Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: A Time to Stand by Walter Lord ISBN: 0-8032-7902-7 Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr Pub. Date: September, 1978 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (10 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An English View
Comment: It seems virtually impossible for anyone outside the USA to find any form of realistic guide to the best narratives or texts on American history by Americans.
Whereas English history, French history, Russian history, etc. etc. has its recognised 'authorities', US history seems to have a collection of 'pro' tradition or 'con' tradition writings.
Walter Lord's book 'A Time To Stand' may have its detractors and its supporters but in the simplest of terms it does actually tell the story of the siege of the Alamo including the build up and the aftermath. Further reading may be a good move for in depth study but this book gets the reader into the history itself with very little forced interpretation of possible fact or rumour or political spin.
For the non-USA reader who just want to know what happened it's a must.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Alamo as epic adventure story
Comment: As a writer, Walter Lord has written the history of some of history's most epic stories, from the sinking of the Titanic to the American victory at Midway. It seems the better the drama, the better his prose. He retells the story of the battle for Texan independence from Mexico the treatment it deserves, in the process seperating fact from myth. The story of the Alamo is of course exciting, but I found Sam Houston's victory over Santa Anna at the battle of San Jacinto even more interesting. This is a great history book from one of the best history writers of the 20th century.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Real Story, without the Spin
Comment: The battle of the Alamo is currently being fought all over again between Traditionalists, who present the "Texans as heros" view, and Revisionists, who view this heroic view with post-modern skepticism. Why is it being re-fought, and what is at stake? Simply, because the viewpoint that prevails will impact current social attitudes towards multi-culturism and racial diversity - a central motif of current American politics. Once again, the battle is fierce - with no mercy, and no prisoners. Deguello!
It is almost impossible to find an objective presentation of the facts without this modern political spin. As a remedy, I recommend the following considerations, before reading any book about the Alamo:
1.) Mexicans and Texians were at war. Both sides had extremely prejuidiced views of the event - such is war. These extreme views are the source materials for ALL writers of the history of the battle.
2.) All but a few of the Texians that were present at the battle died without telling their stories. The Mexican view had far more voices left afterwards to tell their version. Even so, the Texian's version has usually prevailed.
3.) Eyewitness reports are extremely contradictory. This is not suprising, considering that the climax events occured in the dark, within a small walled compound filled with black powder smoke, erupting cannons, fire, confusion, screams, panicked soldiers, etc.
4.) In a sentence, the war was between extremely independently minded American pioneers (regardless of their various personal agenda) and an army serving the will of an extremely controlling Mexican President (seeking rigorously centralized government power). In the simplest sense, the fight was between men who wanted minimal government influence on their lives, and a government who wanted maximum influence and control on their lives. (Somehow, this story always repeats itself.)
Nonetheless, as with all historical events, something of a coherent story can be tickled out of the confused mass of information. A good detective can "triangulate" the most probable facts of the event, if he or she approaches the information with common sense and a minimum of personal agenda.
I have read all but a few of the books available on the Alamo, and can attest that Walter Lord does one of the better, most complete, jobs of reporting the event objectively. He also does it within the shortest space - "A Time to Stand" is a comparatively brief book.
Revisionists will tell you that this book is "fluff", or biased - usually because they have a different bias they want to sell you. Beware the "historian" that has found "new information", has a "new and improved analysis", or who applies modern worldviews to an age when people saw the world differently. There is nothing new about rewriting history for political ends.
Walter Lord's "A Time to Stand" is the standard. Read it first, before you sample the works of the combatants in the new battle of the Alamo.
And read it before you watch the new movie, to be released Christmas 2003. With Revisionist Stephen Hardin as one of the historical advisors, it promises to be the Revisionist "Manifesto".
Just a few opinions from a world-wise Texan...
 |
Title: Three Roads to the Alamo : The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis by William C. Davis ISBN: 0060930942 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
 |
Title: Alamo Traces: New Evidence and New Conclusions by Thomas Ricks Lindley, Stephen Harrigan ISBN: 1556229836 Publisher: Republic of Texas Pr Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
 |
Title: 13 Days to Glory: The Siege of the Alamo (Southwest Landmark, No. 2) by Lon Tinkle ISBN: 0890967075 Publisher: Texas A&M University Press Pub. Date: February, 1996 List Price(USD): $11.58 |
 |
Title: The Alamo by Frank Thompson ISBN: 1571458409 Publisher: Thunder Bay Press Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $17.98 |
 |
Title: The Alamo by John Myers Myers ISBN: 0803257791 Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr Pub. Date: February, 1973 List Price(USD): $9.82 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
