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A Time to Stand: The Epic of the Alamo
On the morning of March 6, 1836, in an old abandoned mission called the Alamo, a small Texas garrison fought to the death rather than yield to an overwhelming army of Mexicans. Through the years the garrison’s heroic stand has become so clothed in folklore and romance that the truth has nearly been lost. In A Time to Stand Walter Lord rediscovers and recreates the whole fascinating story. From contemporary documents, diaries, and letters, he has mined a wealth of fresh information that throws intriguing sidelights on the epic of the Alamo. What were the defenders like? Why did they take their stand? Did any escape? Did Davy Crockett surrender?
The cast of characters includes not only famous figures like Jim Bowie but unknown, unsung men: John Purdy Reynolds, the wandering Pennsylvania surgeon; George Kimball, the industrious New York hatter, Micajah Autry of Tennessee, who was a far better poet than a businessman. And then there are the Mexicans: the fabulous Santa Anna; the smooth Colonel Almonte; the forlorn private Juan Basquez, who only wanted to stay home and make shoes.
The cast of characters includes not only famous figures like Jim Bowie but unknown, unsung men: John Purdy Reynolds, the wandering Pennsylvania surgeon; George Kimball, the industrious New York hatter, Micajah Autry of Tennessee, who was a far better poet than a businessman. And then there are the Mexicans: the fabulous Santa Anna; the smooth Colonel Almonte; the forlorn private Juan Basquez, who only wanted to stay home and make shoes.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1961
387 people are currently reading
902 people want to read
About the author
Walter Lord
62 books200 followersWalter Lord was an American author, best known for his documentary-style non-fiction account, A Night to Remember, about the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
In 2009, Jenny Lawrence edited and published The Way It Was: Walter Lord on His Life and Books.
In 2009, Jenny Lawrence edited and published The Way It Was: Walter Lord on His Life and Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
April 16, 2023
“Down in the plaza, Santa Anna's troops had little time to cheer the change in [flags]; they were much too busy storming the buildings. They moved methodically, from doorway to doorway, always using the same tactics: first a blast from the captured cannon to smash the doors and barricades...next a storm of musket fire to clear away the defenders...and then the final charge. As the Mexicans crashed the barrack rooms, new struggles broke out - more desperate, more fearful than any before. It was an intensely personal business now – pairs of men clutching and wrestling in the smoke-filled darkness...”
- Walter Lord, A Time to Stand: The Epic of the Alamo
Walter Lord has to be included on any short list of the greatest English-language narrative historians of the last one-hundred years. At his best, his books not only combed the historical record, but helped to create it, utilizing numerous interviews with actual participants to put you right in the middle of things, whether it was the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the British escape from Dunkirk, or the sinking of the Titanic. His unique gift was not simply an eye for detail, but an ability to draw those details from the memories of his subjects.
In deciding to tackle the Battle of the Alamo, Lord made the conscious choice to abandon one of his strengths. By the time he published A Time to Stand in 1961, the Alamo already sat 125 years in the past. There was no one around to talk to.
Making things even more challenging is the fact that most of the participants never got to write – or even talk – about their experiences. Every single Texan, Tejano, and American man in the Alamo died with the dawn on March 6, 1836. Meanwhile, a goodly number of Mexican soldiers would fall a month-and-a-half later, during the slaughter at San Jacinto.
The extant documentation from this – one of the most famous clashes in history – is incredibly, frustratingly scanty. There are precious few firsthand accounts, a few more secondhand accounts that purport to integrate firsthand accounts, and then a whole lot of gossip, rumor, and wishful thinking, all adding up to a legend that has been curiously impervious to the passage of time.
At least in Texas, where the Alamo is a vibe, a mood, and a religion.
Despite the lack of dependable sources, Lord does his level best to give A Time to Stand his signature treatment, peppering the tale with anecdotes and particulars. Unfortunately, there are more than a few instances where he has to fill in the gaps with a whole bunch of imagination.
***
“It was but a small affair,” the victorious General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna said when it was over. This proved to be false, as the Alamo remains a popular topic still today.
Still, even if you only vaguely know of the Alamo, or haven’t heard of it at all, Lord has you covered. He briefly – for this is but a small book – covers the background that led to a climatic showdown over a decrepit Spanish mission on the outskirts of San Antonio.
To summarize: In the early 19th century, both the United States and Mexico were on roughly even paths. Both began as European colonies that revolted to gain their independence. Both were continental empires. Both had complicated relationships with slavery, and with the indigenous inhabitants on the lands they now claimed.
Texas – which became the province of Coahuila y Tejas in 1824 – quickly became a problem for Mexico. It was too thinly populated to hold, much less govern. In order to contain the Indian tribes – especially the Comanche, who had their own empire to run – Mexico made the shortsighted decision to allow American immigrants to settle the lands. They would be given their own parcels in exchange for allegiance, conversion to Catholicism, and a promise to learn Spanish. These immigrants took the land, but pretty much reneged on everything else. To cut off the flow, Mexico banned slavery and made immigration illegal.
Revolution followed.
General Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, personally led an army north to crush an enemy he referred to as “pirates.” Behind the walls of the Alamo, he found between 182 (the classical number) and 250 (a more modern estimate) men waiting for him. A siege commenced lasting thirteen days. Before sunrise on the final day, the end arrived.
***
The siege and the last stand are obviously the central elements of A Time to Stand, and Lord – unsurprisingly, given his track record – does a good job with them, even with limited sources.
Despite some claims throughout the years, it is nearly certain that none of the Alamo defenders survived, though many tried to breakout and escape (a legend-complicating factor that Lord includes, though underplays). Noncombatant survivors within the fortress produced some testimony, but their viewpoints were restricted, not least because they were sheltering in the mission’s sacristy as the walls were breached.
Most evidence comes from the Mexican side, and it is often contradictory, owing to a wide variety of factors. Poor light. Bad vantage points. Powder smoke. The unconscious integration of hearsay into memory. Beyond physical factors, some witnesses tried to curry favor with Texian interlocutors after San Jacinto; some tried to displace blame or disparage Santa Anna; still others – such as Santa Anna himself – tried to downplay the whole thing.
