The Battle of the Alamo is one of the most compelling stories from American history. Students of the battle often wonder why William B. Travis and his small garrison were left alone to meet their fate at the hands of General Santa Anna. Author Richard B. Winders, the historian and curator at the Alamo, examines events that led to this epic struggle and concludes that in-fighting among the revolutionary leadership doomed the Alamo garrison. The Texan victories of 1835 created discord among rebel leaders as various factions strove to direct the revolution to meet their own specific goals. That bickering resulted in an almost total breakdown of Texan military forces as individual commands were swept into the political battle. The democratic fervor of the 1830s worked against building a cohesive Texan Army and was largely responsible for the twin tragedies of the Alamo and Goliad. Informative and provocative, Sacrificed at the Alamo will appeal to general readers as well as students of the classic battle and its important place in Texas history.

The Battle of the Alamo is one of the most compelling stories from American history. Students of the battle often wonder why William B. Travis and his small garrison were left alone to meet their fate at the hands of General Santa Anna. Author Richard B. Winders, the historian and curator at the Alamo, examines events that led to this epic struggle and concludes that in-fighting among the revolutionary leadership doomed the Alamo garrison. The Texan victories of 1835 created discord among rebel leaders as various factions strove to direct the revolution to meet their own specific goals. That bickering resulted in an almost total breakdown of Texan military forces as individual commands were swept into the political battle. The democratic fervor of the 1830s worked against building a cohesive Texan Army and was largely responsible for the twin tragedies of the Alamo and Goliad. Informative and provocative, Sacrificed at the Alamo will appeal to general readers as well as students of the classic battle and its important place in Texas history.

This study explores the multiple histories and mythologies of San Antonio’s famous Spanish mission and Texas Revolution battle site. The Alamo Mission still evokes tremendous feeling among many Americans, and especially among Texans. For Anglo Texans, it is the “Cradle of Texas Liberty” and a symbol of Western expansion. But Hispanic Texans increasingly view the Alamo as a stolen symbol, its origin as a Spanish mission forgotten, its famous defeat used to rob Hispanics of their place in Texas history. In this study, Holly Beachley Brear explores what the Alamo means to the numerous groups that lay claim to its heritage. Brear shows how—and why—Alamo myths often diverge from the historical facts. She decodes the agendas of various groups, including the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (who maintain the site), the Order of the Alamo, the Texas Cavaliers, and LULAC. She also probes attempts by individuals and groups to rewrite the Alamo myth to include more positive roles for themselves. With new perspectives on all the sacred icons of the Alamo and the Fiesta that celebrates (one version of) its history each year, Inherit the Alamo challenges stereotypes and offers a new understanding of the Alamo’s ongoing role in shaping Texas and American history and mythology.

The award-winning historian provides a provocative new analysis of the Battle of the Alamo—including new information on the fate of Davy Crockett. Contrary to legend, we now know that the defenders of the Alamo during the Texan Revolution died in a merciless predawn attack by Mexican soldiers. With extensive research into recently discovered Mexican accounts, as well as forensic evidence, historian Phillip Tucker sheds new light on the famous battle, contending that the traditional myth is even more off-base than we thought. In a startling revelation, Tucker uncovers that the primary fights took place on the plain outside the fort. While a number of the Alamo’s defenders hung on inside, most died while attempting to escape. Capt. Dickinson, with cannon atop the chapel, fired repeatedly into the throng of enemy cavalry until he was finally cut down. The controversy surrounding Davy Crockett still remains, though the recently authenticated diary of the Mexican Col. José Enrique de la Peña offers evidence that he surrendered. Notoriously, Mexican Pres. Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna burned the bodies of the Texans who had dared stand against him. As this book proves in thorough detail, the funeral pyres were well outside the fort—that is, where the two separate groups of escapees fell on the plain, rather than in the Alamo itself.

