The Bugles are Silent

by John R. Knaggs

A novel of the Txas Revoulton from the Alamo to San Jacinto. A novel of high drama

Genres: History, Nonfiction

290 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jesse Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up watching Fess Parker as Davy Crockett, I love anything that gives me more Alamo content. I visited the Alamo and made my wife endure me nerding out and wanting my picture taken with Crockett and Jim Bowie's statues. I bought this book, had Mr. Knaggs sign a copy, and now that I've completed it, I can say that my Alamo experience is complete!

[Matthew Eisenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Bugles Are Silent is okay. While I generally enjoy historical fiction as a genre, my impression is that author John Knaggs is more historian than storyteller. As a result, the book is informative regarding how Texas won its independence from Mexico, but never gripping. It was a slow read for me, and thus not one I'd recommend to you.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the blending of real like Texas independence history with fiction.

[Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the endeavor to write a novel about the Texas Revolution, as well as the succes Knaggs had in chronicling the events of the conflict. Unfortunately, it didn't make for a novel that I enjoyed. I almost feel as if the book would have been better as a history rather than a novel, given the amount of information and exposition the book provided. Nonetheless, it is cool to read a book about historical events that do not often serve as the backdrop for fiction. You may like this book if you are a big Texas history nerd.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost you have to remember this is fiction, and not a completely historical account of these events. This is not a research book and should not be used as such.
This is also an older book that was written before a lot of new information about the events of the Texas Revolution was learned. Such as Cos not being Santa Anna's brother-in-law.
But, If you are looking for a quick, easy read that has a fairly accurate portrayal of this time period then this is a good book for you.

[Lori Collum · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me awhile to really get in to this book. I’m usually reading mystery books but wanted to give a more historical fiction book a chance, and I won’t say that it disappointed me. It was just really slow in my opinion. There were also so many characters that I had trouble keeping track of exactly who was who. If you’re in to historical fiction, I think this would be great for you. It was well written. And if it feels slow at first, it does get better.

[N.K. Von · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start of the book jumped right into everything. The middle and end were very engaging and I really enjoyed learning about the characters. The author did a really great job of making you feel like you were in this time period and it has helped made me more knowledgeable about this historic time period in our history. This was an enjoyable read, I am really glad I got this book.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I imagine most Americans have heard about the Alamo but unless you are from Texas chances are you don’t know the full story. The book does a good job describing the events leading up to the battle as well as what happens afterward which is historically the important part. Learned some new insights into all the players. Not stimulating but worth the read.

[Greg Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

No drama, virtually no history, predictable, even corny. Don't waste your time.

[Mary Sasala · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so disappointing. It was the stereotype of bad historical fiction. So boring.

[Jim McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy historical fiction and have some curiosity about the Texas war for Independence, you'll love this book.

I thought I knew a lot about the Texas revolution and the people who participated. I’ve lived in south Texas, visited all the battle sites, and researched and read the period history. I was wrong, but now I can say I really understand what happened. Mr. Knaggs brought history to life in The Bugles Are Silent. Excellent research and descriptions. Did the Texas war for independence really happen exactly as he described. Overall, yes. Were the nitty-gritty details absolutely correct? I suspect they were very close, even where he filled in with some thoughtful fiction.

This is an excellent read and worthy of the acclaimed it has enjoyed over the years. I would have benefited from a 1835 circa map of south Texas but made do with a current map of the area.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A historian tried to write a novel around the events of the Texas Revolution. It didn't work out too well. The only well-developed character was Santa Ana. The rest were shallow and unbelievable. I sure the facts were right, but the story was lame. I got the feeling I had heard the exact dialog before in the movie 'The Alamo'. The author also could have laid out the geography of the San Jacinto battlefield more clearly.

[Eric Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good historical novelization of the Battle of the Alamo.

[Bernard Cenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical Alamo account.

[Jen]

Met Mr. Knaggs today at the Alamo. Can't wait to read it!

[Robin Yaklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a native Texan, I couldn't resist. Still on my shelves.