Recollections of Early Texas: Memoirs of John Holland Jenkins (Personal Narratives of the West Series) [Paperback]

John Holmes, III Jenkins (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1987

"John Holland Jenkins was thirteen and a half years old when the Alamo fell in 1836 and he became a soldier of the Texas Republic under General Sam Houston.... [But] it was not until 1884, when he was past sixty years old, that he began writing down . . . the reminiscences that, as now put into book form, light up for whoever will read [them] the earliest days of early English-speaking Texas." --from the Foreword by J. Frank Dobie "This is the firsthand account by one who measured up to the demands of danger and hardships and lived to write about it for others. For, here is history in the making--Indian raids and Mexican forays were daily menaces and brought massacres, capture and torture to these first settlers. These reminiscences . . . are invaluable for their recordings of early frontier times and for their presentation of such historic happenings as the Mier and Santa Fe expeditions. The original flavor of the writing has been beautifully retained and the entire account is well documented." --Library Journal

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292770375
• ISBN-13: 978-0292770379
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,533,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good starting point, June 20, 2005

By 

J. Richardson "history-reader" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Recollections of Early Texas: Memoirs of John Holland Jenkins (Personal Narratives of the West Series) (Paperback)

For a single book to get the feel of early Texas, this is very good. It is largely reminisces, but that is offset by the grandson's excellent editing notes that point out errors or give further details. There is some "man, we were good" attitude, but I believe that is understandable. I may rate Smithwick a slightly better read because of the humor and intelligence, but I felt this book gives a better overall picture of the time and situation.