A Fine Piece of Work "Remembers the Alamo..."
591643
At the start of this book, one almost wishes David McCullough had written it. In helping the reader understand and experience the principals of the Alamo, William Barrett Travis, Jim Bowie, David Crockett and Santa Anna, the early part of the book sometimes seems to drsg...too many seemingly superflous facts and too much of what seems like endless detail....

...But when the principals get to the Alamo and the story "really" begins, this book takes off and becomes as fine a piece of work as anyone, including McCullough, could write.  The author, James Donovan, did well, very well.

Three thoughts remain days, even weeks, after reading this book:

(1) Was it heroic or foolish--tragically foolish--to stay and fight an unwinnable battle at the Alamo?

(2) The question becomes even more pertinent after learning that Sam Houston had ordered Travis and Lt. Col. James C. Neill, commander of the Alamo at that time, to abandon the fort, destroy it and start what essentially would have been a guerilla war against Santa Anna and Mexicans until Houston and the Texicans could mount a competitive army.

Travis and Neill overruled their commander and chose to stay and fight---right or wrong decision?

(3) Travis and Neill may or may not have made what some consider a foolish decison, but there can be no question or debate as to the heroism and bravery of the men who, knowing the odds against them, crossed Travis' line and committed themselves to fight and die for a cause in which they believed.  Theirs was truly "the Blood of Heroes..." as the book is so aptly named.

Walter Lord said it best near the end of his epic story of the Alamo, "A Time To Stand"  "All men know fear," he wrote. "Perhaps in end, the hero is the man who, knowing fear, marches on.

Well said, Mr. Lord and well done Mr. Donovan.

A fitting tribute, as fitting as a tribute could be, to the men of Alamo.
1053426
This is a superb work of historical fiction, written with heart and historical accuracy, about the struggles of two Mexican families spanning two generations. Two branches of the Salazar family settled in Mission and in El Paso as WWII was just getting underway. The book deals with two significant battlesvalorous Mexican service during the war and Mexican leadership in the fight to gain fair wages and working conditions for migrant laborers. The narrative is a tribute to these two families and the under-recognized contributions of Mexican immigrants in general.

Grattan has the knack for creating suspense and moving the action along. Scenes are so graphically described that the reader has a sense of being there, and the visual nature of the writing often gives one the feeling of watching a film. Grattans ear is finely attuned to the colorful regional vernacular of rural south Texas and also of the immigrant Mexicans who settled there. Characters are delineated in a way that makes us care for them and what happens to them.

