A tribute to a fish, a sport, and a time now past . . . Through a series of chance encounters over several years, fishing guide and journalist Brandon Shuler unearthed multiple drafts of a nearly finished manuscript by an almost forgotten Texas sports writer, Hart Stilwell. Titled #x1C;Glory of the Silver King,#x1D;the manuscript vividly captured the history of tarpon and snook fishing on the Texas and Mexico Gulf Coast from the 1930s to the end of Stilwell#x19;s life in the early 1970s. Stilwell was a seasoned outdoors journalist with a passion for salt-water fishing. Now, with Shuler#x19;s careful research, editing, and annotation, this lost manuscript has found new life as both an entertaining #x1C;fish tale#x1D; and a historical snapshot of a region#x19;s natural heritage. It successfully conveys the thrill of fishing for these once abundant species at the same time it tracks-and laments-the rise, decline, and eventual fall of their fisheries in Texas (which Shuler is able to report are now experiencing a rebound). In a personal and informative introduction, Shuler paints a portrait of Stilwell and tells the story of the discovery and evolution of the manuscript. He also provides a look into his own life as an angler and writer, creating a connection with Stilwell that gives the work authenticity and relevance. Anglers will delight in Stilwell#x19;s rollicking prose. Environmentalists will appreciate the book#x19;s lesson in ocean conservation. For all who live on or near the Gulf Coast, Glory of the Silver Kingreintroduces a forgotten literary treasure and a magnificent fish that once filled the waters at our favorite coastal retreats. "Hart Stilwell was a world-class raconteur and storyteller. His unpublished manuscript on the glory days of coastal fishing became an underground legend, passed around like a sacred totem for decades. Editor Brandon Shuler has revived Stilwell#x19;s folksy charm and penetrating insights, and the result is this engaging and important book."--Steven L. Davis, curator, The Wittliff Collections