsmen, this book explores the golden era of tarpon fishing along the Texas coast and the culture it inspired.
5. A Hundred Years of Texas Waterfowl Hunting
By R.K. Sawyer
Packed with vintage photos and firsthand accounts, this is a love letter to Texas duck hunting traditions from the marshes to the bays.
6. Mapping Texas and the Gulf Coast
By Jack Jackson
This scholarly but accessible volume traces early exploration efforts through rare maps and the lives of 18th-century explorers who helped shape the region’s identity.
7. The Coast Guard on the Texas Border
By Jackie Kyger
A unique look into the Coast Guard’s legacy along Texas’s southern border, from drug patrols to hurricane rescues.
8. The Texas Lowcountry
By John R. Lundberg
For those interested in deeper regional studies, this book explores the plantation and slavery history of the southern Texas coast—a story often left out of broader Texas narratives.
9. Forgotten Legends of the Texas Coast
By Wiley McLaughlin
Lighthouses, pirate gold, ghost ships—it’s all here in this fun and mysterious look at the stranger side of Texas coastal folklore.
10. Barrier to the Bays: The Islands of the Coastal Bend and Their Pass
By Mary Jo O’Rear
This book digs into the environmental and political history of barrier islands like Mustang and Padre, examining how tides, storms, and people have reshaped them over time.
11. Texas Shipwrecks (Images of America)
By Mark Lardas
A visual deep dive into shipwrecks that dot the Texas coastline—this collection is rich in historical photos and the real-life drama behind each sunken vessel.
The Texas coast has seen it all—storms, stories, smugglers, and silver kings. These books offer a deeper appreciation for the people, ecosystems, and legends that have shaped the Coastal Bend and beyond.
Whether you’re reading beachside in Rockport or curled up in a Corpus condo, these titles bring the coast to life in unforgettable ways.