There is no doubt that Dark Side of the Dream chronicles an important but neglected period in American history. It comes to us now in a politically timely moment and shines a light on the bright side of the Mexican dream and how it shaped social change in the US for the better.
2083980
This text dovetails nicely with Swanson's recent effort "Manhunt", but more from an artifact perspective than a written one. Many of the pictures are one-of-a-kind, especially Alexander Gardner's entire collection from the courtyard at the D.C. prison where the conspirators were hung. Again, this is not a complete text (nor does it aspire to be), but a great addition to any historical collection regarding the Lincoln assasination.
4078187
After reading over 15 Alamo books over the past few years, Frank Thompson's book is both refreshing and informative. One of the few books I have read that I had to finish in the first day. I believe it is one of the must read books for students that will study American History. Each photo and illustration had a complete explanation and did not leave you questioning what was missing. A job well done and I will forever highly recommend this book as a must read!
1227641
While I felt the book was bit too long, it was however filled with interesting and colorful characters, great descriptions of the lonely vastness of Texas and the hardy folk who peopled that region. Mr. Harrigan did a good job of blending in fact, lore and some good dialog between the characters. His viewpoint from the Mexican side of events was well done and well researched and with some terrific character cross over meetings. The march of Santa Anna's army during their northern advance was excellently told. The growing unrest between the Texians and the Mexicans was captured in such a fashion as to make both side clearly understood. I did find the main character of Mary a tad boring at times, her broken nose was a nice touch, but she seemed to be propelled by guilt through the entire book. The botonist was pretty colorless and flat in my viewpoint. He just didn't seem to fit the role but maybe that was the intent. When the storyline is directed into the events at the Alamo, the book excels. The chapters about the actual battle and the aftermath were superbly written, drawing the reader into the darkness and misery and fear that must have stood beside each defender. I liked the concept of Crockett leaving the compound to seek reinforcements, based on fact I've read. But there was no mention of one Louis Rose, who actually left the Alamo before the place was sealed off and the reference of rockets being used by Santa Ana was a pleasant surprise. The author did mention red flags being used to signal "no quarter, no prisoners" but he did not mention the "deguello" (from the Spanish verb that meant "to slit the throat"- degollar, which was the sorrowful, somber and haunting bugle tune. I felt this was a powerful instrument to instill fear in one's enemies and was used by Santa Ana for several years before the Alamo. All in all, the novel was lengthy but rich in detail, good balance of characters and their lives, graphic scenes involving the Goliad massacre and the fight inside the Alamo itself. A worthy topic of a TV or cable mini series. I highly recommend the old Republic flim "The Last Command" with Serling Hayden as a good partner to this novel. It is available through Amazon and worth checking out.
1177599
Empire of the Summer Moon is an intriguing book of the Comanches in general, and Quanah Parker in particular. I have read several books on native Americans, but hadnt covered the Comanches yet. Overall, the book covers their battles with the Spaniards and Mexicans before it turns into the 19th century. It vividly describes the events that follow with focus on the period 1840  1875. Quanah Parker only comes onto the stage in the final quarter of the book, which is logical as he was one of their last great leaders. The book not only describes the famous battles that they fought, but also the way of Comanche living, etc. Gwynne handles a nice style of writing and makes the stories come alive. The paperback version is good readable with a fine font and page lay-out. It was for a reason that this book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and I very much recommend reading this book! What I found surprising afterwards is that there don't seem to be too many books, or movies, on the Comanches. What can be found are phrases that they seem to be forgotten. I can imagine that for many involved (white settlers and Comanches) it was a very difficult time, but thats something from the past now. The Lords of the Plains should definitely have their place in history!
1922622
Alamo All-Stars is the sixth book in Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series. The book begins very abruptly with talk of settling Texas. This is a departure from their usual lead-in of Nathan Hale, trying to stay his execution by telling a historical tale. However, it leads us to an introduction of Vicente Guerrero, who like Nathan Hale, is telling historical tales to try and stay his execution. This leads us to a mashup story, told from the side of the United States and Mexico.

Within this book, we see characters like General Santa Anna, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and Stephen Austin. We also learn about the history of Texas' statehood and of course, the famous Battle of the Alamo. The story is really helped by the addition of Guerrero into this tale and helps adds perspective from both sides, which is something that is generally lacking in American History textbooks. On the inside of the book, we are presented with two maps. The first map is a layout out of the Alamo in 1836, which makes the stand all the more impressive. The second map is a military map that shows us all the battles fought in the Texas Revolution. At the end of the book are actual images of historical figures in this book and other resources, your child can read to learn more about this historic event.

Like the rest of the books in this series, this book is a graphic novel in format. The illustration style is inviting, and I believe young boys in particular will really get a lot out of this series. The book does a nice job of mixing humor into the history to make it more compelling and come alive off the page. I cannot recommend this series enough. I hope there is a book 7.
1789497
Reading this book, seeing his numerous appearances in historical documentaries and hearing him lecture, has set Stephen Hardin apart as the consummate authority on Texas history. In his book, TEXIAN ILIAD: A MILITARY HISTORY OF THE TEXAS REVOLUTION, Hardin goes far beyond the usual narratives on Texas history, which often tend to narrow their scope to selected events such as the Alamo, San Jacinto, or possibly Goliad. Here, you will find a detailed account of the events, which led up to the revolution as Hardin begins his narrative with the 1824 overthrow of the constitutional government by Santa Anna and ends with his capture at San Jacinto.

Of particular note is how dysfunctional the Texian militia was. Hardin concisely depicts the seemingly endless power struggle and how many of the volunteers followed their own leader and ignored "high command", such as it was. Most people are fairly familiar of the power struggle between Travis and Bowie, but those two merely scratched the surface of squabbles among the Texian forces. Hardin also does a much better job than most historians at portraying the valuable contributions of the tejanos, led by Juan Seguin.

The book is also laden with wonderful illustrations, maps, photographs and portraits. It concludes with forty pages of author's notes and perhaps the most comprehensive bibliography available on Texas' struggle for independence. If your goal is the best accounting of the Alamo, there may well be superior sources, but for an overall narrative of the entire history of the Texas Revolution, this book is at the top of the list.

