Book Description
In
Lone Star Nation, Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands demythologizes Texas’s journey to statehood and restores the genuinely heroic spirit to a pivotal chapter in American history.
From Stephen Austin, Texas’s reluctant founder, to the alcoholic Sam Houston, who came to lead the Texas army in its hour of crisis and glory, to President Andrew Jackson, whose expansionist aspirations loomed large in the background, here is the story of Texas and the outsize figures who shaped its turbulent history. Beginning with its early colonization in the 1820s and taking in the shocking massacres of Texas loyalists at the Alamo and Goliad, its rough-and-tumble years as a land overrun by the Comanches, and its day of liberation as an upstart republic, Brands’ lively history draws on contemporary accounts, diaries, and letters to animate a diverse cast of characters whose adventures, exploits, and ambitions live on in the very fabric of our nation.
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Critical Acclaim for The First American, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
“Enchanting.”—The New Yorker
“A Franklin to savor.”—James Grant, Wall Street Journal
“In his clear and sprightly biography, H. W. Brands . . . recovers the actual Franklin who lived—before his memory became a bourgeois icon and was later, like all icons, trivialized.”—Alan Taylor, The New Republic
“Benjamin Franklin’s life is one every American should know well, and it has not been told better than by Mr. Brands.”—Bob Trimble, Dallas Morning News
“H. W. Brands is a master storyteller.”—Richard Norton Smith, author of the Pulitzer-Prize finalist Thomas E. Dewey and His Times and Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Nation
Critical Acclaim for the celebrated The Age of Gold
“An engrossing, multifaceted history. . . . Its author, like the miners of the gold rush themselves, leaves no stone unturned.”—Janet Maslin, New York Times
“Dazzling. . . . Even California reviewers have gritted their teeth and handed Brands, an acclaimed popular biographer of Benjamin Franklin, some Texas-size praise.”—Los Angeles Times
“There’s only one thing to say about a book that brings the twin touchstones of T.R.’s vigor and Franklin’s humor to bear on the Golden State, and that’s ‘Eureka!’ ”—San Francisco Chronicle
“A fine, robust telling of one of the greatest adventure stories in history.”—David McCullough, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of John Adams
Customer Reviews:
Detailed; Raw and Not over your head.......2007-01-10
Brands writes the "epic" story of these men who fought for Texas independence. He does not write over your head and does not leave the reader uninformed. He does not hold back details about the "mythical" Texas figures who are "larger than life" in most accounts. It is a simple and effective way to learn about the Texas Revolution.
Brisk retelling of early Texas history.......2006-04-01
A well-written history of the Texas Revolution and the events leading up to it. If you're already well-acquainted with Texas history, there's not much of anything new in this book, but H.W. Brands has an excellent eye for the telling detail and a good ear for the vivid quote that make the material feel fresh and lively.
What I especially liked about Brands' approach in this book is that he steers a commendable middle course between the traditional hagiography of flawlessly brave Texan heroes fighting evil Santa Anna for Liberty and the revisionist school of greedy white male slave-mongering mercenaries stealing poor Mexico's land. He shows both the strengths and warts of admittedly self-interested people on both sides of the fight who generally believed they were doing the right thing.
My main caveat for anyone who's well-read in early Texas history and is considering picking up this book for another perspective on the Texas Revolution would be that it takes 11 chapters and more than 250 pages of reviewing Texas colonial history (with the emphasis on Stephen F. Austin's colony) before the book finally reaches the actual outbreak of fighting. But, for someone who's relatively new to Texas history or could just use some brushing up on the subject, those 11 chapters do provide a surprisingly brisk and eminently readable account of Texas history from the first Spanish explorations up to the revolution.
Putting the Story Back in History.......2006-03-18
Brands does a great job of weaving the lives of Austin, Santa Anna and others together in a compelling fashion. His vivid narrative style makes you forget you are reading history, but rather makes you feel you are sitting around a fireplace listening to a master storyteller perform his craft with grace and ease.
A great, readable history of Texas' fight for independence.......2006-01-22
Brands, without being multicultural for multiculturalism's sake, documents both the Hispanic and the Anglo contribution to Texas' independence. He does so without giving saccharine descriptions of either group's leadership or their ability to always get alone with one another, either before or after 1836.
