Three Roads to the Alamo: The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis Reviews

• Getting to the truth of the Alamo

  
  By A3DSTOJPRMV674 on 2003-02-14
  I'm not sure if William C. Davis' "Three Roads to the Alamo" is a reinterpretation of the 1836 Alamo siege more than it is a truly exhaustive study of the three men who define that battle. A detailed and fascinating examination of the lives of David Crockett, James Bowie and William Barret Travis, "Three Roads to the Alamo" cuts through the myth and legend, revealing the dirt and substance of these men's lives en route to their eventual deaths in San Antonio.

  Certainly the myth of Crockett is dented somewhat, as we see that he is a man clumsy in politics, impatient with family life, seeking the next adventure. Bowie also comes across as a rather scandalous man, involved in shady land and slave dealings which would have most certainly placed him in jail today. And finally Travis, whose life has never before been examined with such detail, comes across as a rather poor businessman, constantly in debt and a obsessive womanizer to boot.

  Like all great historical figures shrouded in myth, it was only a matter of time before modern-day historians placed these Texas revolutionary heroes beneath a very un-romantic, yet 21st century microscope. So it comes as a rather stunning surprise that after these three statue-like figures are dressed down in human fashion, by battle's end they still, somehow, manage to put their past behind them and become heroes in spite of their many flaws.

  I'm not sure if Mr. Davis did this intentionally, just as I'm not sure if you could truly draw a portrait of these men and this battle and not find shades of extraordinary heroism within the walls of that mission fortress. Certainly, John Wayne's infamous 1960 film "The Alamo" is anything but the truth, but the great unvarnished fact about this story is that even with the bones revealed, these men still come across as noble and heroic, having seized an incredible moment in time, thus surviving for all eternity.

  And that, undoubtedly, is what continues to fascinate Americans, if not world citizens, about this battle. These men, while holding out for the hope of reinforcements, chose to stay, eventually sealing their doom. Yes, the line may not have been drawn in the sand, but in "Three Roads to the Alamo," that obvious fact becomes surprisingly irrelevant. Warts and all, these men's lives serve as the proper contrast to their eventual final deeds, making their decisions in 1836 all the more unforgettable.

  "Three Roads to the Alamo" is a intimately detailed historic work, which will fascinate all readers interested in this legendary battle. Arguably, it is one of the finest books yet written about this 13-day siege.
  
  

• Riveting and worthy of its length

  
  By A7COM37TA1860 on 2004-04-12
  I sheepishly admit to being one of those people for whom a 790-page book on the Alamo is not at all excessive. In "Three Roads to the Alamo" William C. Davis fills those many pages with a narrative that seems to me the most authentic, objective, and substantiated account connected to the well-known but often-distorted events of 1836.

  As the title indicates, Davies' organizing focus is on the biographies of the three American principals at San Antonio: David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Travis. He traces their lives in interleaved chapters that follow a generally chronological path. None of the three turn out to be anything near the paragons of virtue and/or honesty depicted in the standard accounting. Courage they most certainly had, but in Davies' retelling it was a courage born of self-interest and opportunism. Of the three, only Crockett's story leaves us feeling any great sympathy toward its subject. Still, even in this revisionist account, their lives maintain an unsurpassed power to both instruct and excite.

  Bowie is depicted as a land-speculator of the most dishonest kind. He achieved his fortune largely by forging Spanish Land Grants in Louisiana. Davies shows that in this he was hardly unique, although perhaps an over-achiever.

  Travis led a short and mysterious life, and his character remains elusive despite Davies' prodigious research. Like many of the Alamo defenders, he came to Texas to reinvent himself and to leave behind a failed past. Davies does his best to sort out the details of that abandoned past life.

