The Blood of Heroes: The 13-Day Struggle for the Alamo--And the Sacrifice That Forged a Nation

"In his page-turning newest, Donavan (Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn-the Last Great Battle of the American West) brings the famed Battle of the Alamo and its dynamic cast of belligerents to life. Readers are introduced to the brusquely self-assured Lieutenant Colonel William Barret Travis, the levelheaded Stephen Fuller Austin, legendary fighter James Bowie, and the Honorable David Crockett-an 'amiable cuss.' Drawing on plenty of research and primary sources from both sides of the conflict, Donovan breathlessly recreates the 13-day skirmish between the roughly 200 men under Travis, and the nearly 2,000-strong army fighting for Mexican President Santa Anna, 'The Napoleon of the West.' In addition to the action-packed account of the combat, the author situates the struggle within a broader narrative of Texan and American history, explaining how the valiant efforts of the men at the Alamo provided Sam Houston, the mastermind behind Texan independence from Mexico, with enough time to prepare for Santa Anna's attacks. Were it not for the resolve of Travis and his men-summed up in the fabled cry, 'Remember the Alamo!'-the Republic of Texas may have never come into existence. Photos & maps. "
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