Crockett, Bowie and Travis, I hardly knew Ye...until now!
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The title of this book intrigued me for a long time before I bought it. I wanted to learn more about Jim Bowie and William Travis and thought I knew a lot about Davy Crockett, but was unsure if a dry historical tome ( the book is 587 pages ) would hold my interest. My concerns were foundless. This book does it all. It lays out the history of these three fascinating men very well. The author gives you a very complete picture of each man and debunks many of the myths surrounding them. Though not what I had believed it to be based on a number of other accounts I have read, The battle at The Alamo is described in a way that makes a lot of sense and perhaps seems the most accurate when you consider the facts in an objective manner. The society that these men lived in is made vividly clear and their place within it makes these legends seem a little less legendary and more human in many ways. I truly feel like I know these men now and appreciate them in a different way. I highly recommend this book to you if you are interested in a little more meaty historical read that doesn't gloss over the day to day reality of the kinds of men who made the American Wilderness and West the fascinating chapter in history it was.
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Valuable and fascinating background on Alamo heroes.
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An endlessly fascinating account of the lives of Travis, Bowie, and Crockett, the three most familiar names from among all the Alamo heroes. Meticulous research shows the dark side as well as the heroic side of their characters,and one is struck by the impression of an inexorable force drawing these three disparate personalities from widely separate backgrounds to stand together and take their place in history. A "must read" for anyone interested in how Texas got that way. (Warning for Sam Houston devotees: be prepared to deal with a distinctly unflattering impression of this Texas icon.)
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misleading
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book looks impressive by its size, but misapplies many of the footnotes. have to be carefull when reading this book. many statements made without proper facts to back them up.
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By far the best book on the Alamo so far!!!
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Cover to cover, the best book on the history of the Alamo defenders. Wonderful illustrations throughout this book.
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Best Book on Texas ever written!
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The research is incredible. I even read all the notes, and they are as facinating as the book. I wish he had spent another couple of hundred pages on Travis' diary. His conclusions on Houston were a bit on the ruthless side. The Alamo was going to fall, no matter how many reinforements were sent. But, this story needed to be told by someone who would take the time to "look it up". And, look it up is exactly what Mr. Davis has done!
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