  Crockett's road to a legendary death is well-told here in all its diversity. Davies is especially convincing in dealing with Crockett's political career, characterizing it as one marked by "naïveté, miscalculations, and simple blunders." And the author's detailing of the manipulation of Crockett by the Whig press and party leadership gives a dimension to the story that is not often treated. Despite a generally cynical portrayal, the author also provides ample evidence of Crockett's more appealing traits, which go far in explaining why this defeated ex-Congressman was received with such enthusiasm in Texas.

  The events at the Alamo actually take up a small portion of the book, but a "small portion" here is still a substantial serving. There are also approximately 160 pages of Notes. I'd advise the reader not to skip them. Davies not only discusses there some of the major controversies of his subjects' lives and of the war's details; he also relegates some of the best stories to those pages - presumably because of their debatable legitimacy.

  While Davies deals effectively with the ambiguities of the mission's final battle, I feel his most vital accomplishment is in showing his three subjects to be "in every way men of their time." In this sense, the book is as much about the dynamics of American life in the middle third of the 19th-century, and of Texas as an exemplar of American values, good and bad. It's also a damn good read.
  
  

• A Look Behind the Legends

  
  By A3LVTATM6TO27B on 2005-02-16
  The story of the Alamo has become the stuff of legend. The names most associated with the Alamo-James Bowie, David Crockett, and William Barret Travis-have taken on a mythological aura-especially in Texas. Davis' goal here is not to tell the story of the Alamo again (the actual battle covers very few pages) but to take a look behind the legends and attempt to draw a human portrait of these three heroes of the Alamo with flaws (and there are a lot of flaws here) and all.
  
  David Crockett had already become the stuff of legend by the time he made his way to the Alamo. Davis implies he only referred to himself as Davy to further the popular image of himself as a naïve back woodsman. David further implied that Crockett was inept and selfish at best in politics and neglectful of family. Of the three, however, Crockett does emerge as the most sympathetic. Bowie is presented as shady at best. In his pre-Alamo days, Bowie was a greedy speculator who was not above slave-trading or colossal dishonesty in the attempt to acquire land. There is little source material for Travis' life. Yet, Davis is able to draw a convincing picture of this failed lawyer who fled his native state to flee financial collapse and professional ruin.
  
  Ultimately, what will cause this book to become a classic on this near-mythological battle will be that Davis examines these three guys as human and not as solely legends. If he had chosen to write one book on each of these three it would have been a good book; by choosing to write about all three in one book he has produced a great book.
  
  

• Three Roads to the Alamo

  
  By A22FBZLGLYIBQV on 2000-01-10
  How close did David Crockett come to being presidient of the United States? Closer than you might think. That's one of the many interesting issues covered in "Three Roads to the Alamo" This book is deep and well researched. The foot notes were as interesting as the book itself. Most Bubba Texas history buffs never considered Crockett, Bowie and Travis until they bite the big bullet. We sometimes forget that Davy Crockett was not much more than a tourist. He had just lost an election and made one campaign promise that he kept. He said, "If I lose this election I'll either go to hell or Texas." He chose Texas. His travels led him to San Antonio at a time that coincided with the defense of the Alamo. James Bowie was a land swindler that forged a lot of Spanish land grants in Louisiana and did a poor job of that. He was kind of hiding out from creditors and enjoying his new squeeze, a pretty local girl from a influential San Antonio family. She died of typhus that rampaged the area and Jim went into a depression that kept him from a timely exit from San Antonio. William Travis was thriving in Texas with a law practice. Only after he had sneaked out of Alabama leaving a family and lots of debt. This book does a great job of explaining how these three men came together and rose above their short comings to lead a brave defense of the Alamo.
  
  

• The Accidental Heroes

  
  By on 1999-09-26
  Three thorough biographies in alternating chapters, trace the life journies of distinct personalities whose fate converged at a broken-down mission. Not for the hero-worshipper, it is nonetheless reverential of the heroism of its fallible protagonists. The valuable footnotes are as illuminating and informative as the text.
  
