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Books On The Alamo
The
Better Part of Valor
No event in human history has captured the imagination like the battle
of the Alamo. It is a tale of bold men whose honor, courage and sacrifice
made them heroes in the fight for Texas independence. "The Better
Part of Valor" chronicles the 13-day siege of the Alamo fortress
through the eyes of its commander, William Barret Travis, and Caroline
Girard, a woman whose life would change forever one fateful day in March.
The
Gates of the Alamo
The Gates of the Alamo tells the tale of an American naturalist
of towering intellect and ambition, powerfully but warily attracted to
strong-minded, frontier-savvy widow with a 16-year-old son. These three
characters bring us deeply into the life of Texas in the year leading
up to independence, and ultimately into the harrowing moments of the battle
itself. Crowded with dramatic and exciting scenes and with both fictional
dn historical personalities--among them, Jim Bowie, Santa Anna, and Davie
Crockett--The Gates of the Alamo allows us to participate in an American
legend.
About the Author: Stephen Harrigan is the author of six books (including
two novels) and several produced screenplays. Long associated with Texas
Monthly, he has also published in the New York Times Magazine, the Wadhington
Post, and many other publications. He lives in Austin, Texas.
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Three
Roads to the Alamo : The Lives and...
Ever since the day in March 1836 when an obscure Spanish
mission in Texas fell to Mexican forces led by President Santa Anna, Americans
have been exhorted to "remember the Alamo." And remember it we do--primarily
as the place where American folk legends Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and
William Travis met their end fighting for Texas independence. Though it
is primarily the Alamo we remember today, the battle itself takes up just
a few pages of William C. Davis's Three Roads to the Alamo; Davis is far
more interested in what brought three such disparate men as Crockett,
Bowie, and Travis to Texas in the first place than in how they died there.
As any schoolchild knows, Davy Crockett was the "king of the wild frontier,"
a bona fide folk hero in his own time who rode his legend to political
office first in Tennessee and then as a United States congressman. Bowie
was both less well known and less heroic--a land speculator not above
resorting to fraud and forgery to get what he wanted, while William Travis,
the youngest of the three, brought little but potential with him to Texas.
Davis does a good job of illuminating both the personalities of his subjects
and the situation in which they found themselves in Texas. He thoroughly
explores the lives of these three men--their successes, their failures,
their hopes for the future--and lays out the arguments for and against
Texan independence from Mexico in which they found themselves embroiled.
By the time Crockett, Bowie, and Travis finally arrive at the Alamo, it
seems the inevitable conclusion to the roads they each have been traveling
over the course of their lifetimes. Three Roads to the Alamo is a fine
piece of historical research and an entertaining read, as well.
The New York Times Book Review "In Three Roads to the Alamo, Davis
provides full and exhaustive portraits of [Crockett, Bowie, and Travis]....Because
Davis has explored the three men's lives so thoughtfully and extensively,
there is new resonance in each of their deaths....His interwoven accounts
create a vivid picture of new worlds being shaped and of the kinds of
men who did the shaping, even'or especially'in death.
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After
The Alamo
After the Alamo goes beyond popular myth and folklore to explore the events
and portray the heroes (and the cowards) of the Texas War for Independence.
While Texans were generally unhappy with their Mexican government in 1835,
most of them did not want a revolutionary war against Santa Anna. Although
there had been scattered violence in the territory, it was only after
a band of mostly outsiders was slaughtered in their famous defense of
the Alamo that Texans even attempted to organize formal opposition. Then
they wound up with two governors and four military commanders, all at
odds with one another. It would take several additional tragedies--at
San Patricio, Refugio, and Goliad--to finally weld the Texans into a single-
minded people willing to give everything for their independence. At the
center of this epic struggle was James Walker Fannin-- vain, indecisive,
possibly cowardly, and simultaneously heroic. Was he a hero or a villain?
This book probes this seldom- discussed Texas story in heart-wrenching
detail and then leaves the decision to you
About the Author Bob Scott lives in north central Michigan with
his son and a cat. He is a past resident of several Texas cities, and
it was while he lived here that he developed his passion for Texas history.
This is his fourth book.