In short, if you read all the primary accounts – and I’ve come close – it’s a muddle.
Lord takes what is known and tries to place that into a coherent sequence of events. He then livens that with a bit of speculation and some dramatic license. For the most part, the liberties he takes are appropriate. We know that the battle occurred in darkness; we know that guns were fired; we know that people died. Thus, pointing out the frightening shadows lit by intermittent gunfire, or remarking upon the deafening noises, is just fine.
At certain points, though, Lord definitely accedes to the myth. For instance, famed knife fighter James Bowie was likely near death when the Mexicans took the Alamo, and killed helpless in bed. At least, this is what the most credible accounts say. Lord, though, can’t resist the idea that Bowie roused himself from his sickbed for one final, violent incident in an exceptionally violent life.
***
Understanding that there is not a single Alamo story, but dozens of them, all based on different scraps of proof, Lord closes with a chapter focused entirely on the “riddles of the Alamo.” Here, Lord indulges in closer discussions about Alamo lore, such as commander William B. Travis’s alleged “line in the sand,” and the likelihood that David Crockett was executed rather than killed in the actual fighting.
Many later Alamo books have copied Lord’s technique, attesting to its effectiveness. Indeed, there are now entire books devoted solely to parsing the traditions. Still, this section is nowhere near comprehensive.
***
Unlike the Titanic, which Lord helped to immortalize with A Night to Remember, the Battle of the Alamo was already quite established in the American consciousness by the time he took a crack at it. After all, this came some six years after the release of the extremely popular Disney film Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, which concludes with the titular hero standing on the Alamo steps in the final frames, swinging his empty rifle at endless Mexican soldados.
In the years since, the Alamo has undergone numerous reappraisals, from a variety of different angles. In Texas, it is a foundation myth as potent as Genesis, injected straight into the bloodstream. For some on the political right, it is a symbol of heroism in defense of liberty. For some on the political left, it is a symbol of oppression. To America it means one thing; to Mexico, quite another. For all sides, it is both a lightning rod for attention, and a canvas upon which to project different ideals.
A Time to Stand is set firmly outside of this simmering after-battle of memory and meaning. Like all of Lord’s books, it tries to do one thing: present history as an irresistible story of people caught up in events not of their own making, events beyond their full comprehension, events that will be the defining moments of their lives.
- Walter Lord, A Time to Stand: The Epic of the Alamo
Walter Lord has to be included on any short list of the greatest English-language narrative historians of the last one-hundred years. At his best, his books not only combed the historical record, but helped to create it, utilizing numerous interviews with actual participants to put you right in the middle of things, whether it was the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the British escape from Dunkirk, or the sinking of the Titanic. His unique gift was not simply an eye for detail, but an ability to draw those details from the memories of his subjects.
In deciding to tackle the Battle of the Alamo, Lord made the conscious choice to abandon one of his strengths. By the time he published A Time to Stand in 1961, the Alamo already sat 125 years in the past. There was no one around to talk to.
Making things even more challenging is the fact that most of the participants never got to write – or even talk – about their experiences. Every single Texan, Tejano, and American man in the Alamo died with the dawn on March 6, 1836. Meanwhile, a goodly number of Mexican soldiers would fall a month-and-a-half later, during the slaughter at San Jacinto.
The extant documentation from this – one of the most famous clashes in history – is incredibly, frustratingly scanty. There are precious few firsthand accounts, a few more secondhand accounts that purport to integrate firsthand accounts, and then a whole lot of gossip, rumor, and wishful thinking, all adding up to a legend that has been curiously impervious to the passage of time.
At least in Texas, where the Alamo is a vibe, a mood, and a religion.
Despite the lack of dependable sources, Lord does his level best to give A Time to Stand his signature treatment, peppering the tale with anecdotes and particulars. Unfortunately, there are more than a few instances where he has to fill in the gaps with a whole bunch of imagination.
***
“It was but a small affair,” the victorious General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna said when it was over. This proved to be false, as the Alamo remains a popular topic still today.
Still, even if you only vaguely know of the Alamo, or haven’t heard of it at all, Lord has you covered. He briefly – for this is but a small book – covers the background that led to a climatic showdown over a decrepit Spanish mission on the outskirts of San Antonio.
To summarize: In the early 19th century, both the United States and Mexico were on roughly even paths. Both began as European colonies that revolted to gain their independence. Both were continental empires. Both had complicated relationships with slavery, and with the indigenous inhabitants on the lands they now claimed.
Texas – which became the province of Coahuila y Tejas in 1824 – quickly became a problem for Mexico. It was too thinly populated to hold, much less govern. In order to contain the Indian tribes – especially the Comanche, who had their own empire to run – Mexico made the shortsighted decision to allow American immigrants to settle the lands. They would be given their own parcels in exchange for allegiance, conversion to Catholicism, and a promise to learn Spanish. These immigrants took the land, but pretty much reneged on everything else. To cut off the flow, Mexico banned slavery and made immigration illegal.
Revolution followed.
General Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, personally led an army north to crush an enemy he referred to as “pirates.” Behind the walls of the Alamo, he found between 182 (the classical number) and 250 (a more modern estimate) men waiting for him. A siege commenced lasting thirteen days. Before sunrise on the final day, the end arrived.
***
The siege and the last stand are obviously the central elements of A Time to Stand, and Lord – unsurprisingly, given his track record – does a good job with them, even with limited sources.
Despite some claims throughout the years, it is nearly certain that none of the Alamo defenders survived, though many tried to breakout and escape (a legend-complicating factor that Lord includes, though underplays). Noncombatant survivors within the fortress produced some testimony, but their viewpoints were restricted, not least because they were sheltering in the mission’s sacristy as the walls were breached.
Most evidence comes from the Mexican side, and it is often contradictory, owing to a wide variety of factors. Poor light. Bad vantage points. Powder smoke. The unconscious integration of hearsay into memory. Beyond physical factors, some witnesses tried to curry favor with Texian interlocutors after San Jacinto; some tried to displace blame or disparage Santa Anna; still others – such as Santa Anna himself – tried to downplay the whole thing.