  
• Scoundrels or martyrs?
  By A33K5YRB78NZKP on 2001-03-28
  Now I know all the details of Bowie's land schemes and Travis's shortcomings as a lawyer but for the life of me I can't figure out what the author dislikes about poor old Davey. Its true that Bowie was a land shark as were many of the Louisiana gentry as well as the United States government. Travis I can excuse because of his youth and he died writing the most stirring appeals in Texas and American history. Of course few hear them today in the politically correct society that we now have.

  The author takes Crockett to task for the very things that made him an American legend before he became the symbol of the Alamo. Poor Crockett could do nothing to please this author. If he stood by his convictions he was a bumbling neer to well. If he compromised he was betraying his constituency. As was said by a much greater writer years back,'when the legend is greater than the truth, print the legend'. Or at least hold back snide comments and analysis. Despite the bias flaws this work will give you a chance to see the turmoil and the many facets of these three men. Sadly it is lacking in information of the fateful thirteen days of glory.
  
  

• Valuable and fascinating background on Alamo heroes.
  By A1LLX19JQ52TKA on 1999-08-24
  An endlessly fascinating account of the lives of Travis, Bowie, and Crockett, the three most familiar names from among all the Alamo heroes. Meticulous research shows the dark side as well as the heroic side of their characters,and one is struck by the impression of an inexorable force drawing these three disparate personalities from widely separate backgrounds to stand together and take their place in history. A "must read" for anyone interested in how Texas got that way. (Warning for Sam Houston devotees: be prepared to deal with a distinctly unflattering impression of this Texas icon.)
  
  
• Worthy of the acclaim and a little quibble
  By on 2000-08-03
  This is an impressive work. Davis has penned a fine narrative with a truly impressive amount of research and detail. The obvious scholarly effort is quite astounding, even if all the minute details of Jim Bowie's multiple land fraud schemes become somewhat mind numbing in their exacting detail. But where the author truly shines is in his perspective and painting of the larger canvas of these three amazing and quite different American heros. He answers the question that was in the forefront of my mind when I first visited the grounds held sacred to all loyal Texan (or Texians), namely, how did these three amazing individuals, Crockett, Bowie, and Travis end up in this ruined Spanish mission? The answer is enjoyably laid out in this book. A crackin' good historical read. My only quibble and criticism is with Mr. Davis' characterization of James Bowie's early efforts to financially prosper by smuggling slaves illegally into the United States just prior to 1820 in Chapter Two: "It showed him a species of crime easy on the conscience because it left no victim yet still offered considerable profit. He stole from no one when he smuggled slaves." I fairly wanted to scream out: What about the slaves themselves! Weren't they victims? Mr. Bowie certainly had this blind spot so characteristic of this era in the southern United States, but Mr. Davis has less of an excuse. Still, I don't want to sound like the PC police and detract too much from this fine work, hence the 5 stars.
  
  
• Amazing
  By A1LUSMM31M5IFC on 2001-08-04
  This may be the best history book I have ever read. It is in the same league as "The Guns of August" and "The Face of Battle". Davis illuminates the lives of three of the greatest American heroes--heroes whose lives were previously shrouded in their own glory. We all know the Davy Crockett played by Fess Parker--the King of the Wild Frontier. Our images of Jim Bowie and William B. Travis come to us from John Wayne's Alamo rendition. But these men have no flaws--they are not human. Davis brings us back to reality by showing that they were simply men of their times.

  The parallel biography is an excellent vehicle for driving this story, especially, as Davis points out, since the three men in the story represent the three levels of civilization. You have Crockett, the trail blazer, Bowie, the speculator, and Travis, the settler. Each has his own unique qualities, and adds a dimension to this tale of Jacksonian America.

  It is apparent that Davis was bound and determined to correct the myths around these three men, and for the most part he succeeds. He seems to come down unduly hard on Crockett, but then again, Crockett's image needed the most redressing. However, he does not totally undo the Crockett myth, with his much more heroic description of Davy at the Alamo. Bowie and Travis are also cut down, but to lesser degrees. In fact, Davis almost plays down Bowie's land schemes and he is obviously the author's favorite.