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The
Alamo
Most people are aware of the history of the Alamo. This
book gives us some in-depth background of the incredible story of how
a group of a little over one hundred men, chose certain death, instead
of surrender, or retreat, in front of a hopeless situation. More incredible
still, is the fact that only nine of the Alamo defenders (curiously, all
of Mexican origin!) were actually born in Texas! How were these passions
created? The book is short & always to the point. Myers deals with the
social & historical factors that drove the action in a logical, simple
& interesting way. The central characters are beautifully developed. The
reader actually cares about their welfare & ultimate fate. So important
in holding one's attention. The whole account runs logically & unfussily
to the momentous final conclusion. Here too, the author does not disappoint.
The battle scenes are rousing, all-action & the tactics, weaponry, etc.,
are clearly described. Throughout, Myers is very careful to differenciate
between known fact & heresay. He shows great impartiality too, between
the Mexican & American positions. All in all, I would have no hesitation
in recommending this book to both serious & occasional military history
readers. Totally entertaining!
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The
Alamo
The story of the Alamo is an extraordinary one. It is
without doubt the most dramatic thirteen days in American history. Listen
as the defenders of Texas face nearly impossible odds as they attempt
to hold the old mission turned fortress from a Mexican army over ten times
their size. This production includes a complete cast, original music score,
and literally thousands of sound effects. The Alamo is an extremely accurate
production with some sequences which may be too intense for younger listeners.
From the Publisher Completed in the rousing tradition of old time
radio plays, The Alamo uses a full cast, original music score (written
by Jeffrey Gage) and thousands of sound effects to bring the siege of
the Alamo back to life. Listen as the Colonial Radio Players bring you
the true story, not the glossed over Hollywood myth. As you hear the musket
fire and feel the roar of cannon through your speakers, ask yourself,
what would you have done...leave or stay? The heros of The Alamo made
the ultimate sacrifice,... read more
About the Author Jerry Robbins is a life long resident of the Boston
area. He is a Actor by trade who has an intense interest in American history.
His perfomance credits include stage, television, and movies. He has recently
completed his one hundreth radio production. Jerry researched, wrote,
directed and performed in The Alamo.
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The
Alamo : An Illustrated History
This work is an in-depth review of the long and complex
story of this intriguing site. Over 100 old maps and pictures, along with
a review of 300 years of historical records from various archives provide
the reader with vivid eyewitness accounts of how the Alamo looked and
evolved, together with the rich human history that has taken place there.
Included in the book are six color birds-eye views by the author.
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Alamo
Heights
The author, Scott Zesch , April 11, 1999 "Alamo Heights":
Fact and Fiction In 1986, while Texas was celebrating the 150th anniversary
of its revolution, I attended an exhibit on the Alamo at the Witte Museum
in San Antonio. What caught my attention was not the familiar material
on Travis, Bowie, Crockett and the famous battle of 1836, but a small
item about Adina De Zavala, a Mexican-American woman who barricaded herself
in the Alamo convent for three days in 1908 to save it from demolition.
I thought, "Now that would make a good story," never intending to write
it myself. Several years later, still intrigued by this incident, I decided
to investigate whether there was enough material for a novel. Happily,
there was. De Zavala's standoff at the Alamo was preceded by five years
of surprisingly fierce political wrangling that divided the people of
Texas. Her crusade also raised several complex issues I wanted to explore,
mainly: why would a Texas woman of Mexican descent fight so hard to save
a structure that, in the words of Professor David Montejano, "has occupied
an ambiguous place in the minds of many Texas Mexicans"? In transforming
De Zavala into her fictional counterpart, I took a number of liberties
with the facts, so that I could add several invented characters and subplots.
Nonetheless, most of the incidents in my novel involving the war to preserve
the Alamo are based on actual events. It wasn't hard to find the information
I needed. De Zavala was a meticulous and scholarly woman who kept every
letter, every telegram, every relevant newspaper clipping, every napkin
she'd ever written a note on. Before she died, she gave most of her papers
to the University of Texas. I was able to make use of much of this primary
source material in "Alamo Heights." . I hope you find the story of this
progressive and courageous woman as compelling as I did.
The author, Scott Zesch , December 24, 1998 Synopsis and Advance
Comments Set in San Antonio in 1907, my novel "Alamo Heights" is inspired
by the true story of the women who fought to save the Alamo from demolition.
