The Alamo

by Albert A. Nofi

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 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.

Genres: History, Military History

232 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

About the author

An American military historian, defense analyst, and a designer of board and computer wargame simulations.

Reviews

[Patrick]

Alternate title could be "Anything you ever wanted to know about the Texas fight for independence from Mexico but didn't have time to ask the tour guide at the Alamo." Very detailed, extensive bibliography at the end but, surprisingly lacking in footnotes.

[Jeremiah Martin]

A dynamic glimpse of the past. A state birthed from common men and women becoming "heroes".

[Bill Young]

A readable enjoyable and comprehensive review of the early events of the Texas war of independence especially the Alamo. Myths uncovered and lots of tidbits of interesting material well researched.

[Cortney R]

I finally had a chance to read this book after visiting San Antonio almost two years ago. It's a quick read but the author almost tries to put too much information in the few pages he takes up. He goes from name to name and place to place without a lot of detail, which can be nice if you're looking for a summarized history of events, but many of the people and places are integral to the story and it becomes a task to keep people and places straight.

[Fredrick Danysh]

There were two battles of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution and their are many stories about the thirteen days siege. The author explores the myths and legends surrounding this old Spanish mission.

[Alison Fletcher]

great book. very informative. reading this book after visiting some of the battlefield gives me a entirely new insight and thoughts on the war.