Endorsements

“Claytie is quite the colorful man whose personality is bigger than the Permian Basin he hails from. George and I are both friends and fans of his.”

— Barbara Bush

“Most recall West Texan ‘Claytie’ Williams Jr. as the candidate who, in losing the 1990 gubernatorial race to Ann Richards, shot himself in the foot more times than a centipede with a machine gun. But Mike Cochran’s biography of the colorful oilfield wildcatter, rancher, banker, born entrepreneur—a page-turner reading more like an adventure novel—introduces the philanthropist, loyal friend, honest and sometimes soft-hearted side of the bar-room brawling, hard-drinking, plain-cussing, fanatical Texas Aggie who has been a near-billionaire and also on the verge of bankruptcy in the boom-or-bust oilpatch. Claytie’s life might be a movie—except I think it was shot in the 1950s as Giant with James Dean playing the Claytie Williams role, though they called him Jett Rink. A good read, for Texans or others.”

— Larry L. King, author of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas 

“Clayton Williams’s passion for making friends, making money, and making music is legendary. I’ve always admired Clayton. He’s a genuine American—as tough as a boot but with a heart as big as Texas.”

— Charley Pride, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame

“Claytie Williams is a living symbol of the mythical larger-than-life Texan, sometimes down but never out, willing to back his judgment on a Hail Mary pass, win, lose, or draw. He is one of the most affable people I have ever met.”

— Elmer Kelton, western novelist

“Clayton Williams defies the laws of physics—as an oilman/rancher he proves that oil and water DO mix.”

— Bob Parker

“Clayton Williams looks across the Texas landscape and sees two things more clearly than most—where water will flow on the surface, and oil beneath.”

— W. Herbert Hunt

“There is a forthrightness to his book that reflects Claytie’s own basic honesty, his inimitable combination of straight talk, braggadocio, combativeness, and poking fun at himself.”

— Dave McNeely, author and dean of Texas political reporters

“Clayton Williams’s perfect counterpart is Col. Charles Goodnight.  Their shared values and ‘my word is my bond’ reputation along with their pioneering accomplishments put them in the same category of remarkable leaders. Charles Goodnight, had he known Clayton, would have praised Clayton as the right man to join with him on that last great trail drive.”

— JP Bryan, Texas State Historical Association former President, 6th generation Texan and      descendent  of Sephen F. Austin

“Clayton Williams—West Texas oilman, proud Aggie, and would-be governor of Texas—has lived life on a grand scale reminiscent of independent Texas oilmen of an earlier era. Mike Cochran has blended stories of Williams’s personal, business, and political lives into a fast-moving, readable biography. Anyone interested in Texas history, petroleum history, or political history should enjoy this book.”

— Joseph A. Pratt, Cullen Chair of History and Business, University of Houston

“In Mike Cochran’s perfect-pitch account of the quintessential Texas wildcatter, the colorful life and multiple personae of Claytie Williams stand out for their true grit and integrity.  This is an extraordinary biography.”

— Davis Ford, adjunct professor of engineering, University of Texas, and past president of the      Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University