And, in the years leading up to the Texas Revolution, he doesn't sidestep the slavery question either.
That honest eye is important, because in the last section of the book, he carries the story of Texas forward through 1865.
Customer Reviews:
As always, another great........2005-05-02
Bk. 7-Texas Brand series. As always a welcome addition to this series.
Elliot is delivering an ancient artifact to the university when he is involved in an accident. Somehow he is sent back in time 120 years. He saves Esmerelda from a hanging by his ancestors & travels forward 120 years with Esmerelda.
I really enjoyed this book. There is one very funny part after they arrive back that has me in stitches.
Next (bk. 8) is Angel meets the badman about Sara & Jake.
Good Time Travel Romance.......2001-01-11
Nothing makes me madder than people who pick up a time travel romance, then complain that it's a time travel romance! I'm glad Ms. Shayne was able to bring something different to the Brand series for a change. No, The Outlaw Bride isn't as good as some of her paranormals but it is a welcome change from the standard plots most Brands find themselves in. I was frustrated by Esmerelda much of the time and so many of her actions are irrational. The Outlaw Bride also involves something that bothers me about several of these Brand books. They involve someone who falls in love with a Brand and is then treated with suspicion, disrespect and outright meanness. I keep wondering why anyone would want to marry into this family if it means you have to be pilloried to get in! I did like Elliott tho, the opening of this book was chilling and I couldn't stop turning the pages. It wasn't great. I did think it was a pretty good read.
A Bad Ending To A Great Story Line.......2000-02-22
I have all the other books in this series. I was thrilled when it came to my local bookstore. But I was VERY disappointed. All the other books in this series are believeable. I don't know why the author strayed from the formula, and gave her fans something totally off the wall. If I wanted science fiction, I watch the X-Files. The romance part between the heroine and the hero was great. But who would actually believe she came across time from the last century! Save it for Mulner and Scully!
Geez, folks, lighten up!.......2000-02-01
This is not a bad book. Its premise requires a leap of faith...but isn't that what love is about? I found the concept of love being more powerful than time, of someone's proper place being in fact completely outside of everything they had ever known, intriguing. And, as usual with Shayne's books, the characters are endearing and the plot is a page-turner. The perfect reading material for cold winter nights.
Not her best, but consistent with the rest of this series........1999-12-01
She has written much better books, but the quality was fairly consistent with the rest of the "Texas" series.
Customer Reviews:
Good book, if it wasn't for the female lead.......2007-08-22
This is the 5th in Maggie Shayne's Texas Brand's series. All of the previous had likeable characters. But, this one had Casey Jones. Casey was lying, manipulative, hypocritical, stupid, sneaky, judgmental and at times plain cruel. I love my brothers and sisters and would do anything to help them. However, I would find a way to do it that would not destroy someone else's life.
Lying: Marcus asked Casey point blank if she was a reporter and she said she wasn't. At one point she actually considered writing an article: "Texas Reporter Succeeds! Where all others fail! Identity of The Guardian revealed!"
Manipulative: When Marcus found out she was a reporter he was understandably angry and told her he didn't work with reporters. She told him if he didn't she would have a composite sketch done of him, write an article and splash it all over.
Hypocritical: Marcus asked if Casey disliked secrets.
"Can't stand them, never could.
I think the truth is always better."
Then she told Marcus she might have "a small secret".
Again, she is keeping the big secret, SHE'S A REPORTER! And she feels very little remorse about it.
Stupid: Although she knows someone is after her and Marcus is trying to keep a low profile she goes out and stands on her driveway like a target and says she won't go inside until he reveals himself. Apparently she's hoping the killer will get them both, leaving her sister unprotected.
Judgmental: She thought Marcus should reveal himself as The Guardian and tried to push him into it. She ignored the fact that not only did he want to lead a quite life, but that with his anonymity gone he wouldn't be able to help people.
Cruel: She took Marcus to see the Brands without warning him that they might be his family just to see his reaction.
Sneaky: See any or all of the above.
I liked Marcus a lot. He deserved better.