In short, if you read all the primary accounts – and I’ve come close – it’s a muddle.
Lord takes what is known and tries to place that into a coherent sequence of events. He then livens that with a bit of speculation and some dramatic license. For the most part, the liberties he takes are appropriate. We know that the battle occurred in darkness; we know that guns were fired; we know that people died. Thus, pointing out the frightening shadows lit by intermittent gunfire, or remarking upon the deafening noises, is just fine.
At certain points, though, Lord definitely accedes to the myth. For instance, famed knife fighter James Bowie was likely near death when the Mexicans took the Alamo, and killed helpless in bed. At least, this is what the most credible accounts say. Lord, though, can’t resist the idea that Bowie roused himself from his sickbed for one final, violent incident in an exceptionally violent life.
***
Understanding that there is not a single Alamo story, but dozens of them, all based on different scraps of proof, Lord closes with a chapter focused entirely on the “riddles of the Alamo.” Here, Lord indulges in closer discussions about Alamo lore, such as commander William B. Travis’s alleged “line in the sand,” and the likelihood that David Crockett was executed rather than killed in the actual fighting.
Many later Alamo books have copied Lord’s technique, attesting to its effectiveness. Indeed, there are now entire books devoted solely to parsing the traditions. Still, this section is nowhere near comprehensive.
***
Unlike the Titanic, which Lord helped to immortalize with A Night to Remember, the Battle of the Alamo was already quite established in the American consciousness by the time he took a crack at it. After all, this came some six years after the release of the extremely popular Disney film Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, which concludes with the titular hero standing on the Alamo steps in the final frames, swinging his empty rifle at endless Mexican soldados.
In the years since, the Alamo has undergone numerous reappraisals, from a variety of different angles. In Texas, it is a foundation myth as potent as Genesis, injected straight into the bloodstream. For some on the political right, it is a symbol of heroism in defense of liberty. For some on the political left, it is a symbol of oppression. To America it means one thing; to Mexico, quite another. For all sides, it is both a lightning rod for attention, and a canvas upon which to project different ideals.
A Time to Stand is set firmly outside of this simmering after-battle of memory and meaning. Like all of Lord’s books, it tries to do one thing: present history as an irresistible story of people caught up in events not of their own making, events beyond their full comprehension, events that will be the defining moments of their lives.
December 27, 2023
If you want to know about the Alamo in a succinct and complete fashion, this is your book, written by the author who produced a similarly slim but significant volume about the Titanic, A Night to Remember.
The Americans were there because Mexico had brought them in as (they thought) an easy way to protect the land from raiding Apache and Comanche. However when Mexico realized the Americans had brought slavery with them, and other disagreeable traditions, the Mexicans ordered them to cease their 19th century version of what we now call human trafficking. The Americans rebelled. Which brought about the war, as Mexican troops moved in to quell the rebellion, which brought about the Alamo, which eventually brought about Texan independence.
🏜️⛓️ But the Alamo stand, fomented on the Texans’ perceived right to be slave owners and promulgate slavery, which the Mexicans were fighting to bring to an end, is obviously not nearly so noble a last stand as Texan and US history make it out to be. So much for Davy Crockett.
There’s lots to take in and learn from this short but impactful book.
The Americans were there because Mexico had brought them in as (they thought) an easy way to protect the land from raiding Apache and Comanche. However when Mexico realized the Americans had brought slavery with them, and other disagreeable traditions, the Mexicans ordered them to cease their 19th century version of what we now call human trafficking. The Americans rebelled. Which brought about the war, as Mexican troops moved in to quell the rebellion, which brought about the Alamo, which eventually brought about Texan independence.
🏜️⛓️ But the Alamo stand, fomented on the Texans’ perceived right to be slave owners and promulgate slavery, which the Mexicans were fighting to bring to an end, is obviously not nearly so noble a last stand as Texan and US history make it out to be. So much for Davy Crockett.
There’s lots to take in and learn from this short but impactful book.
July 3, 2018
Wow!!!! I never read any of Walter Lord's books until I began this one. Most non-fiction history books are long, long-winded and filled with too many pages and details (If you read any of Doris Kearns Goodwins' books you know what I mean!).
Yet here is a historian who tackles a topic - The Battle of the Alamo, and writes it in almost novelesque form and after 275 extremely readable pages I have finished and feel really better versed than ever about that battle. Truly one of the most readable books I have read, this books grabs your attention from page 1 and never lets go. The author even has a chapter on Riddles of the Alamo in which he debunks many myths that have surrounded this Battle over the years; along with a listing of all those fighters who were there and who were killed during this savage battle. Heck, I never even heard how much of this battle was actually a siege with daily tightening circles around the mission.
The author tackled about 10 topics during his life, wrote the definitive book on the Titanic, and the research is just fantastic. Even if you are not a fan of non-fiction history give this book a chance. I think I picked it up on my Kindle for $1.99. Well worth the purchase!!!!
Yet here is a historian who tackles a topic - The Battle of the Alamo, and writes it in almost novelesque form and after 275 extremely readable pages I have finished and feel really better versed than ever about that battle. Truly one of the most readable books I have read, this books grabs your attention from page 1 and never lets go. The author even has a chapter on Riddles of the Alamo in which he debunks many myths that have surrounded this Battle over the years; along with a listing of all those fighters who were there and who were killed during this savage battle. Heck, I never even heard how much of this battle was actually a siege with daily tightening circles around the mission.
The author tackled about 10 topics during his life, wrote the definitive book on the Titanic, and the research is just fantastic. Even if you are not a fan of non-fiction history give this book a chance. I think I picked it up on my Kindle for $1.99. Well worth the purchase!!!!
May 26, 2014
As a collector of first edition Texas history books, this is one written by Walter Lord in 1961. I have read and studied this book at least seven or eight times. Each time in comprehend something more.
This epic adventure of the Alamo is like never before written. Walter Lord is also the author of A Night to Remember and The Good Years.
During my writing of Sisters of Mercy - The Runaway Scrape, Angelina Dickinson leads off the novel informing the families in Gonzales to begin running to the Sabine River. Walter Lords book describes a scene where William Travis gave her daughter his ring to wear around her neck. I never found information like this in any other book I read.