  As for the book itself, it is very readable if somewhat long. But once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down as Davis brings these men alive, and in the end, you truly feel their loss. It is a unique story, because as it progresses, it seems these men are invincible--giants in their own age, but we all know how the story ends, and yet still find ourselves wishing something will happen and history will change. Not many books can accomplish that kind of involvement. "Three Roads to the Alamo" does.
  
  

• A triumph of "triography"
  By A3FP5LZNE5LTD1 on 2003-01-09
  Three key figures in the Alamo legend, three biographies intertwined into a single story. Davis is able to write parallel accounts of the lives of Crockett, Bowie and Travis, so that the reader knows what the others have been up to while reading about the third. Meticulous research, and Davis does not bog down the narrative with long explanations about sources. However, he does supply adequate information in the notes at the end of the book, for those who are fond of reading them. Perhaps the most interesting information to come from the book is the shattering of myths surrounding these three men. Travis was a failure in life, whose law career didn't pick up until he abandoned his native Alabama--and his wife and family--for Texas. Bowie was a swindler, who forged documents claiming to be Spanish land grants for land in present-day Arkansas and Louisiana. And Crockett was the Jesse Ventura of his day, an unlettered self-promoter who became nationally known in the early 1830s and parlayed his fame into a political career that eventually collapsed for lack of substance. A great American story, "Three Roads to the Alamo" can be enjoyed by anyone--even Texas newcomers like me.
  
  
• some are born great, some achieve greatness....
  By AYV4KIIUM2419 on 2000-04-22
  and others have greatness thrust upon them...This seems to be the theme of this excellent book, dealing the "Alamo Trinty" of Crockett, Bowie and Travis. None of these men were born great, but wound up achieving (in the case of Travis) or having it thrust upon them..(Crockett and Bowie)All of these men were flawed, Travis and Crockett with irreponsibilty and Bowie a general disregard for the law. (The book doesn't say this, but you get the impression that Bowie's death wasn't terribly far ahead of an arrest warrent..)Crockett had failed in two terms as a congressman, but not really through any fault of his own in this case. He had angred Andrew Jackson,and in the election of 1835, told the voters he had done his best and if they didn't like it,"You can go the hell and I'll go to Texas" (not "I'll go to hell or Texas" as another reviewer puts it. Bowie was a land swindler, Travis's marriage had failed...Yet these three flawed men rose above all faults and failings to become American heroes. We need our heroes and this book helps us understand how ordinary men, feet of clay and all, can and often do become heroes....
  
  
• A cop out
  By on 2000-10-21
  This well written book went down the toilet when the author chose to ignore Pena's account of Crockett's death. His logic for rejecting this is astoundingly bad. He says in his footnote that the fact Texans were saying the same thing as the Mexicans a few days after the fight is a reason not to believe it. In other words, he says that because both the Mexicans and Texans agreed about how Crockett died, that makes it less credible!! What? How did he get there. Too bad. This is a pretty good book that seems to be looking for the truth along the way and then at the end couldn't stand to go the final yard and face the fact that David Crockett didn't die fighting but tried to surrender. Everyone on both sides believed this at the time, Pena's firsthand account is very credible and almost every other historian in recent times accepts it except this author. He clings to the idea that no one knows how Crockett died. He's wrong. His death is better documented than anyone at the Alamo. For hundreds of pages Davis fooled me. I thought he was an objective observer. It turns out he's just a Davy Crockett fan. He should have put that coonskin hat back in mothballs before he began this work.
  
