It was a small war -- probably no more than 2,500 men were ever engaged in a single action, both sides taken together. It was a short war too, lasting only about seven months. And it was fought in what was, at the time, one of the most obscure corners of the earth. Yet the Texas War for Independence has become a heroic conflict of legendary proportions.Very few balanced accounts of Texas's epic struggle for independence have been written. Here historian Albert A. Nofi provides a splendid chronicle of the events and personalities of the war. He clearly explicates the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto, carefully exploring the legends that have grown around them, and exposing the truth behind the myths. The Alamo offers a strategic and tactical analysis of the war, technical information about the weapons used by both sides, strength and casualty data, orders of battles, information on the financing of Texas freedom, portraits of both Texan and Mexican personalities, and the story of a little-known war at sea. Also included are maps of military movements, the most detailed tactical map of the Battle of San Jacinto available to date, and a number of fascinating illustrations. The Alamo is military history at its best: a social, political, economic, strategic, and tactical examination of the Texas War for Independence, one of the most dramatic episodes of America's colorful past.
This is the second best summary military history of the war of 1835-36, the first best being Stephen Hardin's _Texian Iliad_. The story of this conflict, far from being minor, can be seen to be among the most important of the nineteenth century when its eventual effects are taken into account. There were far-reaching issues that military histories like these two are not intended to treat. The best introduction to those issues is the Texas Declaration of Independence, which obviously owes a lot to the American declaration of 1776, but is still specific to Texas in 1836.
Perfecto
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
This has to be the best book on the subject. Well laid out and well done. Anything less than 5 stars is an underestimate of just how good this book is.
Excellent short history of the fight for Texas Independence.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Nofi's book is a particularly well researched and documented work on the fight for Texas Independence from Mexico. A wealth of information is packed into slightly more than 200 pages. It is written without bias and takes a look at some of the many legends of this struggle and seperates fact from fiction. The numerous sidebars within this book offer additional insight to the persons involved, weapons systems, order of battle, and other interesting subjects that give the reader a wider view of was happening during that era. The book is a recommended read and would be impressive for anyone even vaguely interested in Texas history.
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