It is something to be said about some of the older first edition books. You find information that has still not made it to the "Internet."
This epic adventure of the Alamo is like never before written. Walter Lord is also the author of A Night to Remember and The Good Years.
During my writing of Sisters of Mercy - The Runaway Scrape, Angelina Dickinson leads off the novel informing the families in Gonzales to begin running to the Sabine River. Walter Lords book describes a scene where William Travis gave her daughter his ring to wear around her neck. I never found information like this in any other book I read.
It is something to be said about some of the older first edition books. You find information that has still not made it to the "Internet."
May 10, 2021
A Time to Stand: The Epic of the Alamo by Walter Lord is a serious attempt by an experienced and respected historian to cut through the fog of myth and folklore to get at the truth of what really happened and whether there were any survivors. There have been many books and even films made about what happened on the morning of March 6, 1836, in an old abandoned mission called the Alamo, in today's San Antonio, Texas. Even today there are still disputes about many of the facts of what happened. A small Texas garrison who had been ordered to abandon the Alamo instead fought to the death rather than yield to an overwhelming army of Santa Ana's Mexicans. In A Time to Stand the author rediscovers and recreates the whole fascinating story. From contemporary documents, diaries, and letters, he has mined a wealth of fresh information that throws intriguing sidelights on the epic of the Alamo. What were the defenders like? Why did they take their stand? Did any escape? Did Davy Crockett surrender? Well-written it provides some fascinating new information and answers some questions but there are still plenty of unknowns left.
May 17, 2024
I love Walter Lords books. This was a well researched yet succinct account of the Alamo, and I learned a lot (I had known an embarrassingly small amount about the Alamo, having grown up in San Antonio). It was not as engaging to me as his other books I’ve read so far. I still want to read all of his books!
September 4, 2019
In meticulous detail and with an easy flowing style, this book will bring the short months of the Texas Revolution to life. We get to hear from the gallant leaders in their own words through personal letters and public appeals. We learn what motivated them and the vast influence they held over the whole American nation. As with all of Walter Lord’s books, this one shows history through the personal accounts of public figures and private individuals. Those little tidbits of daily life help it come alive.
I found the discussion of the influence the literature of the age had on these men really interesting. I would never have connected Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron, and Jim Bowie.
I would recommend this for anyone interested in American history.
I found the discussion of the influence the literature of the age had on these men really interesting. I would never have connected Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron, and Jim Bowie.
I would recommend this for anyone interested in American history.
March 3, 2019
I can still see Fess Parker, coonskin cap glued to his head as he gripped his rifle by the barrel and swung it valiantly from atop the Alamo’s walls. Kid’s movies weren’t supposed to end like this, so Disney cued the theme song and Davy Crockett gently faded away as tears rolled throughout America.
So what exactly happened in San Antonio during those 13 fateful days? Walter Lord was pretty certain it wasn’t that. Lord, well known for a host of iconic WWII and non-fiction works including "Miracle at Dunkirk" and "A Night to Remember," gives a thorough and well researched analysis of the struggle at the Alamo in “A Time to Stand.”
Still one of the most revered moments in American history alongside the likes of Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, and Bunker Hill, the siege of the Alamo has been extensively written about, speculated on, researched some more, and glorified in film. Lord’s version, perhaps a template for the 2004 film, uses details and accounts from what must be every conceivable source of information: Letters and journals from participants from both sides, newspaper interviews with survivors, even land claims to help identify the complete list of the Alamo’s defenders. All quite remarkable.
The book is a study, not a suspenseful narrative or page turner in that sense. It is an examination of information and corroboration intent on finding the most likely scenario, dispensing with statements that don’t hold up under the scrutiny of more well documented rival accounts. Lord is first to admit that dates, names, places, and answers come hard and the best that can be done is to "offer some careful conclusions –– always subject to correction.”
And you just might be surprised how old Davy met his fate in this persuasive investigation.
So what exactly happened in San Antonio during those 13 fateful days? Walter Lord was pretty certain it wasn’t that. Lord, well known for a host of iconic WWII and non-fiction works including "Miracle at Dunkirk" and "A Night to Remember," gives a thorough and well researched analysis of the struggle at the Alamo in “A Time to Stand.”
Still one of the most revered moments in American history alongside the likes of Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, and Bunker Hill, the siege of the Alamo has been extensively written about, speculated on, researched some more, and glorified in film. Lord’s version, perhaps a template for the 2004 film, uses details and accounts from what must be every conceivable source of information: Letters and journals from participants from both sides, newspaper interviews with survivors, even land claims to help identify the complete list of the Alamo’s defenders. All quite remarkable.
The book is a study, not a suspenseful narrative or page turner in that sense. It is an examination of information and corroboration intent on finding the most likely scenario, dispensing with statements that don’t hold up under the scrutiny of more well documented rival accounts. Lord is first to admit that dates, names, places, and answers come hard and the best that can be done is to "offer some careful conclusions –– always subject to correction.”
And you just might be surprised how old Davy met his fate in this persuasive investigation.
July 9, 2025
A phenomenal telling of the battle of the Alamo and the following battle of San Jacinto, whereby Texas won its independence. Concise and riveting.
February 27, 2024
Rating 4.5
This was a very thorough and well-written book on the Alamo. I was pleased that it did not end with the fall of the Alamo but continued through the battle of San Jacinto.
There were some parts that were new to me, (or else I had forgotten them. It has been awhile since my high-school Texas history course, and the last time I toured the Alamo I was 13.)
This book covers all the main heroes you hear about, Travis, Bowie, Crockett, but it also looks at a lot of lesser-known heroes of the Alamo.
The detailed description of what the Mexican army was like was interesting. Being forced to rejoin the army was considered a greater punishment for desertion than being shot? That says a lot about conditions in the army. And Santa Anna's cruelty can be seen in his comment that the lack of doctors and medical supplies was good so his men would know it was better to be killed than wounded.
Sam Houston sent Jim Bowie to the Alamo with orders to destroy it if he thought that was best? I wonder if that had happened, how that would have changed the course of the war?