Another great.......2005-04-21
Book 5, Texas Brand series. I read this book in 2 days. It grabs you from page 1 & holds you until the last page is read. It is the story of one of the Brands missing cousins, believed murdered 20 years ago.
It was great to see the Texas Brands again at the end & I can't wait to read Adam & Kirsten's story next in "The baddest bride in Texas" (Book 6).
Starts off good, dragged down by annoying heroine..........2004-04-18
Marcus has been raised to be a crime-fighting vigilante. Casey Jones is a nosey reporter. When Casey's beautiful sister Laura is the victim of a stalker, Casey becomes desperate and appeals to the "Guardian" (Marcus's crime fighting alter-ego) for help. Can Marcus apprehend the bad guy in time?
Okay, first off, I loved the character of Marcus. He was cute, funny, and responsible. But the heroine Casey Jones was just irritating. And lets not forget her limp dishrag sister Laura. These two made "Mysterious Texas Brand Man" a real drag. (Why oh Why did Laura refuse to confide in her sister? This was just silly! And what happened to them going to the police? Dumb, dumb, dumb!)
While I enjoyed the idea of a crime-fighting vigilante as a hero, the author didn't fully explore this idea. Instead this subplot is tossed aside in favor of a stalker/revenge filled hero, and a sappy plain vanilla happy ending.
Overall, merely an average read. I've definitely read worse....But expect more from the author. Oh...And why the original guardian didn't invest in a bullet proof vest, I still don't know!
Couldn't put it down.......1999-07-10
I brought this book on a recent trip to Dallas, and I found myself picking it up every free moment I had. Maggie Shayne has created a man who is admirable, vulnerable, and sexy in the form of Marcus and a woman who is intelligent, capable, and passionate in Casey, and they are a facinating couple to read about.
Page turner.......1998-12-09
I read a lot of romance novels and this is one to treasure heart and soul. A perfect book and a perfect author
Average customer rating:
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Riding for the Brand: 150 Years of Cowden Ranching
Michael Pettit
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books | Animal Production | Bees | Breeding | Dairy Science | Livestock Management | Meat | Nutrition | Poultry | Range Management
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A Texas Cowboy's Journal: Up the Trail to Kansas in 1868 (The Western Legacies Series)
ASIN: 0806137185 |
Customer Reviews:
Consistently good........The Texas Brands Book 8.......2005-07-19
This one was pretty good. Loved the Southern Bad Boy Jake. Sara has tons of spunk to offset her timid characteristics from earlier books.
I loved that there was a lot more involvement with the cousins than her brother Marcus' story. I really enjoy being able to go back and visit the other Brands and this book is very good for that.
The beginning grabbed you, the book kept going and the end was exciting! Well done for another great Texas Brand book!
Great read........2005-05-02
Bk. 8-Texas Brands series.
Sara Brand is on holiday when she meets Jake Nash. A few days after arriving a murder occurs. Jake, having served time for another killing is the prime suspect. The killer thinks Sara can identify him so he goes after her. Jake is the only one who can save her.
A great read in this series. Next (Bk. 9) The Texas Brand: The homecoming about Luke Brand & Jasmine Jones.
An exhausting, passionate read!.......2000-05-08
A Kindergarten teacher with a degree in wholesome has decided to take a trip to the bayou for a vacation. Texas innocent Sara Brand finds that once she's there, the fear of tragic past isn't so easily forgotten. When she meets bad boy Jake, Sara finds herself attracted to him, but the feeling isn't mutual. Jake has his own problems and past to deal with; he wishes she would run back home to Texas. When Sara witnesses a murder, memories of her past flood back and put her in a fearful, paralyzing state. Jake steps in to help her. As they try to find the murderer, a voudon priestess tells Sara that Jake is her shield, and she is the only one who can save his soul.
Maggie Shayne is a prolific writer. She has probably tapped into every romance subject there is. Her romantic atmosphere has always been sizzling and her characters remarkable and convincing. "Angel Meets the Badman" is no different. In this one, be prepared to taken on an emotional journey to a humid, perspiring location full of feelings, threats, fear, and budding passion. I promise you, you will be exhausted when it's over.