Monty Rainey

[...]
1011787
As I am the author of this book, I cannot in good conscience tell you that the prose in the work is Shakespearean, but I can say it's a fun read, full of facts that you haven't read elsewhere, 15 full-color maps and several hundred photographs, and a book you will return to time and time again when you are studying the Little Bighorn.  So for that and much more, I have to give it five stars.  For example, inside you will not only learn what Company M did at the Little Bighorn, but how they were recruited, where they came from, their experiences as new recruits, what they ate in the Army (does slumgullion stew sound tasty?), and how they were supposed to be trained with their weapons.  Concerning the initial fight of Company M with Major Reno's detachment in the Little Bighorn Valley, you will be able to use the maps, description and photographs to actually go to the valley and see the exact terrain - a portion of the fight that most visitors to the park normally do not visit.  You will read about acts of valor in Company M and why ten soldiers should have received Medals of Honor but didn't, as Reno was no fan of the company commander and Captain Benteen disliked the company first sergeant even more.

The book follows the 45 Company M survivors of the fight (12 died) through the rest of their careers and lives.  Many were later buried at the Old Soldiers' Home in Washington DC; their gravestones are shown in the book and can also be used as a quick guide to that cemetery, when you are next in the nation's capital.  Simple forensics makes an appearance in the book, with detailed photographs of cartridges at the Company M valley positions that show that at least one trooper experienced jamming of rounds in his carbine, and that First Sergeant John Ryan fired his distinctive Sharps telescopic rifle there.  A small piece of dark blue cloth, a trouser button and carbine casings found together show where there may have been a hasty grave after the battle for a Company M soldier, and this study narrows that down to one of two men.

The troopers of Company M were a rowdy lot, with an average of over one court-martial conviction per man.  Two troopers earlier picked a bar-fight with a man who turned out to be Wild Bill Hickok - with bad results.  After accessing their medical records in Washington, DC, the study is able to report who was kicked by a mule, who was in the riot in Company M two months before the 1876 campaign and who caught a social disease in the bordellos and hog ranches of the West, where the whiskey served was some of the meanest on earth.

So saddle up and join Company M; "we're burnin' daylight!"
2833440
The classic western novel blends specific historical events, or historical context, with characters who are realistic to that historical period.  The prototype men and women who settled the west believed that right was right and wrong was wrong--and lived by that code.  They believed that actions were more important than words-- "talk is cheap."  When they talked it was generally advisable to listen.  These people exist in the USA today in the "more western" parts of the country.  Jones has succeeded in capturing an excellent blend of history and characters--characters who are individualistic,  who understand the obligations of their role and at the same time understand the personal inter-relationships that bind individuals together.  Jones' characters have the ability to work hard and, on occasion, to play hard--a little "pull" to cut the trail dust often results in a bonding that far exceeds the drink itself.  Jones' story is in all respects a good read.
1902867
The title "So Far From Heaven", Richard Bradford's second and last book, was taken from the old lament, "Poor New Mexico, so close to Texas and so far from heaven". Bradford, a long time resident of Santa Fe, had written an earlier, more famous, novel, "Red Sky at Morning". Made into a movie with Desi Arnez, Jr and Richard Thomas, "Red Sky" has remained the novel Richard Bradford is more famous for, but for my money, "So Far From Heaven" is just as good, and, maybe, even better.

Set in a small town north of Santa Fe but south of Taos, the family of Cruz Tafoya has been ranching the area for a few generations. A fortunate land grant has given the Tafoyas very good land and the family has made the most of it. They "run" sheep and cattle on the same land, evidently a "no-no" in the ranching business, but the Tafoyas make it work. Cruz is one of four brothers and each of the brothers is a story in-and-of himself. Let's just say these are not typical ranchers, but rather an extended family of intelligence (well, all but for a couple), drive, humor, and liberal leanings. Into this rustic madhouse wanders - or rather, he was picked up after a car accident in Texas - a disgraced Texas oilman named David A Reed, who is looking for a place to put his life back together. The bare sketches of David A Reed's "disgrace" are given, letting the reader figure out what happened.

Bradford is writing of early 1970's New Mexico, which, actually, is little different from 2011 New Mexico. Water is still scarce there and political corruption is little disguised. There are tensions between the Anglos and Nativos, which are a part of Bradford's story. Schemes abound in the story and political craftsmanship is practiced by the cunning governor, who happens to be Cruz Tafoya's brother. Bradford brings several groups of New Mexicans "alive" in his novel and the reader is greatly entertained.