And then there's Fannin. Was he magnetized to Goliad? Travis sent to him for help again and again, and Fannin started to come but then turned back to Goliad. Then, after the fall of the Alamo, Houston ordered him to retreat, and he stayed in Goliad where he and all his men were killed.
My McGregor heart was made happy by the mention of the music duals Davy Crockett and John McGregor had on their fiddle and bagpipes to keep up morale.
Listening to this book, you'll realize just how many cities and counties in Texas are named for Revolution heroes.
I did knock off half a star for language since there are a few direct quotes that contain some language.
I didn't lower my rating any because of this, but it did irritate me to no end that the narrator of the audiobook mispronounced some of the names: Sabine, Bexar, Nacogdoches, etc. And worst of all, San Jacinto. We won that battle! We pronounce it San Jacinto, not San Hacinto! That really ruffled my Texan feathers.
I'll end my review by saying, I'm glad there's no way to disprove some of the Alamo legends. In my mind, and you can't convince me otherwise, Travis drew the line, and Crockett died fighting.
And now I'm ready and excited for our upcoming trip to the Alamo this summer!
This was a very thorough and well-written book on the Alamo. I was pleased that it did not end with the fall of the Alamo but continued through the battle of San Jacinto.
There were some parts that were new to me, (or else I had forgotten them. It has been awhile since my high-school Texas history course, and the last time I toured the Alamo I was 13.)
This book covers all the main heroes you hear about, Travis, Bowie, Crockett, but it also looks at a lot of lesser-known heroes of the Alamo.
The detailed description of what the Mexican army was like was interesting. Being forced to rejoin the army was considered a greater punishment for desertion than being shot? That says a lot about conditions in the army. And Santa Anna's cruelty can be seen in his comment that the lack of doctors and medical supplies was good so his men would know it was better to be killed than wounded.
Sam Houston sent Jim Bowie to the Alamo with orders to destroy it if he thought that was best? I wonder if that had happened, how that would have changed the course of the war?
And then there's Fannin. Was he magnetized to Goliad? Travis sent to him for help again and again, and Fannin started to come but then turned back to Goliad. Then, after the fall of the Alamo, Houston ordered him to retreat, and he stayed in Goliad where he and all his men were killed.
My McGregor heart was made happy by the mention of the music duals Davy Crockett and John McGregor had on their fiddle and bagpipes to keep up morale.
Listening to this book, you'll realize just how many cities and counties in Texas are named for Revolution heroes.
I did knock off half a star for language since there are a few direct quotes that contain some language.
I didn't lower my rating any because of this, but it did irritate me to no end that the narrator of the audiobook mispronounced some of the names: Sabine, Bexar, Nacogdoches, etc. And worst of all, San Jacinto. We won that battle! We pronounce it San Jacinto, not San Hacinto! That really ruffled my Texan feathers.
I'll end my review by saying, I'm glad there's no way to disprove some of the Alamo legends. In my mind, and you can't convince me otherwise, Travis drew the line, and Crockett died fighting.
And now I'm ready and excited for our upcoming trip to the Alamo this summer!
March 22, 2022
I listened to this one (narrated by Norman Dietz) because I knew very little about the Alamo and the Texas revolution. Walter Lord packed a lot of detailed information into this book. He used personal letters and diary entries to bring the events to life. I'm going to be honest, there were times my mind wandered, but overall it was interesting.
There are a whole slew of characters, and it can be hard to keep track of them and their backstories. My favorites were Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, and it was fascinating to learn about Santa Anna.
Some highlights that I want to remember:
*In the Mexican Province of Texas in the 1820's and 1830's, immense tracts of land were sold for as little as 4 cents per acre, as Mexico wanted to colonize it
*Under laws in 1824-1825, foreigners were invited to settle in Texas and live for 10 years free of taxes/duties and every family got 4,428 acres of land for a nominal payment of $30. In return they had to take the Mexican oath of allegiance and promise to be at least nominal Catholics.
*by 1830, Americans made up over 75% of the population of the Texas Province, and in the early 1830's, the Mexicans felt like they were losing control of Texas - so they clamped down in various ways
*Jim Bowie and 10 friends fought off 162 Indians for three days (not at the Alamo), and this was typical for him. He was said to be a tough fighter, but never in a rough and tumble way.
*Only 3 Americans made it out of the Alamo massacre alive (the best estimate is that 183 people died defending the Alamo)
"Texas was heaven for men and dogs, hell for women and oxen."
"Even heroes get discouraged. All men know such moments and perhaps in the end, the hero is the one who does march on."
There are a whole slew of characters, and it can be hard to keep track of them and their backstories. My favorites were Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, and it was fascinating to learn about Santa Anna.
Some highlights that I want to remember:
*In the Mexican Province of Texas in the 1820's and 1830's, immense tracts of land were sold for as little as 4 cents per acre, as Mexico wanted to colonize it
*Under laws in 1824-1825, foreigners were invited to settle in Texas and live for 10 years free of taxes/duties and every family got 4,428 acres of land for a nominal payment of $30. In return they had to take the Mexican oath of allegiance and promise to be at least nominal Catholics.
*by 1830, Americans made up over 75% of the population of the Texas Province, and in the early 1830's, the Mexicans felt like they were losing control of Texas - so they clamped down in various ways
*Jim Bowie and 10 friends fought off 162 Indians for three days (not at the Alamo), and this was typical for him. He was said to be a tough fighter, but never in a rough and tumble way.
*Only 3 Americans made it out of the Alamo massacre alive (the best estimate is that 183 people died defending the Alamo)
"Texas was heaven for men and dogs, hell for women and oxen."
"Even heroes get discouraged. All men know such moments and perhaps in the end, the hero is the one who does march on."
February 21, 2020
A handy account of the events leading up to the 1836 massacre at the Alamo, the people involved on both sides of the fight, and a tidy follow-up of the Battle at San Jacinto. “Remember the Alamo!”
It was hard to keep some of the names and people straight since the author doesn’t spend too much time on any one player, but that didn't prevent me from absorbing the main content. I’m sure there are much more comprehensive books on this topic, but this was satisfactory for my interest level. Walter Lord kept it simple, and his easy conversational style of writing made it an engaging, breezy read.