  
• Three cheers for "Three Roads"!
  By A2SDYWB9LB1LYI on 2004-03-08
  The settlement of new territory comes in three phases. The first are the trailblazers, like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Then come the speculators seeking to make a quick profit (like James Bowie) and then come the "nesters," the teachers, lawyers (like William Travis), homesteaders who make a community. William O. Davis' fascinating book offers three short biographies of three very different men and how they all came to meet their fate at the Alamo. Crockett is the most endearing. He comes across as a very sweet-natured and good-hearted person who strives very hard to improve himself. Bowie was an out-and-out crook and con-man. (His story is really pretty shocking to someone who grew up with the hagiography of Texian heroes!) Travis also had a few skeletons in his closet, in that he came to Texas to escape an unpleasant personal situation elsewhere. But people like these men were the founders of The Republic of Texas. It's my observation that some of the most successful Texans have combined aspects of all these men. (Lyndon Johnson and Ross Perot immediately come to mind.) Even though I'm a native Texan (some my ancestors came to Texas with the Robertson colony and another fought at San Jacinto), there were a lot of things that were new to me in this book. This is insightful and incisive writing. I recommend it to all lovers of Texas history. It has deepened my understanding of everything else I have read on the subject.
  
  
• Three is Better than one.
  By A3PV5VERGCEG4O on 2004-04-16
  After spending a semester of my college life studying William Barret Travis, I became versed on the Texas Patriot's life. Authors who wrote singly on Travis have not scratched the surface on his life. But, Davis has, in his triple biography of Travis, Crockett, and Bowie, effectively described in amazing detail the life of William Barret Travis. He bests those who focused only on the young Texan. His work is first-rate and second to none. 5 out of 5 stars.
  
  
• Finally - The REST of the story!
  By A2XIRF689F2C7G on 2005-01-09
  Ever since I was a introduced to Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, the 1950's television series created by Walt Disney and Fess Parker, I was awe-inspired by his legend and death at the Alamo. To a lesser degree, James Bowie and William Barrett Travis held similar positions in my mind. This does not discount or minimize in any way the contribution and ultimate sacrifice of the other 200 or so volunteers at the battle of the Alamo.
  
  But I always hungered for more information about these men, what made them "tick", and what motivated them to make that valiant last stand. This book by William C. Davis has finally filled that void for me. I can't say enough good things about it!
  
  As another reviewer has pointed out, the end notes are nearly 200 pages in length and add considerable detail and depth to the narrative. I found myself not only flipping back and forth to review them, but reading them one after another as if they WERE the narrative itself!
  
  The research that the author has obviously done on his subjects is almost beyond belief. He presents these three individuals with the detail and depth that finally allows us to begin to view them on a more human level. He removes the bigger than life legends that surround them, revealing not only their strengths of character, but weaknesses as well.
  
  In short, I cannot recommend this book more highly. It is a truly great piece of work. Thank you, Mr. Davis!!!
  
  
• Fascinating, stunningly detailed triple biography
  By on 1998-05-28
  This book combines the best in historical detail and accuracy with a bold, dramatic narrative that propels the reader forward. Travis, Crockett and Bowie are revealed as full human beings not caricatures or tall-tale characters. The research is exhaustive and the portraits of the men are clear and strong. One knows the tragic event that sealed their fate, and Davis debunks some of the myth clouding the Alamo and the three men inextricably linked to it. It is also a book about a young country and the unique and fascinating men that forged the American West. Not just for Alamo enthusiasts--there's plenty here for everyone! It contains the exhaustive research, humor, attention to detail and "readability" that characterize Davis' books. If you've read his Civil War books--give this one a try! If you've never read him, it's a great introduction to his style. Quite Simply a GREAT read.
  
  
• At Last, The Real Story
  By AC31II9459P5G on 2005-01-27
  I have always suspected that the events I "know" about the Alamo were not entirely accurate, and now, from reading Three Roads to the Alamo, I find that most of what I knew was myth or outright fabrication. But the really interesting discovery is that the truth is much more evocative than the myth.
  