But along with the schemes and the history are feelings of love. Love of land, love of family, and love of a couple who find each other in that beautiful area north of Santa Fe. Bradford wrote an entertaining, funny, and wonderful story in "So Far From Heaven". It's really too bad he didn't write more novels. This one, if you can find a copy, is a real keeper.
972037
I think I can safely predict that Phillip Thomas Turner's new "Exodus from the Alamo" is not going to be given prominent display in the Alamo gift shop run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.  And I can equally safely predict that many Alamo buffs are going to be loudly indignant about Tucker's contentions presented in this book.  The author's central thesis is that, rather than a steadfast, determined defense of the Alamo's walls against the Mexican assault of March 6, 1836, as traditionally depicted, instead a large number, even the majority, of Alamo defenders attempted to escape from the confines of the mission's walls and were cut down in the open by Mexican cavalry.  Turner bases his conclusions upon Mexican primary sources which he quotes.  He does not portray this attempted escape as being anything cowardly or dishonorable, but merely as a reasonable action by amateur soldiers who had been overwhelmed by a well-executed pre-dawn attack that found the Alamo's walls nearly undefended.  I think, however, that Turner's arguement could have been strengthened by a more explicit examination of all the evidence on all sides of the question.  Additionally, I could wish that the author more directly addressed the tales of possible individual Texian survivors.

Turner presents other conclusions equally divergent from traditional Alamo beliefs, such as that the Texas Revolution was in large part driven by pro-slavery forces in opposition to the abolitionist sentiments of the central Mexican government.  I am sure that many will reject such an idea, preferring instead to view the Texas rebels of 1835 as 1950s-style American patriots (after all, there are still numerous people who deny the connection of slavery with the states' secession that led to the Civil War, despite the clarity of the historical record in that matter), but the author is careful to cite primary sources as evidence in support of his conclusions.

"Exodus from the Alamo" quite obviously is not going to be the final word on the subject, but the challenges it presents to tradional Alamo beliefs should not be lightly dismissed.  Those who wish to refute Turner would do well to attempt to do so by carefully studying and citing primary evidence rather than simply relying upon emotion and invoking the ghosts of Fess Parker and John Wayne.
2020504
Pecos Bill: The Greatest Cowboy of All Time is a wonderful work that reflects the oral traditions of the old west of the late 1800's.  Like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill is a larger than life character who can break broncos and ride tornadoes in fanciful and colorful ways.  These stories are a part of our country's history that is quickly being forgotten; it is our mythology that reveals who we are today and gives us a great view into past values and sensibilities.
This book makes good reading for boys 10 and above and provides an opportunity to discuss the role of the "tall tale" in American history.
974425
This is a really fine book covering the westward expansion of the American frontier during the 19th century. The quality of page design, richness of images (photos new and old, paintings by western artists, maps, posters), and the rich detail and freshness of the text make this a book that's a feast for the eye and the curious mind with every turn of the page.
As just one example, the chapter on cowboys and the open range includes reproductions of paintings by Charles Russell, Frederic Remington, and other western artists (including a two-page spread of Russell's dramatic "Smoke of a .45"); a page-long quote from "Teddy Blue" Abbot's "We Pointed Them North"; a map of the cattle drive trails and railroad lines; vintage photographs of cowboys on the trail, roping and branding cattle, breaking horses, as well as studio portraits of cowboys; two-page illustrated essays on Dodge City and its peace keepers, the Colt Revolver, the Stetson hat, Black cowboys, and vigilantes; and full-page color photographs of rolling grassland in the Black Hills, the high deserts east of the Southwest, and cattle under a big sky with snow covered mountains in the distance.
Stegner's book is both political and social history, and it captures both the triumphs and losses that represent the "winning" of the West, including the wars declared and undeclared against the Native American tribes. The strongest image in this regard is a vintage photograph of the mass burials at Wounded Knee in 1890. His book is also an album of brilliantly photographed color images of the western landscape -- plains, mountains, lakes, deserts, in all seasons. You understand that these breathtaking spaces are as much a part of the Western experience as the stories of the people who traversed and settled in them.
The nearly square format of the book gives the pages room to breathe, allowing the book to absorb a vast amount of textual and visual materials. Stegner's text is richly interlaced with quotations from 19th-century contemporaries and established historians. The credits pages are a distinguished list of sources including the Amon Carter Museum of Fort Worth, Texas; the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming; Harper's Weekly; and the Joslyn Art Museum of Omaha, Nebraska. There's an excellent bibliography of over 60 books about the West, from "Teddy Blue" Abbot's and Andy Adams' cowboy memoirs to "American Life Histories" by the WPA Project. There's also a handy index of over 550 items.
I highly recommend this book. It is 400 pages that will absorb anyone interested in the Western experience, whether they know a little or a lot about the subject.
3394044
While not perfect, this is easily the best depiction of the battle of the Alamo yet on film. Some reviewers have complained that the movie was slow, but it actually moves along quite well, unless you're comparing it with some slam-bang action flick, especially given what the filmmakers had to work with -- a 13-day siege with a short, pitched fight at the very end.

