Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford’s Forget the Alamo is a true account of Texas’s struggle for independence

Book Review Analysis

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Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford’s Forget the Alamo is a true account of Texas’s struggle for independence in 1836. The Alamo was a Franciscan mission located in San Antonio, Texas, where Texans fought for independence from Mexico. It is an important site for Texans as about 180 rebels from Texas lost their lives while defending the State of Texas before being defeated by Mexico’s General Santa Anna. Worth noting the three reviews are done by the National Public Radio (NPR), the New York Times, and Dan Patrick do an excellent job in providing potential readers with the account of events leading to the battle. Each review is informative and gives the readers a clear idea of what transpired in the most famous battle in Texas’ history.

To begin with, the review conducted by the New York Times is largely liberal biased. Without a doubt, the reviewers are open to accepting new ideas and opinions of other individuals. I hold this review to be unbiased because it takes into consideration the perspective that the Alamo is the most misunderstood and least understood battle in American history. The authors of this review write that the true history of the battle remains obscured by a veneer of folklore (Knowlton, 2021). Additionally, the review points out that fun in the book comes from demolishing the prevailing white supremacists’ notion. This notion is what other authors refer to as the Heroic Narrative in the history of Texas. Without a doubt, the New York Times is a trusted book reviewer. It is a renowned American newspaper founded 170 years ago in 1851 with headquarters in New York City. The article is reliable because the reviewer has been categorized as the national newspaper of record and won a total of 132 Pulitzer Prizes, the most number of prizes won by any newspaper. The book review is helpful to the readers because it gives them an idea of what the book is about. After reading this review, one is curious to read the entire book to find out exactly how the Alamo battle transpired.

Dan Patrick’s review of Forget the Alamo has a conservative bias. In the book, the authors claim that Texans revolted because the centralist Mexican government was about to take possession of Texans slaves. The author of this review largely refutes this claim saying that it is a bold assertion to make without concrete evidence ((“3 Sly Guys & Their Alamo Lies: “Forget the Alamo” Debunked – Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor,” 2021). The reviewers refute this claim and hold that Texans did not revolt because the Mexican government would take the slaves. The reviewers refer to the authors of the book as tricksters that hide behind dense prose. The reviewers refute this claim because they are traditionalists who do not want to accept that slavery was at the center of the battle between Texans and Mexicans. Worth noting, Dan Patrick is a trusted reviewer. Dan Goeb Patrick is a renowned American radio talk show host, politician, and television broadcaster. Under Greg Abbott, Patrick served as Texas 42nd lieutenant governor which makes him the best person to review the battle of the Alamo. The fact that he has served in Texas’ government makes him the best person to talk about the state’s history because he is familiar with it. Undoubtedly, the book review is useful. It ignites curiosity in readers to want to know more about the Alamo battle.

The review conducted by NPR adopts a relatively center-minded approach. It is neither too conservative of liberal. The review describes the book as challenging the misconceptions that surround the conflict. The text challenges the misconception that Davy Crocket was a martyr who fought to death instead of surrendering (Davies, 2021). The review notes that academicians now believe that Crockett surrendered and was executed. This shows that the reviewers consider both sides of the story. NPR is known as an organization that specializes in book news, book reviews and author interviews. They bring the latest news relating to books and have reviews over 100 books. This makes them a reliable source of information. The book reviews are useful because they leave readers in curiosity. They want to know the nitty-gritty of the battle and hence they are likely to purchase the book and read it.

References

Davies, D. (2021). NPR Cookie Consent and Choices. Retrieved 3 November 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2021/06/16/1006907140/forget-the-alamo-texas-history-bryan-burroughKnowlton, C. (2021). Two Books on the Bizarreness of Texas. Retrieved 3 November 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/08/books/review/forget-the-alamo-bryan-burrough-chris-tomlinson-jason-stanford-a-single-star-and-bloody-knuckles-bill-minutaglio.html3 Sly Guys & Their Alamo Lies: “Forget the Alamo” Debunked – Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor. (2021). Retrieved 3 November 2021, from https://www.danpatrick.org/3-sly-guys-their-alamo-lies-forget-the-alamo-debunked-2/