One Ranger

Bridwell Texas History Series

by H. Joaquin Jackson, David Marion Wilkinson

When his picture appeared on the cover of Texas Monthly , Joaquin Jackson became the icon of the modern Texas Rangers. Nick Nolte modeled his character in the movie Extreme Prejudice on him. Jackson even had a speaking part of his own in The Good Old Boys with Tommy Lee Jones. But the role that Jackson has always played the best is that of the man who wears the silver badge cut from a Mexican cinco peso coin-a working Texas Ranger. Legend says that one Ranger is all it takes to put down lawlessness and restore the peace-one riot, one Ranger. In this adventure-filled memoir, Joaquin Jackson recalls what it was like to be the Ranger who responded when riots threatened, violence erupted, and criminals needed to be brought to justice across a wide swath of the Texas-Mexico border from 1966 to 1993. Jackson has dramatic stories to tell. Defying all stereotypes, he was the one Ranger who ensured a fair election-and an overwhelming win for La Raza Unida party candidates-in Zavala County in 1972. He followed legendary Ranger Captain Alfred Y. Allee Sr. into a shootout at the Carrizo Springs jail that ended a prison revolt-and left him with nightmares. He captured "The See More Kid," an elusive horse thief and burglar who left clean dishes and swept floors in the houses he robbed. He investigated the 1988 shootings in Big Bend's Colorado Canyon and tried to understand the motives of the Mexican teenagers who terrorized three river rafters and killed one. He even helped train Afghan mujahedin warriors to fight the Soviet Union. Jackson's tenure in the Texas Rangers began when older Rangers still believed that law need not get in the way of maintaining order, and concluded as younger Rangers were turning to computer technology to help solve crimes. Though he insists, "I am only one Ranger. There was only one story that belonged to me," his story is part of the larger story of the Texas Rangers becoming a modern law enforcement agency that serves all the people of the state. It's a story that's as interesting as any of the legends. And yet, Jackson's story confirms the legends, too. With just over a hundred Texas Rangers to cover a state with 267,399 square miles, any one may become the one Ranger who, like Joaquin Jackson in Zavala County in 1972, stops one riot.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Memoir, Westerns, Audiobook, Autobiography

Paperback

First published May 28, 2005

About the author

Joaquin Jackson was a Texas Ranger from 1966-1993.Joaquin Jackson was assigned to a wide swath of the Texas-Mexico border from 1966 to 1993. He was involved in a shootout at the Carrizo Springs jail that ended a prison revolt. He captured "The See More Kid," an elusive horse thief and burglar who left clean dishes and swept floors in the houses he robbed. He investigated the 1988 shootings in Big Bend's Colorado Canyon and tried to understand the motives of the Mexican teenagers who terrorized three river rafters and killed one.

While a Texas Ranger, Jackson was instrumental in starting the career of country singer Johnny Rodriguez. In 1969, a teenage Rodriguez was jailed and would often sing in his cell; Jackson, who overheard Rodriguez and was impressed by his voice, told his friend, music promoter "Happy" Shahan, about him, and Shahan then hired Rodriguez for his first singing gigs.

After retiring from the Texas Rangers in 1993 Jackson moved into private investigations, writing his memoirs, public appearances, acting and working as a technical advisor to movie and television productions.

Joaquin Jackson passed away at his home in Alpine, Texas on June 15, 2016. He was eighty-years old at the time of his death.

Reviews

[Ctgt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm of two minds with this book. From a purely entertainment standpoint it was great. Plenty of interesting, exciting stories and some great anecdotes;

this is after an "accidental misfire" by an a fellow law enforcement officer during a standoff

Deputy Fife claimed he was off to see his local gunsmith. He needed to find out what was wrong with his rifle. I could have told him, an idiot owned it.

There are plenty of other chuckle inducing lines and badass moments from the various stories along with numerous shout-outs to his mentors and fellow officers of the Rangers. It's obvious he loved his job and most of those he worked alongside.

My hesitancy comes from a general knowledge of the history from the time frame in question. During the 60's the Rangers were used for strike busting and controlling civil rights protests. Doesn't mean he was directly involved but it does raise some prickly questions. In the end it is called a memoir not a history so these concerns of mine are probably not relevant but it did detract from my overall enjoyment.

6/10

I listened to the audiobook from the library and though the narrator did a great job.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is more badassery in this single book, than exists in all American males born after 1985 combined. Joaquin is very illustrative, and recreates scenes with vivid detail. This book really makes you understand just how much things have changed in our country in the past 50 years. I'm glad to know there are guys like Joaquin still out there, and I'm saddened to think that my generation is bridging the gap between his, and the current generation.

I really liked the family aspect of the story as well as all the awesome Ranger exploits.

I can't wait to read Joaquin's second book!

[Lindsay Lemus]

3 stars for enjoyment. I thought it was interesting to learn about the life of a Texas Ranger. He went through some serious stuff! Read this for my Bookclub and I'm glad I read it but it won't be memorable for me.