 Historically, the Alamo battle part of the film is mostly quite good. My quibbles: The script keeps Travis alive a little too long (most historians think he was probably one of the very first people to die near the start of the battle), the film sticks with the somewhat dubious legend of Bowie going down fighting even from his sickbed (but, hey, it makes for a darn good scene even if it's probably not true), and while it was brave of the moviemakers to tackle the how-Davy-Crockett-died controversy, this movie's depiction of him being the lone person left standing at that stage seems pretty unlikely.

 One of the truly great things about the film is its marvelous reconstruction of the 1836 Alamo -- with one glaring exception -- and colonial-era San Antonio. Shooting the movie in the Texas Hill Country really paid off, because the landscape looks vastly more like old San Antonio than the semi-desert plains of Brackettville, TX, where John Wayne's old "Alamo" was shot. The topography in the movie isn't an absolutely perfect match for the actual Alamo site -- among other things, it's a bit too hilly too close to the movie's Alamo -- but you certainly can't come away from this movie mistakenly thinking the Alamo was out in the middle of some desert, the way John Wayne's version makes it appear.

 The reconstruction of 1830s San Antonio is exceptionally good, and you can tell that they actually built the city sets rather than just generating it all as computer graphics. The reconstruction of Alamo compound itself mostly is quite good, with one huge exception. To make the old chapel (pretty much the only part of the original compound still standing in modern San Antonio) more visible, the movie shifts that entire building forward by at least a dozen yards, so that it sits exactly even with the convento/Long Barracks to its left. If you've ever visited the real Alamo, this hits a slightly weird note since almost as soon as you see the chapel sitting cheek-to-cheek with the Long Barracks, you're aware that something is wrong with it, but it's a subtle enough shift that it takes a while to figure out just what exactly is off about it. I also guess some Alamo experts might quibble about the exact way the compound's north wall is shored up, but it looked pretty reasonable to me, plus it was just nice that the filmmakers bothered to show the wall as being shored up. (I can't remember if the John Wayne version showed the north wall as being reinforced with logs?)

 All that being said, this movie does botch the battle of San Jacinto, which is its finale. The whole reason for that victory -- the Texans striking a poorly prepared Mexican encampment -- is sorely misrepresented. San Jacinto is only a very small part of the movie, but it's still disappointing since the rest of the film tries so hard to be at least reasonably accurate.

 All in all, I thought this was at least a 4-star movie. However, I doubt that I'll buy this DVD, rather than just rent it. Instead, I want a 2-disc version. It's been widely reported that "The Alamo" was drastically cut before its theatrical release (in particular, I understand that most of its scenes on Anglo Texian/Latino Tejano relations got cut out), and my impression is that this version offers only a few short deleted scenes on it. So I'm holding out for a full-blown "director's cut" edition so the story can be seen the way it really was intended to be.
4783076
I can recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Alamo and the War of Texas Independence from an author skilled in story telling. It does start off a little slow with mini-biographies of some of the lesser known participants, but it quickly become quite readable. Walter Lord is well known for this two books on the Titanic and this book contains that same quality of writing.
2578995
From my perspective, this book is best read with other more mainstream books. That's because this work seems designed for established researchers, and really doesn't recount the narrative of the Alamo on its own. So if you want to read the story of the Alamo...this isn't it.

Where this book appears to shine, in my opinion, is that the controversies of the era and the battle are laid out and examined using primary sources. That's rare in my limited experience. This is a source of good primary information to learn what we have as evidence. After all, Thomas Ricks Lindley is a genuine criminal investigator. It shows. Easy reading it is not.

My favorite part is his discussion concerning which flag flew over the Alamo during the battle. It was a bit of a surprise, at least to me. Is there a chance that someone in Mexico has the genuine tricolor flag, other than the New Orleans Grays flag, but is simply concealing it for their own reasons? And, if this Californian may ask, where are the Mexican flags captured after San Jacinto?

The material is at times dense, and sometimes arcane, but where this book is SUPERB is the author's willingness to clearly state his opinion as an opinion, and leave us to deal with the reality that there is a lot we simply don't know.