  A biography of any one of these men would be a quite a job by itself, but William Davis has written three meticulously researched biographies and has combined them into the definitive history of the Alamo. Don't be deterred by the length of this book; serious researchers will appreciate the detail, but for the rest of us Davis writes in a smooth and satisfying style. Once their mythology is stripped away, Bowie, Crockett and Travis come to life as real men, and we follow their fascinating lives as their paths lead them toward their fate. We become immersed in their stories, as if they were characters in literature.
  
  If you could only read one book about the Alamo, Three Roads to the Alamo would be your best choice.
  
  
  
• One Road Too Few
  By A3AFO11AZ06MLI on 2006-03-27
  OK, that is a bit of a negative title, so I want to start off saying that I really enjoyed this book. One of the problems with the story of the Alamo is that it all too often is isolated in the time during the battle and not much of the events and lives of the participants are ever explored. This leaves a story disconnected from all that ran up to it, all that caused it.
  
  William C. Davis does an admirable job assembling the lives of three people who are somewhat elusive in the historical record until their "big day" at the Alamo (even Crocket has his blank spots in his history). It is important info that informs us all why these men were "that" Travis, Crocket and Bowie.
  
  He gives them life in a narrative that quickly moves in a conversational style. Further, he does an admirable job not judging these men on today's more "civilized" standards, allowing us to come to know the men as they were, in their day, without being weighed down by modern approbations and regrettable "social" historical analysis so popular with too many historians.
  
  Now the criticism: As my little review title suggests I feel that there was one road, one equally important, not explored that led to the Alamo. It is a road that is just as important as the other roads Davis explores; that of Travis, Crocket, and Bowie.
  
  It is a road without which the Alamo would not have occurred, propelling the three heroes into American mythology. It is the road traveled by Santa Anna.
  
  Of course, at 587 pages, this tome is already a bit larger than the average popular treatment of any particular historical event and it is probable that Davis struggled to keep the story under one thousand! Still, Santa Anna's journey was just as tumultuous, interesting and central to the story as Travis, Crocket, and Bowie's, and just as important.
  
  Davis admits that he started with the idea of a Bowie bio, so it isn't surprising that he dwelled on Bowie more so than the other two. But, given the re-direction he took with his story a little less on Bowie could have sufficed as the story of Santa Anna was included.
  
  After reading the book, I felt a hole in the story. Why, exactly, did the Mexicans do all they did? Not just during the months preceding the Alamo, but for the decade before. How did Santa Anna get to his position? What drove him to lay siege to the Alamo and that small band of Norteamericanos? I know Santa Anna is not the American hero that the other three are, but where is the hero without the villain?
  
  In any case. This book is highly recommended for anyone wanting a well researched story of the actions and personalities that led up to the Alamo. Even with that one small detraction, I say read it!
  
  By Warner Todd Huston
  
  
• Outstanding Readable History
  By on 1998-09-07
  A brilliant work by one of our finest popular historians. In this case the work is so well documented, with endnotes, that it is worthy of a doctoral thesis. But it is as well written as a novel. The endnotes themselves are filled with vignettes about each of the three "great men", Travis, Bowie and Crockett. It is interesting to watch them develop, in effect grow, to become the men who became legend. Heatily recommend it because of it's outstanding scholarship and it's readability. Anyone who enjoys real history will love this.
  
  
• For Alamo junkies
  By A2N3OIIEI9URF0 on 2001-05-26
  OK, I read every book written on the Alamo, so I had to read this one. While you have to plow through a lot of history of these three that occurs before they ever reach Texas, I must say I learned new things about each. There is no question - they are not the guilded "heros" we have worshipped for so long in Texas, but I like them better as real people. Not necessarily an "easy" read, but if you follow Texas history, a must read.
  
  
• Very Informative
  By A12A1P3NAJJMBX on 2002-10-17
  As a Tennessee native and a Texan by choice, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Davy Crockett was the representative from the Congressional district where I grew up and it was very enjoyable to learn more about how things were when my ancestors first came into the area. The book also reveals a lot about who each of the three main characters really were and offers a lot of insight into the War For Texas Independence. It should be mandatory reading for Texans.