Brenda @ MyShelf.Com
Great Start, disappointing finish.......2000-05-05
I thought I had a keeper on my hands for the first few chapters of this book. The hero was an extremely sexy bad boy, the heroine was someone I could identify with, and the tension was sizzling. Then...*pfft* from the moment the hero takes off with the heroine into the swamps, the story fell like a souffle after the kitchen door is slammed. It wasn't BAD, just unremarkable. A let down after the great start. If you are looking for an excellent Cajun bad boy story, try THE LONG HOT SUMMER by Wendy Rosnau (SIM #996).
The Saga Continues.......2000-04-14
This is the latest in a series about the Brand family. This one is about Sara Brand, who after years of being in the witness protection program, and meeting her family again after all these years goes on vacation and meets local bad guy Jake Nash. She sees a murder for the second time in her life, and they are off and running. This book has everything, humor, sadness, love and a strong loving family. It is a great book as all the Brand books have been, I would recommemd it to everyone who loves a great story.
Book Description
Today, as for 4,000 years, we use branding to mark private property. These clever and artistic "iron signatures" appear here as detailed drawings, with fascinating stories of how they were designed and why; the ranches and historic cattle drives with which they were associated; and how rustlers attempted to alter their appearance. The saga concludes with a look at how brands carry on an ageless tradition in the computer era. Illustrated with historic and contemporary cattle-branding photographs with an encyclopedia.
Customer Reviews:
very touching and the cure for heartbreak!.......2005-08-04
This was one of my favorite stories fromt he Texas Brand books. It left you with some questions to keep you reading the rest of the series and at the same time provided you with and excellent read!
The entire series is action packed and filled with romance and suspence. Maggie Shayne delivers excitement and is fabulous at building the characters and stories.
A very touching story........2005-04-12
Another great story about the Brands. 4th in the series. This one is Ben & Penny's story.
Ben is grieving for his lost wife Penny. Penny has amnesia, but still finds her way back home to Ben.
We find out what happened to Penny 2 years earlier. A very touching story & a welcome addition to the Brand family saga.
Next book, book 5 is about one of the Brand missing cousins, Marcus in "That mysterious man".
GREAT BOOK.......2001-08-13
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH I WONT THE WHOLE FAMILY OF BOOKS THAT ARE IN THE SERIES .I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK VERY HIGHLY.
A great book! A touching love story!.......1999-11-24
I'd heard a great deal of praise for this book before I picked it up and I wasn't disappointed. It's a great story. The plot is original and well told. All the characters, even the secondary ones, are well developed. You feel like you're part of the story from chapter 1. But what a touching love story. I loved it, simply loved it and I couldn't put it down. It's a story I'll never forget.
Love transcends all obstacles!.......1998-12-29
I loved this book! Penny although has amnesia still finds her way home regardless. Ben Brand who for the past two years has been beside himself with grief feels he is losing his mind as well when he sees a life like copy of his wife.. Could it be? What happened that fateful day two years ago? More than anyone every imagined. Rich in feeling and love I couldn't put this book down I loved it and look forward to reading more books by Maggie Shayne.
Customer Reviews:
Not up to par.......2007-09-20
I didn't think much of Kirsten in "The Husband She Can't Remember", because of the way she acted with Ben, her best friend's husband. The secret looks, whispered conversations and the incident at the DoJo. Unfortunately, my opinion of her didn't change in this book.
Questions: If Kirsten and Adam were together since they were 17, and their aborted wedding was 2 years ago, that would have made them 32 at the time. Why wait 15 years to get married?
She literally left Adam at the altar; in front of ½ the town. Did she leave him a note or anything?
Why didn't she just go to Adam instead of marrying Cowan and tell him what happened? She knew the Brands would make sure her father was protected no matter how they felt about her. Instead she humiliated Adam, lost the respect of his family and stuck her dad in a nursing home for two years. She threw her marriage and her wealth in Adam's face every chance she got.
When the Texas Rangers told her not to take a shower as she was covered in her husband's blood, and evidence, she was so arrogant that she did it anyway.
