The Hidden City
Oak Cliff, Texas
The definitive examination of a corner of the nation that was home to a startling cast of singular Americans: Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald, writer Terry Southern, blues music legend Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, musician Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others. Oak Cliff, Texas was once one of the most prosperous, heralded communities in the country—until corruption, fate and cruel forces of nature led to it being swallowed alive by its larger, more domineering neighbor, the city of Dallas. This intimate portrait of the forgotten city resurrects, for the first time, the controversial twists and turns that led to so many larger-than-life characters calling it home. When Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested, it was in Oak Cliff—not far from his home in Oak Cliff … not far from where Jack Ruby lived in Oak Cliff. This is the ultimate portrait of a city taken over by a larger city—but that never yielded its heated, controversial, sense of independence. Seared by racism, forged by tornadoes and massive floods, inspired by iconoclasts, Oak Cliff is a place worth remembering. This work has been cited in numerous history books, academic papers, etc.
Referenced in numerous articles and books about Texas and Dallas history.
Assigned as a text for college courses.
Considered the definitive look at a city that was on the verge of becoming one of the most important communities in the South … until it was taken over by a larger opponent.
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