Advance Comments: "That Texas still has its greatest shrine, the Alamo,
it owes to patriotic women who fought off developers and other business
interests determined to tear it down and exploit the site for commercial
purposes. In fictional form, Scott Zesch has dramatically recreated this
second battle of the Alamo and a woman who barricaded.
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The
Alamo in American History (In...
The story of this lopsided battle that claimed the lives
of such famous Americans as Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie remains one of
the most fascinating episodes in American history. Sorrel opens with an
enticing short chapter setting the stage for the battle, then provides
background information on events leading up to the event. The battle itself
is covered in great detail, with diagrams of Santa Anna's battle plans
for storming the Alamo, photos and drawings, and a source document with
a heartrending plea for reinforcements and a vow to "never surrender or
retreat." The remainder of the text focuses on cunning Sam Houston and
his role in driving Santa Anna out of Texas. A helpful time line and a
bibliography will aid research. Lauren Peterson Copyright© 1997, American
Library Association. All rights reserved From Kirkus Reviews , November
15, 1996 The first of the In American History series, this is the story
of the battle for the Alamo, including the events which precipitated it
and those it lead to. Sorrels provides background on the Native Americans
who inhabited the area before discussing Stephen Austin and the first
settlers who were allowed to enter the territory. The story continues
through the creation of the Republic of Texas and ultimately to its statehood.
This is a straightforward retelling of inherently exciting events, and...
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The
Alamo Remembered : Tejano Accounts and Perspectives
This book provides a detailed look at what the Tejano
people experienced and thought of the seige on the Alamo by Santa Anna
and the Mexican Army during the Texas Revolution. Matovina takes authenic
documents and accounts and arranges them in an unaltered form in this
book. His arrangement(chronologically as they were originally recorded)
gives you an idea of how feelings and attitudes changed during the years
that followed the actual event. I would recommend this book to anyone
interested in furthering their knowkledge of what took place during the
battle and, especially, its affects on the citizens of San Antonio after
the battle
Bowie
: A Novel
From Kirkus Reviews , September 15, 1998 Masterful,
realistic retelling of the Jim Bowie legend by Texans Eickhoff and Lewis.
In his present effort with Lewis, Eickhoff (who retold the Cuchulainn
legend in last years The Raid) rebuilds the Bowie story in a brilliantly
conceived series of interviews that captures the tone of frontier speech
with what seems dead-on accuracy. Of Scottish ancestors who rode with
Rob Roy, Big Jim Bowie (1790-1836) lent himself to dime-novel fabulization
as an archetypal frontier hero only somewhat less fabulous than the Northwest's
Paul Bunyan. Bowie's adventures include riding alligators in the swamps,
hunting wild cattle with a knife, duels, Indian fights, lost treasure,
and the designing of the Bowie knife (steel like a mirror, bronze the
color of lightning). Before his death at the Alamo, he fulfilled one of
his late wife's last requests, that he free his slaves. Thus the opening
interview is with 98-year-old Black Sam, who tells of his 20 years with
Bowie. This is done in black English as rich as Nigger Jim's and even
more phonetically precise. The voice of Bowie's mother, Elve Ap-Catesby
Jones Bowie, is captured with equal resourcefulness as she says of her
son's death, Ill wager no wounds were found in his back. Other interviewees
are his brother, John Jones Bowie, the Shakespearean actor Edwin Forrest,
Sam Houston, and Caiaphas K. Ham, who fought with Bowie during the Texas
War for Independence and stuck by him during his darkest depression and
slide into alcoholism following the deaths of his wife and children. Going
by one report, Bowie, sick and unable to rise, was slain in his bed, though
a second report adds that he slew two Mexicans with his pistols and more
with his knife before being killed. Grand and compelling. -- Copyright
©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Synopsis The author of "The Fourth Horseman" offers an ultimate
chronicle of the life of American legend Jim Bowie, who died at the Alamo.
The voices of those who knew the frontiersman and his feisty compatriots
are brought to life in this vivid series of narratives.
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13 Days to Glory : The Siege of the Alamo
1836
Facts About the
Alamo and the Texas War for Independance
The
Alamo :
An Illustrated History