It made no sense for Adam to forgive her so easily, and end up apologizing to her because she was a liar. It wasn't what she did when she was practically a kid, although that was really awful, that was the worst but all the lies that came after. He apologized for not going after her two years ago when she married another man. Why would he?
Kirsten was not a likeable or honorable person. Only read this one if you're reading the series.
Fantastic........2005-04-24
Book 6 in the "Texan Brands" series. Kirsten stood Adam Brand up at the altar 2 years ago. At long last we find out what really happened. The story is fantastic, a welcome addition to the series.
Next is "The outlaw bride", Elliot & Esmerelda's story. It is different from the norm as it is a time travel.
fantastic.......2000-11-08
the surprises and romance of the book are just what someone who has read any of maggie shaynes brand series expects. it brings back the charcters i loves in the old ones brings in new charcters to admire and answers many questons in a satisfing way. i loved it!
Lovers are reunited in a murder mystery........1999-09-13
Contemporary romantic suspense General Setting: Modern Day Texas-- Two years before, Kirsten Cowan left Adam Brand standing at the altar while she married the richest and most hated man in town. Adam escaped to New York to forget Kirsten, and to make his fortune. Back in town, he is helping out his brother, Sheriff Garrett, when Kirsten calls. Adam doesn't want to stop hating Kirsten, but when she tells him she's standing in a room with her dead husband at her feet, the old protective feelings surface. Kirsten claims she is innocent, but when Sheriff Garrett and his brother, Adam, arrive, they find Kirsten bent over her dead husband's body with a gun in her hand. She tells them she shot at the killer. While Sheriff Garrett and Adam believe her, all the evidence points to Kirsten. Adam has to find a way to save Kirsten from going to jail but that means going against his big brother, the man who raised him and his siblings after their parents were killed.
The author has created a story filled with danger and adventure as well as romance. The author's skill is evident as the characters take on a life of their own and involve the reader in the suspense. The story flows smoothly with startling twists and turns. Both Kirsten's and Adam's points of view are used and the reader feels compassion for both of them as they are caught up in a web of suspicion. As the situation worsens, and all seems lost, Kirsten and Adam find solace in each other's arms. This is one romantic hero readers will fall in love with. I've never been to Texas, but the author brought the ruggard landscape to life. Maggy Shayne is a talented writer with a knack of pulling the reader into the story whether she's writing a time-travel, or a contemporary romance. I look forward to reading the other four books in this series.
A mixed bag.......1999-08-31
Bad title aside, THE BADDEST BRIDE could do a lot worse. Unfortunately, it does "do worse" at some parts, but all together this is a good romantic mystery with original twists. Five stars for a novel that strives to be different than some formula romance novels. Three stars for an unbelievably unrealistic resolution that rains on this book's parade. Kirsten's past (her huge secret) is indeed too huge to be forgiven so easily by Adam, the man Kirsten has always loved. And it takes away from the seriousness of what has plagued Adam for much of his life.
Customer Reviews:
Very nice ending to the Texas series.............2005-08-04
Luke Brand is one of the illegitimate cousins of the very large Brand family and he comes to find Quinn, Texas the home he never knew he needed.
Although it is difficult to believe that I have read all of the preceding Texas Brand books already, this last installment delivers the fabulous story lines I have come to depend on from Maggie Shayne!
I am a huge fan of Ms. Shayne's vampire and witch books and decided to give this series a try as a result. I found I could not put them down! I am off to start the Oklahoma Brands now!
If you want excitement and great storylines, then this series and Maggie Shayne are just for you!
:).......2001-06-18
Another GREAT Texas Brand book! If you have been reading the series than you know that Grant and Sara's father was a bigomist. He was married to two different women at the same time. He had two kids with one woman and five kids with the other. We learn in this book that he also had a long time affair with yet another woman, and this woman gave birth to a son-Luke Brand.
Luke has been isolated his whole life, but after a good friend dies he realizes that he wants more than his solitary life, so he heads to Texas to meet his half siblings and cousins. The Brands are thrilled to have Luke among there family and soon he decides to stay in Texas. Luke is remodeling the house that he rents and soon he will buy it at auction. Luke's plans are threatened when Jasmine and her son Baxtor show up claiming the house to be theirs.