I particularly enjoyed a later chapter, which came at the end along with the index and the acknowledgements. The chapter was called “Riddles of the Alamo,” and in it Walter Lord poses (and then answers) a series of questions examining how much truly can and cannot be known about the Alamo. Dates alone are a nightmare since frontier Texans weren’t big on calendars. Names are another problem, and the author outlines the ways a couple of key names have morphed over the years. Even location names are elusive. In that time and place, people rarely saw a map. They picked up names for places from others, and some spots went by several names. Still, many documents and letters survive, and using the sort of dogged detective work good historians are known for, Walter Lord here digs deeper into some of the pivotal, even myth-like, historical points. It was enjoyable to read this behind-the-scenes research AFTER I’d read the linear historical account.
A good solid read. 3.5 stars.
October 15, 2008
I picked this book up at the Alamo. They had a number of books on sale about the battle but this one came with the highest recommendation.
The story encompasses the years proceeding the battle that drew men from around America to Texas, the siege of the Alamo, through to the destruction of General Santa Anna's army by Sam Houston's army. The book explores the passion of the men who gave up everything to start a new life in Texas and tries to explain why these men choose to die when they easily could have fled to save their lives. Lord also delves in to the motives of the Mexican but it is really too brief to be consider equal time. I would have liked to see a bit more time spent with the Mexican armies opinions and thoughts and the aftermath in mexican society.
It is an easy read but I felt that I got a good understanding of the time and the events that happened on that sad day. You come to an understanding of what drove such men as Travis, Crockett and Bowie as well as Santa Anna to fight for this piece of land.
The story encompasses the years proceeding the battle that drew men from around America to Texas, the siege of the Alamo, through to the destruction of General Santa Anna's army by Sam Houston's army. The book explores the passion of the men who gave up everything to start a new life in Texas and tries to explain why these men choose to die when they easily could have fled to save their lives. Lord also delves in to the motives of the Mexican but it is really too brief to be consider equal time. I would have liked to see a bit more time spent with the Mexican armies opinions and thoughts and the aftermath in mexican society.
It is an easy read but I felt that I got a good understanding of the time and the events that happened on that sad day. You come to an understanding of what drove such men as Travis, Crockett and Bowie as well as Santa Anna to fight for this piece of land.
February 11, 2019
Walter Lord is able to take a lot of research and use it to tell the story about specific events in a way that is not a dry recitation of the research. Ultimately, history is about people, and how they reacted to or caused major events that impact the present and the future. Understanding the indecision by Fannin, the motivation of Travis, Bowie, and Crockett and all the defenders of the Alamo to stay and fight instead of making a break out the night before the final battle gives us an insight into human character.
There is a passage that stuck with me
Travis explained why he was making this stand. His reason went far beyond any views on strategy … beyond the bond that now welded the garrison together … even beyond his fierce desire to defend the new homes that dotted the land. More than all these (and they were a lot), he felt the spirit of the times—the conviction that liberty, freedom and independence were in themselves worth fighting for; the belief that a man should be willing to make any sacrifice to hold these prizes. With them, he had everything. Without them, nothing.
Today we take these things for granted, but they are in as much peril today as they have ever been. These men were not professional soldiers, they were ordinary people - farmers, shop keepers, lawyers, doctors, homesteaders. This book made me question my own character - would I have stayed and fought for those ideals knowing I would likely die, or would I have taken the safe route?
There is a passage that stuck with me
Travis explained why he was making this stand. His reason went far beyond any views on strategy … beyond the bond that now welded the garrison together … even beyond his fierce desire to defend the new homes that dotted the land. More than all these (and they were a lot), he felt the spirit of the times—the conviction that liberty, freedom and independence were in themselves worth fighting for; the belief that a man should be willing to make any sacrifice to hold these prizes. With them, he had everything. Without them, nothing.
Today we take these things for granted, but they are in as much peril today as they have ever been. These men were not professional soldiers, they were ordinary people - farmers, shop keepers, lawyers, doctors, homesteaders. This book made me question my own character - would I have stayed and fought for those ideals knowing I would likely die, or would I have taken the safe route?
June 13, 2019
Walter Lord writes the history of the Alamo in a way that is not dry or hard to read. This really happened to real people, men who had families, wives, children, and friends. They were brutally killed, giving their lives to preserve liberty in Texas. They sacrificed everything in the spirit of the original Sons of Liberty, and they will not be forgotten! "Remember the Alamo" is as much the battle cry for San Jacinto as it is for the modern era. When we forget our history, we forget the sacrifice these men made so that we could be free today. They paid the ultimate price for freedom, and only the ignorant and ungrateful can ignore that.
December 26, 2023
I like these Walter Lords because they focus on very specific events and deliver a lot of information in a short page count. A quick way to experience these historical tragedies.
July 15, 2021
The writing style is quite terrible, but the content and the narrative history are excellent as is the description of the limitations of information about the actual events inside the Alamo. For the fan of Texas history, this is a must-read.
May 23, 2023
Walter Lord is best remembered for the classic book on the Titanic, “A Night To Remember”, but his other books are just as good. I was intrigued by this one and a few others on Goodreads and decided to give it a read.
“A Time to Stand” is a succinct account of the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution in 1836. It’s an epic story that has been glorified in the American psyche for generations. The characters in this story are larger than life: the knife fighting Jim Bowie, the gallant William Travis, and the legendary Davey Crockett on one side with a ragtag bunch of settlers from all over (even England and Denmark) and from all walks of life (but very few soldiers by trade).
On the other side you have the foppish Mexican general Santa Anna, the self-proclaimed “Napoleon of the West” and his army. 180 some Texans vs. thousands of Mexicans. Freedom vs. tyranny. Or was it?
To be a book published in the 1960s, “A Time to Stand” raises many modern questions. This was the era of Romanticism, the age of Byron and Scott. Hence the glorification at the time of the battle and in the years following. Mainly what I found interesting was Lord raises the question of slavery. Many of the white settlers in Texas had slaves and wanted to keep them. The Mexican government outlawed slavery. This was part of a much bigger picture, but still important. The Texans felt they had the right to self-governance under the 1824 Mexican constitution, and maybe they did. All are interesting points to ponder.
