"Good Reads for Texas War of Independence?" Topic

This is save me wading through pages of posts on this board. I'm sure it's come up before.

What I'm looking for is a book on the TWoI for the layman, very much of the "cracking read" variety rather than a more scholarly tome. (Not that scholarship is bad, mind.)Can you fellows recommend any such? More focused books on the Alamo, Goliad or such like would be welcome as well. I can check the Amazon reviews, of course, but thought I'd come here first.

Any great reads on the Mexican-American War would also be appreciated.

Much obliged for any help!

Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution by Stephen L. Hardin

+1 for Texian Iliad. Texas Rising might also be a good intro book. While the series was meh, the chap who wrote it also wrote Eighteen Minutes, a detailed account of the San Jacinto campaign and battle.

Thank you both. Texian Iliad is now in the cart – sounds great, and even has nice illustrations, which is an added plus. Quite on fire with this, I've done a little more research and come across what one reviewer calls the "gold standard" Alamo work: A Time to Stand, by Walter Lord. This is an older book (1961) but it seems all later works are either written under its shadow or in reaction to it; it's also supposed to be a fantastic read. Sounds perfect, so that one's in the cart as well.

Any other thoughts or recommendations gladly accepted.

Here is my collection…

The Texas Revolution, A Day-by-Day Account(written as if being covered by newspaper reporters with datelines and everything,
Texans In Revolt, The Battle For San Antonio, 1835
Texas Iliad
A Time To Stand
The Alamo and the Texas War of Independence
Alamo Almanac
Alamo Sourcebook 1836
18 Minutes, The Battle of San Jacinto and the Texas Independence Campaign
Forgotten Battlefield of the First Texas Revolution (Not Texas Revolution per se but an earlier expedition and battle at Medina that covers Santa Anna when he was fighting for the Spanish

For the Mexican War you gotta have So Far From God
I also have The Mexican War, 1846-48
While not in my collection, I have also read Mr. Polk's War.

"The War in Mexico" by Anton Adams – written by a wargamer for wargamers – this is a must have, IMO.

If you have a chance, I'd endorse adding Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynn to your reading list; its an excellent history of the Comanche Indians that covers their impact on early Texas history and role in influencing the Mexican politics towards Texas that encouraged the movement toward independence.

I'll sell you my copies of the Texian Iliad and The Blood of Noble Men, for cheap too! A bit too much on my plate, and the sale will help me resist temptation.

cmpregan@roadrunner dot com

I just finished reading Empire of the Summer Moon and although it is primarily about the Comanche, it will give you a good feel for the hardships that the early Texans faced.

2nd the "Texian Iliad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution" by Stephen L. Hardin

Great read.

3rding Hardin's book. It's a great read and is a great tool for a wargamer. It's far from being a dry history!

Thank you again for all the recommendations. Hardin is at the top of the list, and I'll snap up a few of the others while I'm at it. Really appreciate the input!

Three Roads to the Alamo
This is a really good read, basically three biographies intertwined of Travis, Bowie and Crockett. I thought I knew a lot about them, but it had a lot of things I was unaware of. Definitely took the shine off of them.