Alamo Recommended Reading & Viewing

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Alamo Defenders: The People and their Worlds, by Bill Groneman (Eakin Press) - Capsule biographies of most all the defenders. Nice section of their personal letters as well.

The Alamo Long Barrack Museum, by The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (Taylor Publishing Company) - Beautifully illustrated guide to the Alamo and its preservation. Many interesting photos. Great collector's addition.

The Alamo And Other Texas Missions To Remember, by Nancy Haston Foster (Lone Star Books) - Photographs, descriptions, and visitor's guide to the Spanish missions of Texas.

Duel Of Eagles, by Jeff Long (William Morrow & Company) - Perhaps a tad on the Politically Correct side for my liking, reading this book will help to balance the "myths" associated with this battle.

The Texas Revolution: A Day-by-Day Account, by Bob Boyd (San Angelo Standard Times) - A diary-type chronology of the events from September 29, 1835 - April 22, 1836. Includes profiles of some of the key participants.

Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution, by Stephen L. Hardin (University of Texas Press) - The entire revolution, from Gonzales to San Jacinto.

Three Roads To The Alamo, by William C. Davis (HarperCollins Publishers) - The biographies of the three more famous Alamo defenders - William Barret Travis, James Bowie, and David Crockett - and the paths that led them to their common destiny.

The following three books are ranked in the order of my preference. All are standard works on the subject and are limited basically to the 13 day siege. Make for excellent, fast-paced reading!

13 Days To Glory: The Siege of the Alamo, by Lon Tinkle (Texas A & M University Press)

A Time To Stand: The Epic of the Alamo, by Walter Lord (University of Nebraska Press)

The Alamo, by John Myers Myers (Bison Books)

The Trial of Davy Crockett

by Fletcher Rhoden

Historical fiction ... Was Davy Crockett captured alive? The accepted belief seems to be that he was. If that was so, what might his conversation with General Santa Anna been like? This compact volume gives you a plausible scenario!

The Alamo [1994] - Billy Bob Thornton may very well be David Crockett! His fiddle accompaniment to the Mexican Army's band is worth the price of admission. Also stars Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, and Patrick Wilson. Great casting that grows on you. Excellent score. All new set.

The Alamo - Stars John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Richard Boone ... A bit slow in the middle, but picks up the pace as the film rolls along. Short on accuracy, long on "speechifying", fun nonetheless. Great battle sequences!

Thirteen Days To Glory - Stars James Arness, Alec Baldwin, Brian Keith, Raul Julia ... Every film ever made has its historical inaccuracies, and this one is no exception, however, a more accurate visualization would be hard to find. Lots of good little nuggets lifted out of history. Great performance by Julia as the Mexican General Santa Anna.

Lonesome Dove - Stars Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Angelica Huston, Danny Glover, Robert Urich ... No, this it not an Alamo movie, simply one of my FAVORITE movies. The absolute BEST characterizations, a superb soundtrack & cast, gripping story ... plus, it was partially filmed at Brackettville, Texas, where the replica of old San Antonio and the Alamo stand. Both the above films use this set as their prime shooting location.

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