Of course, the Alamo was a massacre. Every defender was killed, including the mythical Davey Crockett. I find Crockett to be the ultimate American of the age, and he’s always been a hero of mine. He embodied the true pioneer spirit of America at the time, and was also against slavery and the Indian Removal Act (hence why he left Tennessee and congress for Texas). Crockett’s death sent shockwaves throughout the country, and his martyrdom ultimately made him all the more legendary. The state of Tennessee and it’s university’s athletic teams call themselves the Volunteers, and it’s partly due to Davey Crockett and his fellow Tennesseans’ sacrifice at the Alamo.
What followed was interesting. The Mexicans had the war won, but then Sam Houston and his little army whipped them at San Jacinto and Texas became it’s own country (I’ve even seen the old embassy building in London!) before becoming a part of the United States.
“A Time to Stand” is very accessible, despite it being 60 years old at the time of this writing. It’s short and enjoyable, sometimes a little bit too short in explanation though. Having been to both the Alamo and Davey Crockett’s birthplace (both are worth seeing) I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
“A Time to Stand” is a succinct account of the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution in 1836. It’s an epic story that has been glorified in the American psyche for generations. The characters in this story are larger than life: the knife fighting Jim Bowie, the gallant William Travis, and the legendary Davey Crockett on one side with a ragtag bunch of settlers from all over (even England and Denmark) and from all walks of life (but very few soldiers by trade).
On the other side you have the foppish Mexican general Santa Anna, the self-proclaimed “Napoleon of the West” and his army. 180 some Texans vs. thousands of Mexicans. Freedom vs. tyranny. Or was it?
To be a book published in the 1960s, “A Time to Stand” raises many modern questions. This was the era of Romanticism, the age of Byron and Scott. Hence the glorification at the time of the battle and in the years following. Mainly what I found interesting was Lord raises the question of slavery. Many of the white settlers in Texas had slaves and wanted to keep them. The Mexican government outlawed slavery. This was part of a much bigger picture, but still important. The Texans felt they had the right to self-governance under the 1824 Mexican constitution, and maybe they did. All are interesting points to ponder.
Of course, the Alamo was a massacre. Every defender was killed, including the mythical Davey Crockett. I find Crockett to be the ultimate American of the age, and he’s always been a hero of mine. He embodied the true pioneer spirit of America at the time, and was also against slavery and the Indian Removal Act (hence why he left Tennessee and congress for Texas). Crockett’s death sent shockwaves throughout the country, and his martyrdom ultimately made him all the more legendary. The state of Tennessee and it’s university’s athletic teams call themselves the Volunteers, and it’s partly due to Davey Crockett and his fellow Tennesseans’ sacrifice at the Alamo.
What followed was interesting. The Mexicans had the war won, but then Sam Houston and his little army whipped them at San Jacinto and Texas became it’s own country (I’ve even seen the old embassy building in London!) before becoming a part of the United States.
“A Time to Stand” is very accessible, despite it being 60 years old at the time of this writing. It’s short and enjoyable, sometimes a little bit too short in explanation though. Having been to both the Alamo and Davey Crockett’s birthplace (both are worth seeing) I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
September 7, 2012
I have always been a western history "Junkie". And one of the most compelling and heroic events in all western history is the 13 day stand of ~ 200 men at the Alamo, a rundown mission outside San Antonio, Texas. This story has all the stuff that legends are made of... a vastly outnumbered and outgunned group of volunteers against a disciplined, well equipped army that held a 30 to 1 numerical superiority (depending on whose numbers you chose). The Texans (though to be fair it must be remembered that many Texas residents of Mexican descent also manned the Alamo's crumbling walls)were lead by William Barrett Travis, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett... all heroic, larger than life figures in their own right. So much legend has come down to us. Did Travis really draw a line in the dirt with his saber offering the desperate defenders the chance to leave, did an ailing Jim Bowie fight off hordes of Mexicans with his famous knife while lying stricken on his bed, did the Texans die to the last man during the battle? Walter Lord, as he did in "A Night to Remember", his equally detailed work on the Titanic diaster had done his best to give us the facts as they are known. While never minimizing the defenders heroic effort or villifying the attacking Mexicans, Mr. Lord has stripped away legend and though long and methodical research done his best to arrive at the truth. He has done a fine job. Written like a history book he doea not indulge in speculation or fantasize character dialogue or actions. My favorite part of the book is his final section... an epilogue where he does his best to answer those questions that remain the stuff of legend. This is a fine piece of work and I highly recommend it for all those interested in the struggle for Texas independence, frontier history, and learning the truth about those for whom the cry "Remember the Alamo" served as a rallying cry.
August 31, 2014
This was one of the first books I read as a kid. Maybe that's the reason I've taken such an interest in the struggle for Texas Independence. The book itself is more than just a tale about a mission fort. In fact, the story the book tells is as much about freedom loving people, as it is about the need to start a new life in a new land.
February 16, 2010
Walter Lord, like McCullough and Stephen Ambrose, can make history read like a novel...a great example of how the "romantic" ideals of the War of 1812 bleed through time to encompass the Texas Revolution...no story of the Texas Revolution can be told without an account of the Alamo!!!
January 19, 2015
The book attempts to chronicle, without hyperbole, the events of the Alamo; a somewhat difficult task given the mythology that surrounds this minor event. It was Mexico's only real victory in the war of annexation by the Americans. Good read though. Quite successful at avoiding the hyperbole.
October 8, 2019
Another version of the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. It appears to have been written for middle schoolers. Lord has written other histories of the American West.
August 28, 2015
A readable treatment of a complex, hotly debated subject, but the use . . . of ellipses. . . is. . . distracting.
June 15, 2013
I read this book for an upper level Texas history course. I really enjoyed it. There is a lot of detail here and back story.