[Ron Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was almost like having Sam Elliott narrating.

With a better editor I would have given this book 5 stars. For the sacrifice and service of Ranger Joaquin Jackson it deserves 12.

[Ido · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm about half-way through this book and I love it. This is a wonderful story and Joaquin Jackson is a great story teller. I'll update my review when I finish this book.

7.1.2009

This was a wonderful book. Joaquin Jackson tells an amazing story about his life in the Texas Rangers (the REAL Rangers -- not the baseball team). It's somewhat sad in the end as he realizes that Texas is changing and the new Rangers are able to take advantage of the technology around them while he is still of the mold from the 60s - 80s. I think the one part that hits most home is when he recounts his being the umpire for one of his son's little league games and when the batter (a small Mexican kid nicknamed 'bozo' - which means shorty, not bozo as in Bozo the clown) is told by his coach that the umpire (Joaquin Jackson) is a real Texas Ranger he goes up to the plate and asks "What position do you play?" Jackson says that at that moment he realized that our country had undergone a cultural and societal shift in which rock musicians, actors, and celebrities have become the "heroes" and the days of when little boys looked up to policemen, firefighters, and Texas Rangers were gone. It's sad, but it's very much true. Unfortunately today we've even gone further and kids look up to fund managers, stock brokers and CEOs as people to emulate which I think is just wrong. There's nothing wrong with aspiring to succeed but the people who have done so don't necessarily represent the best characteristics in us and while there have been bad lawmen they at least put their lives on the line and many of them do the job because they really want to serve their communities.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book -- it's easy reading, entertaining, and gives a wonderful glimpse into the Texas that was. I intend to get a copy of One Ranger Returns to continue reading about Ranger Jackson's stories.

[John Babb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an autobiography/biography written in the first person by Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson, along with ghostwriter David Wilkinson. The book follows the life and career of Jackson from 1966 to 1993. It's full of tales about his most important cases, as well as a reflection on the changes in Texas society and law enforcement during his 27 year career, assigned to southwest Texas along the border with Mexico. He talks freely about how Texas Rangers sort of had a free hand in the "old days" maintaining order, but that this morphed over time such that very little time was spent in the saddle, and most days were spent in front of a computer. He was quite introspective in the way he looked back at his own changes as well. I found the book at times funny, exciting, and heart-wrenching. Late in his career, Jackson was first a consultant, then a bit player in several notable movies and TV shows. He was an imposing man, standing 6' 5", and towering over everybody else. But like all of us, he was an imperfect man, and tells several stories confirming that. At the close of the book, some statistics were included regarding the kinds of cases he handled during his career. For example - 104 murders, 699 felony arrests (with 405 convictions), and others, thus makig the case - to me, at least, that he truly made a difference. His ghost writer did a great job with his writing skills, and Jackson's storytelling was extremely entertaining. A slice of Texas history well worth reading.

[Rob Vitagliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook, and for a serious majority of it, I was thoroughly engaged and entertained. There are some laugh out loud moments, actually far more than I expected, and there are some moments that I honestly found upsetting enough that I had to stop and think for a few minutes, as I was having a far more serious emotional reaction than I normally have from memoirs. He tells quite a few different stories from his life, and two of my favorites were when he helped train Mujahideen soldiers, and when he recounted two of his fellow Rangers rescuing a young girl from a murderous criminal. That second part, I can safely say, was one of the most intense, heartrending accounts of anything I have ever heard. I stopped everything I was doing and just stood there until he was finished.

There are a few points where the book drags a bit, mostly when he’s explaining the history of areas or cultures he’s about to delve in to, but that information is there for a reason and it’s worth listening to in order to fully understand the seriousness of the situations he was in. Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in law enforcement, or anyone that wants to read about bravery and justice of an extremely high order.

[Abby Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this quick and easy read should be mandatory for every Texan, and probably every teenage boy.


It tracks the life of Joaquin Jackson, one of the last of the real frontier Texas Rangers from his early life as a ranch hand, to watching his son be convicted of murder, and several of the high-profile cases he worked, and some of his more interesting ones.


I think what I loved most about it was his love for Texas and the honor and respect he paid to the Rangers he served with and who came before him. It is also fascinating to here his perspective on some of the troubling times in the 60's and 70's with race and drugs. More than that, it's nice to read of real men with guns and spurs. :-)


The part where he goes through the list of guns he always carried was amazing.

[Adam Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackson is a Ranger from a transitional period. He straddled an era with one dusty boot where lawmen's methods were as unsavory as the outlaws they hunted while the other boot strode forward into a future where justice was pursued with practiced precision and scrutiny. One Ranger is a great read with each chapter its own story, a collection of memoirs where you can open read one chapter today and another next year and revel in each entry without the continuity of reading them together.

Great anecdotes:
When asked if carrying the 1911 .45ACP hammer back in the holster was dangerous, he replies something to the effect of, "I wouldn't carry the son-of-a-bitch if it wasn't."