Luke soon develops feelings for both Jasmine and her son. Luke knows that they are in serious trouble and he wants to help. Jasmine does not want to involve Luke or the rest of the Brands into her messy troubles (she obviously knows nothing about the Brand family). The decision may be taken out of Jasmines hands when she finds herself in over her head.
This is a great addition to the Texas Brand series. I love Luke, Jasmine, and Baxter. It was also nice to read about the rest of the Brand family again. This book has everything-suspense, romance, and family. And just when you think that the trouble has ended it starts all over again. I read this from cover to cover before putting it down. Thank You Maggie Shayne for another great Brand book.
Amazon.com
H.W. Brands's Lone Star Nation: How a Ragged Army of Volunteers Won the Battle for Texas Independence--and Changed America is not a complete history, but offers a compelling portrait of the key personalities in the war for Texas's independence from Mexico. Brands frames his narrative with two events: Moses Austin's 1820 proposal for an American colony in Texas and Sam Houston's removal in 1861 as governor. Along the way, Lone Star Nation is punctuated by textbook moments, from the battle of the Alamo to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
The strength of Brands's account lies in his tendency towards biography and his talent for rendering dramatic anecdotes. Professor of American History at Texas A&M and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Brands has an attraction to powerful American personalities, as demonstrated by his biographies of Theodore Roosevelt and Benjamin Franklin (T.R. and The First American, respectively). The history of Texas is rife with legendary frontiersmen, and David Crockett, Sam Houston, and James Bowie add color to the narrative built around Stephen Austin, Santa Anna, and a succession of American presidents with expansionist ambitions. When he arrives at the pivotal moments in Texas lore, Brands is apt to follow a singular individual rather than give a broad, battlefield account.
"For better or for worse, Texas was very much like America," Brands declares near the end of his study, reflecting on the abuse of indigenous peoples and the greed of those declaring "Manifest Destiny." He continues: "sooner or later ... democracy corrected its worst mistakes." Despite this sanguine conclusion, Brands omits a balancing account of Indian claims to Texas. The Comanches, "natural anarchists" according to Brands, are sketched in a few short pages, and no Native American shares a voice in the text (partially to be excused for a lack of primary sources). Brands argues, "If the Texans were guilty of theft, the people from whom they sprang were much guiltier." Perhaps true, but Brands's highly readable tale of Texas heroes would be even stronger with a tempering account of the victims of the thievery. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
From bestselling historian and long-time Texan H. W. Brands, a richly textured history of one of the most fascinating and colorful eras in U.S. history--the Texas Revolution and the forging of a new America.
"For better or for worse, Texas was very much like America. The people ruled, and little could stop them. If they ignored national boundaries, if they trampled the rights of indigenous peoples and of imported bondsmen, if they waged war for motives that started from base self-interest, all this came with the territory of democracy, a realm inhabited by ordinarily imperfect men and women. The one saving grace of democracy—the one that made all the difference in the end—was that sooner or later, sometimes after a terrible strife, democracy corrected its worst mistakes."
--from Lone Star Nation
Lone Star Nation is the gripping story of Texas's precarious
journey to statehood, from its early colonization in the 1820s to the shocking massacres of Texas loyalists at the Alamo and Goliad by the Mexican army, from its rough-and-tumble years as a land overrun by the Comanches to its day of liberation as an upstart republic. H. W. Brands tells the turbulent story of Texas through the eyes of a colorful cast of characters who have become a permanent fixture in the American landscape: Stephen Austin, the state's reluctant founder; Sam Houston, the alcoholic former governor who came to lead the Texas army in its hour of crisis and glory; William Travis, James Bowie, and David Crockett, the unforgettable heroic defenders of the doomed Alamo; Santa Anna, the Mexican generalissimo and dictator whose ruthless tactics galvanized the colonists against him; and the white-haired President Andrew Jackson whose expansionist aspirations loomed large in the background. Beyond these luminaries, Brands unearths the untold stories of the forgotten Texans--the slaves, women, unknown settlers, and children left out of traditional histories--who played crucial roles in Texas’s birth. By turns bloody and heroic, tragic and triumphant, this riveting history of one of our greatest states reads like the most compelling fiction, and further secures H. W. Brands's position as one of the premier American historians.
