num_pages: 491
description: Veteran journalist and CBS news anchor Dan Rather's introduction to Celebrating the Lone Star Millennium is a reminder of just how far the city has come in a few short decades. Recalling a 1936 family trip to Austin, the place he considers to be his home, Rather writes of cresting a hill and seeing the city in its entirety, spread out before him "purple and gray in the setting sun. Lights sparkling. The capitol in the foreground, the Tower of the University of Texas just beyond These were the only two buildings of size in those days, and they stood out not only because of their hugeness but also because of their colors." Today's Austin maintains its love for these landmarks. But the magnitude of change that has occurred in their shadow could not have been foretold back in the dusty days of the Great Depression. With the sharp eye for detail and nuance that has fueled his career, Rather paints a picture of a city that "is supremely aware of the natural splendor of its setting," a community that isn't afraid to embrace and celebrate its diversity. "Other places may be more take-your-breath-away beautiful," he writes, "but no other place is more interesting to look at and explore." This beauty, and its inherent interest, are well defined in the hundreds of stunning photographs that follow Rather's introduction. The work of the best local photographers captures the essence of the city in images that are unmistakably Austin. As Rather points out, Austin is a city of numerous colorful stories. His own contribution, in Celebrating the Lone Star Millennium, just happens to be one of the best.
language: English
title: Austin: Celebrating the Lone Star Millennium
titlecomplete: Austin: Celebrating the Lone Star Millennium (Urban Tapestry Series)
publisher: Towery Pub