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I visited Big Bend in November and this book seemed to be an extension of the trip. In one particularly sad story, the author tells how he tracked down the people who had shot at 3 river runners in Colorado Canyon of the Rio Grande in 1988. Other stories of law enforcement are interesting and reveal much about how it works in Texas in modern times. Jackson comes off sounding like a truly honest good guy.

[Doran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing H. Joaquin before the book was published did not diminish the vast wealth of knowledge I discovered reading One Ranger: A Memoir. I learned so much that completes my admiration and respect for H. Joaquin Jackson. A Man among Men. A Living Legend. The depth of his character and his life is a great read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in modern history, law enforcement and the Texas Rangers.
Doran W Ingrham
Inactive US Marine
Retired Risk Management Specialist

[Micheal Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding memoir. In my opinion the challenge of the genre is how to structure all the stories, otherwise they read like offense reports. Here we are intrigued from the start about how a lawman's son could go so wrong. Near the end of the book when this painful passage is divulged, we've already know Joaquin Jackson. We are left equally confounded. A must read for every Texas lawman.

[Andrea Eckelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend in law enforcement, and I wasn’t sure if I would have the same draw to it as he did. I was very pleasantly surprised by the depth, genuineness and attention to detail in Joaquin’s stories. He acknowledged where he and others around him could have done better, while still telling his tales as he saw them. I was very deeply engaged in a number of the cases he discussed and the situations he found himself in over his 30+ year career.

[Tntbrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a man discovers Johnny Rodriguez on the side of a road drunk before he's even famous, loses a basketball scholarship while in college, goes on to become a Texas Ranger (cop not baseball player-read the book); and then has a son who steals a car, robs two men for $11 and then kills them you have to be interested in his life story.

[Belinda Elizondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about this iconic Texas Ranger~~a real Texas Ranger. His stories cover Texas from the Rio Grande Valley to the Texas Hill Country. Living in Austin, and growing up in San Antonio with in-laws in South Texas, i took a personal interest in his stories. There's laughter, tragedy and history in this book. Enjoyed his story telling.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joaquin Jackson's autobiographical account of his years as a Texas Ranger. A good read, especially for those interested in law enforcement in general, or the Texas Rangers in particular. Replete with true to life stories of Jackson's experiences as a Ranger until his retirement in 1993.

[Chuck]

Take a trip back to South Texas in the 60's 70's and 80s and ride along with a real Texas Ranger. Listen to him share stories.

Fascinating man who embodied the legends of John Wayne on the silver screen only he was very real.

[Fred Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Ranger book, and I've read many. This one covers a very interesting era, one I had not read much about, frankly. Being a native Texan, and an old west fan myself, I thoroughly enjoy books like this.

[Andy Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining book about a by gone era in law enforcement. The Texas Rangers circa 1960 - 1990. The author, a legendary Texas Ranger, told excellent stories and had quite the way with words and expressions.

[Debbie Ducroz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fascinating book. All the history was wonderful to read about and each story really kept me on the edge of my seat. True stories like these are just not passed down anymore. Nor are they appreciated. One story in particular was a real shock but I won’t spoil it.

[Allysen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Jimmy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely one of the best books I've read in a long, long, time.

[Scott Ericksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account from Joaquin Jackson in his dealings with the job duties of a Texas Ranger in mid 20th century.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book: the history of my adopted state, the entertainment of the life of Mr. Jackson, and the visuals of the beautiful country he served.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good to read about a man doing the best he could. Texas is proud.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A intriguing, informational and heart wrenching tale of a real Texas Law Man!

[Dennis O'Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading

[Ryann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was messy at times, but the stories are enjoyable. I learned of interesting murder cases in Texas that I was not familiar with. I wish that Mr. Jackson would have given equal attention to his role in his cases as he did the lead up to his involvement with them. I would have preferred more of HIS stories and less gushing of everyone else he encountered in his life. Everything was surface level and he refrained from digging too deep into anything approached in this memoir.

I did enjoy his reaction to a kid mistaking him as a Texas Ranger (baseball player). It’s true that kids in Texas today know next to nothing about the Texas Rangers. In fairness, they keep a low profile, making it difficult to know much about them.

I chose to do the audiobook and highly recommend. Rex Linn did an excellent job and makes you believe that Joaquin himself is the one reading to you.

[Rolando Gallegos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book by a Texas Ranger legend, H. Joaquin Jackson. Jackson was a Ranger from 1966 to 1993, who watched over the Texas-Mexico border from Uvalde on down. He recounts his career from when he joined the Rangers to when he retired. An interesting book that I recommend highly to those who love hearing stories about a Texas institution. It's a sparely written book that is pretty much straight forward. Not complex, but still interesting.

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced memoir, and the audio book's narrator does a great job rendering it. H. Joaquin Jackson is a throwback to a wild west type of lawman who rode horses, wore chaps and boots with spurs, and carried four or five firearms on his body at any given time. Retired now, and perhaps even passed on, he grappled with the puzzle and shame of one of his sons following him into law work, and the other becoming an outlaw.