Empire of Bones, A Novel of Sam Houston and the Texas Revolution [Audio CD]

Jeff Long (Author), George Guidall (Narrator)

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: RecordedBooks (1993)
• ISBN-10: 1440759170
• ISBN-13: 978-1440759178
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much revisionism, June 11, 2002

By 

Phil Graf (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Empire of Bones: A Novel of Sam Houston and the Texas Revolution (Hardcover)

First of all, the book is well-researched and quite entertaining. However, Long goes too far in his efforts to knock the Texas heroes from their pedestals. Instead of deifying them, he takes the exact opposite extreme with the end result being just as unrealistic and unbelieveable. The tone of the description on the cover is also quite arrogant, proclaming the possible execution as described in the book as a proven fact, ignoring the inconclusive nature of the evidence.

The book itself is full of good information, yet stretches the reader's imagination to believe that Sam Houston was nothing more than a lucky, bumbling fool who essentially did nothing and led nowhere and that the Texas Army was nothing more than a roving band of inhuman animals whose lust for land and money was responsible for the "massacre" at San Jacinto. Once again, the cover description seems to suggest that Long is the first to discover the "true nature" of the battle, as if no one else had previously figured it out. Additionally, the Mexican atrocities at the Alamo and Goliad are mentioned, but Long seems to only hold Santa Anna accountable for the slaughter at those events.

Essentially, it could have been a good book if the author was not attempting to prove an impossible point. Long had an opportunity to give a realistic portrayal of the epic conflict and failed by making Crockett, Houston and the Texas Army just as unbelievable as the demigods that they have been made out to be in the past.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A hard look at Sam Houston and early Texas, December 16, 1999

By 

Doug Vaughn - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Empire of Bones: A Novel of Sam Houston and the Texas Revolution (Hardcover)

This is a very enjoyable work of historical fiction. The character of Sam Houston is one of those American originals that seem so perfect for fiction that it is hard to believe he ever really lived. The exaggerated aspects of character - the dramatic costumes, high intelligence, temper, ambition, sensitivity, appitite and energy - all seem to be perfectly Texan, perfectly larger than life. Any number of good accounts of his life could be, and have been, written. What makes this retelling of the period of his life when he fought the Battle of San Jacinto significant is that it isn't simply a tale of the good guy Texans getting revenge on Santa Anna and the bad guy Mexicans. In this more balanced and reasoned telling of the tale, that great variety of human ambitions and greed that spark most wars and revolutions, is shown as a prominant part of the struggle to wrest Texas from Mexico.

The cast of characters is interesting and the depiction of that early period in Texas history seems realistic and believable. The climactic battle of San Jacinto is told in hard detail and the probably over bloody response to the surprised Mexican forces shows that whatever cruelties the Mexicans were willing to meet out to those at the Alamo, their avengers were capable of as well.

A really interesting and satisfyfing book. I don't know if Texans would go for it, but this Tennessean sure did.

5.0 out of 5 stars Companion Must Read, January 29, 2011

By 

Ammobob - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Empire of Bones: A Novel of Sam Houston and the Texas Revolution (Hardcover)

This novel is a must read companion to Duel Of Eagles. This brings to life the events surrounding the birth of Texas and the one key person that shaped it. Excellent read.