  Sam McGowan,
  Vietnam Veteran and Author of "The Cave," a novel of the Vietnam War.
  
  

• In depth analysis of the men behind the myths
  By A1O30ZJ181B4JH on 2004-05-05
  Almost immediately after the Alamo fell March 6, 1836, it became shrouded in so many myths that there's still some that people hold firm beliefs in today. Naturally, the majority of the myths and legends surround the three main personalities: David Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Barret Travis.
  
  This book attempts to strip away all of the folklore that has become virtually synonymous with these three. Their lives are laid bare, showing the common reader that they were human, after all. The legendary Crockett had political troubles, Bowie was notorious for dealing heavily in land swindles and slavery, and Travis was pretty much a failure at everything before packing up and moving to Texas (unfortunately, leaving his family behind him in Alabama). Despite showing their flaws and shortcomings, however, the author does not attempt to undermine their brave stand at the Alamo. He maintains that they fought for what they believed in, and that makes them admirable.
  
  This book is unique in that it is, essentially, a triple biography. There is not one complete section for each of the three subjects; rather, the book is written so that the chapters alternate between each of them. This provides the reader with a sense of where the other two were and what they were doing while maintaining a primary focus on the third. While it is quite a hefty tome, it is at the same time quite readable and enjoyable to boot. Davis clearly has done his homework and hopefully this will become one of the quintessential books on the Alamo.
  
  
• Well-written/researched biography of the three Alamo heroes
  By A1HD5KASZ7F36S on 2005-05-25
  This is the most important book about the Alamo and its heroes to appear in the last three decades. Davis has undertaken meticulous research, including review of previously unseen documents in Mexico's military archives, to construct new, revealing biographies of the three most celebrated Alamo heroes. Especially valuable are the sketches of Bowie and Travis, about whom there are no earlier satisfactory biographies. Many will find Travis's story completely new, and Davis portrays the Alamo commander as an important political leader of the Texian revolt, whose death was an incalculable loss to that cause. Bowie, on the other hand, is something of a rogue, forever scheming to turn a dishonest dollar through slave smuggling or land fraud. However, Davis also captures Bowie's daring, bravery, and leadership capabilities, particularly in battle. Crockett's story is more familiar, but Davis adds new interpretation and assessment of the frontier politician and folk hero,! deftly distinguishing the two and tracing the emergence of the fictional "Davy," partially by Crockett's own design. Other historical figures, particularly Sam Houston, do not fair so well, and Davis reveals the petty politics that may have led to abandonment of the doomed Alamo garrison. The work is not intended as a study of the Alamo itself, and the siege and battle are confined to a single chapter. Nonetheless, Davis has uncovered new information and formed unique insights about the event and the actions there of the three heroes. Much myth is stripped away, and Davis reveals the human failings of the three figures, who still emerge as courageous men of stubborn conviction, in many ways typical of those who sought to improve their fortunes by exploiting opportunities along America's expanding frontier. The book deserves a place beside such highly-regarded Alamo works as Walter Lord's "A Time To Stand."
  
  
• The Honored Dead
  By A2ZVOP5SM449F5 on 2006-02-02
  "This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
  
  Author William C. Davis does not follow this advise and gives us the true story of these three icons of Texas. We find that aside from Crockett's three successful congressional campaigns and Travis' legal practice in Texas, these heroes were not very successful nor particularly honorable as that term is defined today. Bowie was an unsuccessful con artist who married his Tejano wife for her money and connections, Travis abandoned his pregnant wife in Alabama to evade a warrant for his arrest for debt, and Crockett was long estranged from his second wife at the time of his death. They were not exactly paragons of virtue but in the manner of their deaths they were and are heroes and that should not be forgotten, and Davis does not forget this. I am reminded of a line from another movie, Casablanca, in which Humphrey Bogart says, "They got a lucky break. Yesterday they were just two German clerks. Today they're the 'Honored Dead'." Bowie, Crockett and Travis are Texas' Honored Dead.
  
