Big Bend Country: Land of the Unexpected by Kenneth B. Ragsdale is a historical and nostalgic look at the Big Bend region of West Texas, covering the period from roughly 1900 to 1955. The book explores the region's transformation through stories of its people, blending tales of hardship and violence with those of compassion, healing, and a burgeoning sense of community, and chronicles the shift from isolation to the modern era with the establishment of a national park.