Synopses & Reviews
In late February and early March of 1836, a Mexican army led by General Antonio Land#243;pez de Santa Anna lay siege to a mission known as the Alamo, held by a small band of rebels that included Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and William Travis. In the dark early morning of March 6, all inside the fort were dead -- and one of America's most enduring legends was born. andlt;BRandgt; Randy Roberts and James S. Olson retell the story of the Alamo from both the Mexican and the American perspectives, delving into the historical accuracy of such myths as Bowie's famous line in the sand, Crockett's celebrated fight to the death, and the common portrayal of the Mexicans as ruthless killers. Separating fact from fiction, they trace how and why those fictions grew, from the rapid spread of the rallying cry "Remember the Alamo!" to the "patriotic" depictions of battle in American films and television to the potency of the Alamo as a symbol in Texas politics and American culture today.
Review
Dan Rather andlt;Iandgt;The Wall Street Journalandlt;/Iandgt; Rich in historical and biographical detail...one of the strongest accounts I've read of the drive for Texas independence.
Review
andlt;Iandgt;The New Yorkerandlt;/Iandgt; Enjoyable, innovative....Roberts and Olson do a commendable job of re-creating the murky circumstances of the battle.
Review
The New YorkerEnjoyable, innovative....Roberts and Olson do a commendable job of re-creating the murky circumstances of the battle.
Review
Gregg Cantrell author of Stephen F. Austin: Empresario of Texas There are dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- of books about the Alamo, but none does what A Line in the Sand does. Meticulously researched and vividly written, it painstakingly reconstructs the famous 1836 battle to combine entertaining narrative with shrewd analysis. Must-reading for Alamo buffs and serious scholars alike.
Review
John S. D. Eisenhower author of Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott Randy Roberts and James Olson have produced a fresh kind of history. Besides recounting the actual battle at the Alamo they provide background for the event and study the way that incident has affected modern attitudes, including movies and television...highly entertaining.
Review
David Uhler andlt;Iandgt;San Antonio Express-Newsandlt;/Iandgt; A rare overview of historic Alamo controversies and a thorough examination of the reasons why the Shrine of Texas Liberty has been elevated to the status of worldwide icon.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 345-348) and index.
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Randy Robertsandlt;/Bandgt; is professor of history at Purdue University and lives in Lafayette, Indiana.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Prefaceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Mapandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Prologueandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;OL TYPE="1" START="1"andgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;In the Footsteps of History andlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;"The Free Born Sons of America"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;"The Bones of Warriors"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;"Those Proud Tow'rs"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;"VICTORY or DEATH"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/OLandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;INTERLUDEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;OL TYPE="1" START="6"andgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;In Search of Davy's Graveandlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;Retrieving the Bones of Historyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;King of the Wild Frontierandlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;Only Heroes, Only Menandlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;De la Peand#241;a's Revengeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;LIandgt;The Third Battle of the Alamoandlt;BRandgt;andlt;/OLandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Epilogueandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Notesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Bibliographic Essayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indexandlt;/Iandgt;