Customer Reviews:
A great retelling........2006-09-04
Brand's has a great style with a smart wit and feel for the times as well as anecdotal material that gives great depth to his writing. His use of Ehrenburg is the first I have seen as source material.
The Problem with Popular History.......2005-11-20
Brands tells a familiar story with competence and sometimes skill. But he ignores 20 years of new scholarship on early Texas, choosing instead to tell the myths one more time. Especially troubling is his handling of slavery in early Texas history--he ignores it almost completely. Texas rebeled against Mexico in large part because the Mexicans were determined to stamp out slavery in their northern province. The Texans at the Alamo were not the good guys.
[Edit: I can't believe some of the reviews of this book. Does no one feel that slavery is a big thing to leave out of Texas history?]
Great Book--One Minor Criticism.......2005-08-19
H.W. Brands' book Lone Star Nation presents an interesting and informative reading experience concerning Texas in the years before and after the war that provided that republic with its independence. Brands seems to take the stance that history is primarily made by the individuals who are living it, so it is the people he concentrates on moreso than the outward events. I liked this book and am glad a Texan friend recommended it to me in 2004.
The only point of criticism I might have with Lone Star Nation and H.W. Brands is that he (as I saw it in my most humble of opinions) presented as unquestioned fact the authenticity of the controversial document some claim to be the diary of Mexican officer Jose Enrique de la Pena. While Brands is more than permitted to be of the opinion that the diary is authentic, I think he was faintly remiss in his duty as an historian by not mentioning the fact that a great many others regard the diary as a forgery or hoax, rather than a first-hand account of the aftermath of the siege of the Alamo. However, this is merely one point of difference and it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of this fine book.
To all history buffs: get this book and read it, you'll be happy you did.
How Texas Won It's Freedom.......2005-08-02
H.W. Brands does a really great job of combinding fantastic storytelling with historical fact in a way that is both entertaining and will provide the reader with a good grasp of how Texas became both a nation and eventually a state.
What this book does is trace the origins of both the anglo and hispanic populations of Texas beginning with folks like Moses Austin and later Stephen F. Austin, profiles the greats of Texas history such as Sam Houston, William Travis, and Davy Crockett as well as those on the other side of the conflict: Santa Anna and Martin de Cos.
The main argument of this book is that the revolutionary war in Texas was a disorganized shamble that blundered it's way to freedom. Such disasters as the Alamo and Gonzales could have been avoided or were not really necessary in retrospect, but what they provided were key events that a lot of settlers could draw motivation from. The eventual victory at San Jacinto is told from a different standpoint that you won't find in traditional Texas history books.
What Brands is trying to do is both dispel the myths of the Texas revolution while trying to shed a little light on what actually happened. He does so in a very good way while still giving credit where credit was due. All in all, I highly recommend this book. It's a good general overview and is told in such a way as to keep you turning the pages.
Texas - it's like a whole other country!.......2005-02-27
Texas was once part of the Mexican empire (once Mexico achieved it's independence from Spain), but this story details how Texas became it's own nation and, eventually, part of the United States.
H.W. Brands has given us a tale worthy of remembering, and one that provides the reader with an exicting picture of this place called Texas. Brands starts with the American "colonization" of Texas, including the major player of Moses Austin (father of Stephen F. Austin).
The revolution, in which the Texans, much like Americans of only a few generations before, try to break free from the country that politically rules them, covers the majority of the book. Brands descirbes, in vivid terms, the people that were critical in achieving Texan independence, such as Bowie, Houston, Travis, and Fannin. Brands devotes a significant amount of the book to Sam Houston (the first President of Texas), and not nearly enough (in my opinion) to the war of independence, especially the seminal battle at San Jacinto.
I found the book to be very interesting, and well worth reading. The story drew many parallels between the actions of the early Americans fighting for their independence against the British and the Texans fighting against the Mexicans. This time, however, rather than the French and Spanish being the saviors of the rebellious, it was the Americans who came to their aid and helped them to achieve their goal.
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Books Index
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The Alamo