February 14, 2014
I love it. again the minute by minute details it puts you there in the mist of the battle
July 21, 2015
Best book on the story of the Alamo. It's done with facts but in a story form and keeps you intertwined and sucked in. Loved this book! Can't wait to read more by Walter Lord
December 7, 2021
An excellent introduction to the subject, highly readable, which includes an afterword ("Riddles of the Alamo") that discusses some of the challenges of researching frontier events and gives some insights into why Lord went with this version over that when it comes to a few particulars. While the reader spends most of their time with the defenders at the Alamo (who by the time of the fight have embraced Texas independence), I thought it a reasonably evenhanded presentation of a highly politicized historical event.
Lord recognizes there were those who simply wanted Santa Ana to respect the laws of 1824 and '25, likely including many of the Mexicans who initially joined in the defense of the Alamo but then slipped away. Lord discusses the differences of opinion among the military leaders of both sides, ditto their successes and failures, and tries to make them individuals with flaws and strong points. One of the more interesting things he does, I thought, was show how many people were swept up in "the temper of the times," sometimes completely reversing their positions within a few weeks. I also liked that he points out that some of the people who did the most heroic things were not "the big three" (Bowie, Crockett, and Travis), but "no-names" history has forgotten.
I would have liked some recognition of Mexican Colonel Garay and "the Angel of Goliad" Senora Alavez, who rescued those they could from the Goliad massacre, but Lord, like many Alamo authors, barely touches on that event. To be honest, I knew nothing about it before reading this book myself, even though it was the bigger bloodbath, so perhaps I should be grateful Lord touched on it at all.
The most interesting thing, for me, is that Sam Houston had wanted the Alamo destroyed and abandoned, not defended. Even Colonel Travis seemed to recognize that staying put was a foolish thing to do -- and yet he did it, while begging for financial and military support in order to carry it off.
Lord recognizes there were those who simply wanted Santa Ana to respect the laws of 1824 and '25, likely including many of the Mexicans who initially joined in the defense of the Alamo but then slipped away. Lord discusses the differences of opinion among the military leaders of both sides, ditto their successes and failures, and tries to make them individuals with flaws and strong points. One of the more interesting things he does, I thought, was show how many people were swept up in "the temper of the times," sometimes completely reversing their positions within a few weeks. I also liked that he points out that some of the people who did the most heroic things were not "the big three" (Bowie, Crockett, and Travis), but "no-names" history has forgotten.
I would have liked some recognition of Mexican Colonel Garay and "the Angel of Goliad" Senora Alavez, who rescued those they could from the Goliad massacre, but Lord, like many Alamo authors, barely touches on that event. To be honest, I knew nothing about it before reading this book myself, even though it was the bigger bloodbath, so perhaps I should be grateful Lord touched on it at all.
The most interesting thing, for me, is that Sam Houston had wanted the Alamo destroyed and abandoned, not defended. Even Colonel Travis seemed to recognize that staying put was a foolish thing to do -- and yet he did it, while begging for financial and military support in order to carry it off.
November 24, 2018
It's always interesting to read a book a number of years after it was first published to see what the thoughts were on a subject over 50 years previously. Case in point, Lord's book on the Alamo which was originally published in 1961 and reflects the Alamo-and-Crockett-mania which was still going on at the time (Disney's Crockett mini-series came out in 1954-55 and the John Wayne movie was on the way, or perhaps had just come out, depending upon where you lived). So much has changed since 1961; new facts have come to light.....it's now believed the number of Alamo defenders may have been as high as 225 instead of the previously believed 150 or so......there is an increasing body of evidence David Crockett did indeed attempt to surrender as one of the last 6 remaining fighters, only to be executed, but that's one of those questions which will probably never be answered (and it's even addressed in this book), and other facts as well.
Walter Lord was an outstanding researcher and chronicler of events, although by today's standards this rather thin book sticks essentially to the facts. There are things though that even the most avid student of the battle can learn from this book, things which later researchers apparently thought too mundane to include such as the occupations of some of the defenders.
I remember reading Lord's "A Night To Remember" about the sinking of the Titanic when I was a kid and was held spellbound by his prose and all that was included. Somehow though, this one escaped my attention and it took a "few" years to read it. It's well worth your time - doesn't take long to read - and is probably more ideal for a person who is at what could be considered the entry-level when it comes to learning about the battle that shaped the history of Texas and is still honored and remembered today 182 years later.
Walter Lord was an outstanding researcher and chronicler of events, although by today's standards this rather thin book sticks essentially to the facts. There are things though that even the most avid student of the battle can learn from this book, things which later researchers apparently thought too mundane to include such as the occupations of some of the defenders.
I remember reading Lord's "A Night To Remember" about the sinking of the Titanic when I was a kid and was held spellbound by his prose and all that was included. Somehow though, this one escaped my attention and it took a "few" years to read it. It's well worth your time - doesn't take long to read - and is probably more ideal for a person who is at what could be considered the entry-level when it comes to learning about the battle that shaped the history of Texas and is still honored and remembered today 182 years later.
December 21, 2022
This is an excellent history of the battle of the Alamo in 1836. It has many first-hand reports, contemporary letters and documents to support any conclusions. And of course, many Mexicans survived the battle and they also provided detail to the events at the Alamo. The book describes why the men were trapped in the Alamo. Basically, poor scouting efforts resulted in the Mexican Army showing up earlier than expected and in a larger force. Plus, they kept believing a large relief force was being assembled and would come to their rescue. The theory that Sam Houston asked these men to hold up the Mexicans as long as possible so he could assemble and train an army was never the case. At one point before the Mexican Army arrived, Sam Houston ordered the Alamo to be destroyed and abandoned. Local authorities overruled him believing that the Alamo was a viable fortress that could withstand a Mexican siege. The author also explains his conclusions about Travis’ line in the sand speech; did Crockett surrender only to be executed with the other defenders who surrendered; was Jim Bowie sick or injured or both; and why did Santa Anna decide that all Alamo defenders must be put to death. Did that decision help or hurt the Mexican government’s efforts to defeat the Texan’s fight for independence? If you have an interest in the Alamo story, told without patriotic embellishment, then you’ll find a lot of useful information in this work of nonfiction.
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