  
  
  
• Glimpse behind the glory
  By A3GA09FYFKL4EY on 2006-10-23
  William Davis, best known for his excellent works on the American War Between the States (oh, alright, "Civil War" if you insist) delves into the Texas Revolution with this work, and presents historians with an excellent glimpse at the three principal figures of the Alamo Siege. This triple biography gives an excellent in-depth look at the careers, motivations, and personal lives of three men on their march to an appointment with destiny.
  
  I highly recommend all of Mr. Davis' works, especially "Deep Waters of the Proud" and "Look Away!"
  
  
• A superb historical work
  By A3A34FHDXIHPJB on 2000-03-11
  Not much more here than has already been said, though I feel the real coup de grace was Davis's willingness and ability to gather previously difficult to obtain information in the Mexican military archives.

  The reference and support information alone is worth the price of the book.
  
  

• Best Book on Texas ever written!
  By on 1999-02-08
  The research is incredible. I even read all the notes, and they are as facinating as the book. I wish he had spent another couple of hundred pages on Travis' diary. His conclusions on Houston were a bit on the ruthless side. The Alamo was going to fall, no matter how many reinforements were sent. But, this story needed to be told by someone who would take the time to "look it up". And, look it up is exactly what Mr. Davis has done!
  
  
• Outstanding work, the best details of history yet.
  By A2CY3AW2ULCIS5 on 1998-08-28
  This has to be the best Alamo book I have read to date. The lives of the 3 main characters of the Alamo cast are layed out before you. The biography of Crockett,Travis and Bowie really gives one insight into what these men were made of. Having just returned from a vacation in the city of San Antonio, my reading of this book really made my visit to The Alamo a wonderful experience. This is a fine word of history.
  
  
• A great book, unless you love Disney's Crockett
  By AFVBYTVP8C4LW on 2001-05-07
  This is a great history book. It covers a mythic battle that the reader is sure to know in outline, if not better. It peeks behind the myths, only to discover more heros. Further, it makes the story a parable about North America. There is nothing better.

  It's interesting how the author keeps us guessing about the 'true nature' of our heros. James Bowie starts out the most offensive of rogues, but ends up finding something more important than money. David Crockett starts off a Disney hero, but ends up being a rather befuddled witness to history (or perhaps a magnet for it).

  Finally, one shouldn't ignore the way Williams dances through the jingoistic pot-holes. There is a great deal of jingoistic blather laid down by the Disney version of the Alamo, not to mention what some Texans think. The Texas revolution was primarily a fight for the US slave system and real estate riches. The liberties so proudly linked to the Alamo included the liberty to treat people like cattle. The Disney version hides this by playing Mexican President Santa Anna as a 19th century King George the III, but no serious reader can ignore the absurdity of such a claim.

  Williams minces no words about the jingoistic aspect of his three biographies. While reading, one wonders if he isn't just setting all three up for a concluding disgrace.

  This brings me to what I think the best aspect of the book. It tells a straight story that both Hispanic and Anglo can read. There is more to the story than land swindles, robbing the natives and slavery. The story describes how Hispanic and Anglo cultures can blend, a story of growing importance. There is a great deal more to tell, but I like the way this section of it was told.
  
  

• Helped me learn about Crockett
  By A20WWQKHX49MQ on 2002-01-22
  Had to do a report on Crockett for school.

  Got this book, opened, read, took notes.

  Wrote the paper, based on my notes from this book.

  Got an A on the paper.

  In other words, great resource material-valuable if you wish to know the differences between Fess Parker's "Davy Crockett" and the real David Crockett.
  
  

• The Alamo (Widescreen Edition)
• Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution
• Alamo Traces: New Evidence and New Conclusions
• A Time to Stand
• Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution (New Narratives in American History)