San Antonio, Texas, 1836. A Mexican army led by Santa Anna attacks a small fort called the Alamo. Disputes still rage over exactly what happened, why it happened and how it should be remembered. Indeed, the battles fought over the memory of the Alamo have been almost as fierce as their subject. In a riveting combination of history and cultural analysis, historians Roberts and Olson blend a rich narrative of the battle, told from the perspectives of both the Anglo and Mexican troops, drawing from a wide range of sources, including newly released documents from Mexican military archives and just-discovered pages of the famous de la Pena diary. Still controversial after all these years, the events at the Alamo pose some fascinating questions: did Crockett really die a hero, or did he surrender before a summary execution? And why have Americans built a shrine for an event that lasted no more than 90 minutes, and inflated it into one of the country's biggest tourist attractions? A full explanation of the San Antonio encounter requires a peeling back of many layers. With powerful writing, Roberts and Olson retell the story of a great American myth, and show how and why it endures.

Author Biography

Randy Roberts is professor of history at Purdue University. He is the author of PAPA JACK: JACK JOHNSON AND THE ERA OF WHITE HOPES and the co author (with James Olson) of JOHN WAYNE: AMERICAN. Both books are published by The Free Press. He lives in Lafayette, Indiana. James S. Olson is professor of history at Sam Houston State University. He is the author of many books, including THE ETHNIC DIMENSION IN AMERICAN HISTORY. He lives in Huntsville, Texas.