Customer Reviews

The Alamo and the War of Texan Independence 1835-36 (Men-At-Arms Series, 173)

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This is a 48 page primer on the Texas Revolution which features 8 full color plates of uniforms worn by both sides, black & white photos of battle sites, reenactors, drawings of historic flags, an order of battle for the Mexican Army in Texas, diagrams of fortified sites (Alamo & La Bahia), artistic representations, simplified maps, etc.

For those who visit the Alamo and want to know more, for those who have seen the classic "Alamo" movie with John Wayne and are interested in the true story, or those who need to get a fast and basic knowledge for the classroom, this book is an excellent choice.

For reenactors, military miniature modelers, non-professional historians, etc. here are some concerns: The book was published in 1986. Recent excavations & documentary discoveries make the Mexican uniform depictions incorrect. For one example, shako plates and brestplates have been found which vary greatly from those shown & Piping was not white on coats. Sources of information are largely non-Mexican. Lt.Col. Enrique de la Pena's diary and J. Hefter's works are cited for Mexican forces, but there are many more which should have been used to give greater balance.

Since this book is not intended to be a deep scholarly explanation the short-comings can be overlooked.

Read and enjoy this book!

Philip Haythornthwaite does a good job of condensing the Texas Revolution into the Osprey format. He covers the basic causes, then looks at the organization and equipment of both the Texians and the Mexican forces. Sad to say, the plates are poor quality.
A pot bellied James Bowie is shown wearing a fireman's red bib front shirt. Sorry, these didn't exist in 1836. Sam Houston is shown as a white haired old man. In truth, Houston was in his prime during the Texas War. Crockett is shown wearing some un-identifiable fur cap, possibly a skunk. This is another area of debate. Travis looks more like Laurence Harvey from John Wayne's film. The Mexian soldiers fare little better. At least they are not shown wearing sombreros. Hannon does a poor job depicting weapons and his research is careless. If you can ignore the plates, get this book for Haythornthwaites writing. I'd like to see this book re-issued with new plates by Mike Chappell.

Veteran historian Philip Haythornwaite does the honors in this 1986 Osprey Men-at Arms entry,"The Alamo and the War of Texas Independence." In an briskly concise 48 pages, Haythornwaite summarizes the American settlement of Texas, the revolt against Mexican authority, and the 1836 struggle for Texan independence.

The legendary siege of the Alamo is described in context as a delaying action by roughly 150 Texan rebels and American volunteers, holding a crumbling former mission against 2,000 Mexican soldiers under General Santa Ana. The very brief siege ends with a Mexican assault that wipes out the defenders. Santa Ana would pursue General Sam Houston's small Texan army to a decisive engagment at San Jacinto.

The book is packed with period illustrations, modern photographs, color plates of soldiers in uniform, and sketches of the Alamo as it existed in 1836. HaythornWaite's account is brief but very readable. Those seeking the last word on the various historical controversies associated with the Alamo fight should seek elsewhere. "The Alamo and the War of Texan Independence" is designed for the general reader and is highly recommended to that audience.

This one isn't up to the usual Men At Arms series. The text and diagrams are OK for a short overview, accurate but nothing special. Totally missing is mention of the Republic of Texas Navy, which was actively engaging the Mexican Navy a full month before the "Come and Get it" cannon episode at Gonzales. The Texas revolution started and ended with naval actions.

The plates are atrocious, especially the ones in color depicting the Texans at the Alamo. Another reviewer covered this adequately. Travis is depicted striking a pompously heroic pose. Bowie looks drunk and his right arm is too short and stiff with a hand severely crippled by advanced osteoarthritis. Sam Houston is depicted in color as an elderly curmudgeon pushing 70 when, in fact, he was a relatively young man at the time, as shown in a black and white engraving of the period on page 7.

Too much attention is devoted to the Mexicans. General Coz, Santa Anna's brother-in-law and second in command, isn't even included among his staff.

Altogether a low mark for the Men at Arms series.

Like most Osprey books for the 18th-20th Century era, this book would probably be most useful for someone needing information about uniforms. The author also provides a realistic but somewhat cynical account of the Siege of the Alamo and outlines some of the more famous (or infamous) characters on both sides. Some of the details on Santa Anna's crudely-armed but well-led Mexican Army, modeled on Napoleon's Grande Armee are very useful as well. The color plates, though not as glorious as some of Osprey's better-known illustrators, are not as bad as a previous reviewer stated and suit their purpose of capturing the colors and details of the uniforms and weapons.

Overall, like most men-at-arms titles this is primarily a good short reference book on uniforms and organization for the topic, but also provides an adult-level introduction to the war itself.

This book, in its few pages, gives an excellent overview of the events leading up to and during the War of Texas Independence. The color plates on the uniforms are most helpful for the reenactor. While it is not the last word on the subject, it will get you off to a good start.