A Texas history classic, available again . . . Phil Collins received a birthday present that would change his life: a receipt for a saddle signed by an Alamo defender. From that point forward, the drummer began building his impressive Alamo and Texas Revolution collection. “I didn’t know this stuff was out there, that you could own it,” the rock-n-roll legend said. “It had never occurred to me.” Before long, he had amassed nearly 500 items! These priceless artifacts are now housed at the Alamo’s brand new Ralston Family Collections Center behind the iconic Alamo Church and the venerable Gift Shop amid the tranquil setting of the Alamo gardens. This 24,000 square foot facility showcases not only Phil’s great collection immortalized is this his book, but are joined by his remarkable narrated presentation of the siege and battle of the Alamo built around the masterpiece scale replica of the compound first created by artist Mark Lemon for the State House Press book The Illustrated Alamo: A Photographic Journey. The Alamo and Beyond, now in a third printing in partnership with The Texas Center at Schreiner University, is you way of taking Phil’s collection home with you. When Phil Collins was a kid growing up in a London suburb, he would often watch an amazing show on his family television. There, in black and white, was Fess Parker as Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. As he matured, Collins not only acted out the exploits of his new hero, but he often refought the Battle of the Alamo with his toy soldiers. Even though music came to dominate his life, it was this love of history—and Davy Crockett and the Alamo in particular—that was always near by. On one musical tour, Collins encountered his first David Crockett autograph—for sale at a store called the Gallery of History. “I didn’t know this stuff was out there, that you could own it,” the rock-n-roll legend said. “It had never occurred to him. Later, he received a birthday present that would change his life: a receipt for a saddle signed by an Alamo defender. From that point forward, the drummer began building his impressive Alamo and Texas Revolution collection. Here, for the first time in history, are the artifacts, relics, and documents that compose the Phil Collins collection, available in a beautifully designed color book shot-through with stunning photography and crisply rendered illustrations. Collins’s prose takes the reader through the joys of being a collector as he lovingly describes what each piece in this impressive assemblage means to him. Photographer Ben Powell of Austin brought these items to vivid relief, and artist Gary Zaboly’s masterful pen-and-ink drawings breath life into the items. Essays by Texas historians Bruce Winders, Don Frazier, and Stephen Hardin provide the historical background to the collection and help make this into a work of art that also serves handily as a serious research tool.

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Miracle of Dunkirk tells the story of the Texans who fought Santa Anna’s troops at the Battle of the Alamo. Looking out over the walls of the whitewashed Alamo, sweltering in the intense sun of a February heat wave, Colonel William Travis knew his small garrison had little chance of holding back the Mexican army. Even after a call for reinforcements brought dozens of Texans determined to fight for their fledgling republic, the cause remained hopeless. Gunpowder was scarce, food was running out, and the compound was too large to easily defend with less than two hundred soldiers. Still, given the choice, only one man opted to surrender. The rest resolved to fight and die. After thirteen days, the Mexicans charged, and the Texans were slaughtered. In exquisite detail, Walter Lord recreates the fight to uphold the Texan flag. He sheds light not just on frontier celebrities like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, but on the ordinary soldiers who died alongside them. Though the fight ended two centuries ago, the men of the Alamo will never be forgotten.

“KIA: Killed In the Alamo” highlights the struggle of three Alamo Colonels (Travis, Bowie and Crockett) to organize, sustain and lead the stubborn defenders of the Alamo who gave their lives fighting for an independent Texas. On March 6, 1836, Mexican General, (and President) Santa Ana directed his powerful army to not only assault the old Alamo and its Texas defenders, he ordered the immediate execution of any survivors. The defenders of the Alamo, mostly volunteers, came from eastern and southern United States, Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, and Denmark as well as well as Texas. Sadly, the birthplaces of 48 of the 212 slain defenders are unknown. To honor their heroism and bravery, a roster of their names is at Chapter 14. Perhaps the highest accolade for these heroic defenders is that inscribed on the Cenotaph in San Antonio, Texas, next to the Alamo: “IN MEMORY OF THE HEROES WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES AT THE ALAMO MARCH 6, 1836, IN THE DEFENSE OF TEXAS. THEY CHOSE NEVER TO SURRENDER NOR RETREAT; THESE BRAVE HEARTS, WITH FLAG STILL WAVING, PERISHED IN THE FLAMES OF NOBILITY THAT THEIR HIGH SACRIFICE MIGHT LEAD TO THE FOUNDING OF TEXAS.”