An impossible book search

I have been looking for a particular book for over thirty years and have not
found anything about it. I know it exists because some of my friends from
two decades ago said they had a copy. And now those friends are lost too.

I am pretty good and searching for things but this one has me stumped. I
have looked in all the obvious places like Google, the online used book
search sites and the Library of Congress. The problem is I do not know the
book's title or author!

Here is what I know about the book:

It was about the staff of radio station KRYS when hurricane Celia hit Corpus
Christi, Texas in 1970. The owner of the station -- Shamrock Oil Company,
President Tom Turner -- hired a freelance writer to debrief the staff after
the storm and turn their experiences into a book. The book may have been
printed by a publishing subsidiary of Shamrock Oil. I am almost certain
that the book was given away as a promotional gift by the radio station in
late 1970 and early 1971 and not sold through the regular publishing
channels. Therefore, it appears to have been a self-published, small
printing volume book of a few thousand copies (guessing).

I have written and emailed book stores, radio stations, newspapers and
libraries in the Corpus Christi area to see if anyone remembers anything
about this book. Nothing.

Any other ideas to try?

-- David Harper

Two suggestions:

- CELIA: SAGA OF A STORM, ed Jim Wood and Grady Phelps

- ...AND CELIA WAS HER NAME, ed Hal Barron

"J" wrote in message
...
Two suggestions:

- CELIA: SAGA OF A STORM, ed Jim Wood and Grady Phelps

- ...AND CELIA WAS HER NAME, ed Hal Barron

Yes, I have those books/booklets. They are your basic aftermath pictorials
of a natural disaster. The book I am looking for is more of a biography of a
specific group of people during the storm. It is not so much about the storm
as it is about the people at a particular radio station during and after the
storm. If it has any pictures in it they would only be of the radio station
and the people who worked there.

Thanks for trying to help. Much appreciated.

- David Harper

On Sep 12, 2:03*pm, "David Harper" wrote:
Yes, I have those books/booklets. They are your basic aftermath pictorials
of a natural disaster. The book I am looking for is more of a biography of a
specific group of people during the storm. It is not so much about the storm
as it is about the people at a particular radio station during and after the
storm. *If it has any pictures in it they would only be of the radio station
and the people who worked there.

Thanks for trying to help. *Much appreciated.

- David Harper

The only thing that I can think of is to set up an eBay search using
keywords hurricane celia radio, in title and description, and
subscribe to be alerted by email if anything turns up.

I have discovered a couple of things that I would never have found
otherwise, by a similar method.

Good luck, and I hope you find it eventually.

"David Harper" wrote:

"J" wrote in message
...
Two suggestions:

- CELIA: SAGA OF A STORM, ed Jim Wood and Grady Phelps

- ...AND CELIA WAS HER NAME, ed Hal Barron

Yes, I have those books/booklets. They are your basic aftermath pictorials
of a natural disaster. The book I am looking for is more of a biography of a
specific group of people during the storm. It is not so much about the storm
as it is about the people at a particular radio station during and after the
storm. If it has any pictures in it they would only be of the radio station
and the people who worked there.

Thanks for trying to help. Much appreciated.

Did you search Worldcat? Could it be the Central Power and Light Company
magazine, 39 pages, illustrated, August 1970?

http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3Ahurricane+celia

"igs" wrote in message
...

----
The only thing that I can think of is to set up an eBay search using
keywords hurricane celia radio, in title and description, and
subscribe to be alerted by email if anything turns up.
----

I do have a general search set up on eBay for just "Corpus Christi" in title
and description. However, I have a sinking feeling that the title of the
book might be something like "We're on the air!", with no mention of
hurricane Celia or Corpus Christi or a radio station in the title or
anywhere else.

- David Harper

"weary flake" wrote in message
...

Did you search Worldcat? Could it be the Central Power and Light Company
magazine, 39 pages, illustrated, August 1970?

http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3Ahurricane+celia

WorldCat is a good resource. The above is another publication about the
disaster in general.

What I am looking for is definitely a book. It is a paperback of unknown
dimensions, but has much more than 39 pages.

I have found that Shamrock Oil, Amarillo, TX is listed as the publisher of
some books/pamphlets in the 1960. I cannot find out if they are still in
business.

- David Harper

Shamrock Oil later became part of Diamond Shamrock, which in turn was
acquired and is still owned by Valero Energy. I doubt that their archives
would be helpful but it's worth a try.



I have found that Shamrock Oil, Amarillo, TX is listed as the publisher of
some books/pamphlets in the 1960. I cannot find out if they are still in
business.

- David Harper

"Chris Charles" wrote in message
m...
Shamrock Oil later became part of Diamond Shamrock, which in turn was
acquired and is still owned by Valero Energy. I doubt that their archives
would be helpful but it's worth a try.

I have found that Shamrock Oil, Amarillo, TX is listed as the publisher
of some books/pamphlets in the 1960. I cannot find out if they are still
in business.

Yes, I have tried getting in touch with higher-ups within Valero. When I ask
questions about the book I am trying to find they seem clueless.

What I meant to write in my previous message was "I cannot find out if they
[the publishing division of Shamrock/Valero] is still in business.

Thanks for trying to help. I am running out of ideas.

- David Harper