Book Description
In Sleuthing the Alamo, historian James E. Crisp draws back the curtain on years of myth-making to reveal some surprising truths about the Texas Revolution--truths often obscured by both racism and "political correctness," as history has been hijacked by combatants in the culture wars of the past two centuries. Beginning with a very personal Prologue recalling both the pride and the prejudices that he encountered in the Texas of his youth, Crisp traces his path to the discovery of documents distorted, censored, and ignored--documents which reveal long-silenced voices from the Texan past. In each of four chapters focussing on specific documentary "finds," Crisp uncovers the clues that led to these archival discoveries. Along the way, the cast of characters expands to include: a prominent historian who tried to walk away from his first book; an unlikely teenaged "speechwriter" for General Sam Houston; three eyewitnesses to the death of Davy Crockett at the Alamo; a desperate inmate of Mexico City's Inquisition Prison, whose scribbled memoir of the war in Texas is now listed in the Guiness Book of World Records; and the stealthy slasher of the most famous historical painting in Texas. In his Afterword, Crisp explores the evidence behind the mythic "Yellow Rose of Texas," and examines some of the powerful forces at work in silencing the very voices from the past that we most need to hear today. Here then is an engaging first-person account of historical detective work, illuminating the methods of the serious historian--and the motives of those who prefer glorious myth to unflattering truth.
Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution ( New Narratives in American History Series) FROM THE PUBLISHER
"In Sleuthing the Alamo, historian James E. Crisp draws back the curtain on years of mythmaking to reveal some surprising truths about the Texas Revolution - truths often obscured by both racism and "political correctness," as history has been hijacked by combatants in the culture wars of the past two centuries." Beginning with a very personal prologue recalling both the pride and the prejudices that he encountered in the Texas of his youth, Crisp traces his path to the discovery of documents distorted, censored, and ignored - documents which reveal long-silenced voices from the Texan past.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Native Texan Crisp (history, North Carolina State Univ.) takes the reader along on a step-by-step investigation of several problems related to the Texas revolution: Sam Houston's speech at Refugio, the authenticity of the de la Pena diary, and the circumstances of Davy Crockett's death. The emphasis is not so much on the conclusions reached as on the process used and the paths followed to reach those conclusions. Along the way, Crisp shows why it is important to go back to the original sources, inquires into how and why myth is made, and demonstrates that at times the paint brush is mightier than the pen. As a case study, this engaging book should find a place in undergraduate libraries, but it is also recommended for any library with an interest in the history of Texas and the West.-Stephen H. Peters, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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