The fifty years since the founding of the University of Texas Press have witnessed major evolutions in the world of publishing. Computer technology has changed how we do everything, from corresponding with authors by e-mail to editing and designing books on-screen to selling them in cyberspace. University presses are pondering the future of scholarly books in a market increasingly dominated by chain bookstores, large wholesalers, and bookselling websites, while the very nature of the book itself is up for debate. Will electronic texts replace printed words on paper by 2050?

One thing that has not changed in the last fifty years is our desire to publish the most outstanding books in our areas of expertise. This book presents a "best of the best" selection from the University of Texas Press' first half-century. The illustrated anniversary volume contains over 175 excerpts from classic, award-winning titles spanning all fifty years and all of our major discipline areas, along with a brief history of the press and a complete list of our books and journals.