Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution (New Narratives in American History) [Hardcover]

James E. Crisp (Author)

Book Description

Series: New Narratives in American History | Publication Date: December 1, 2004

In Sleuthing the Alamo, historian James E. Crisp draws back the curtain on years of mythmaking to reveal some surprising truths about the Texas Revolution--truths often obscured by both racism and "political correctness," as history has been hijacked by combatants in the culture wars of the past two centuries.
Beginning with a very personal prologue recalling both the pride and the prejudices that he encountered in the Texas of his youth, Crisp traces his path to the discovery of documents distorted, censored, and ignored--documents which reveal long-silenced voices from the Texan past. In each of four chapters focusing on specific documentary "finds," Crisp uncovers the clues that led to these archival discoveries. Along the way, the cast of characters expands to include: a prominent historian who tried to walk away from his first book; an unlikely teenaged "speechwriter" for General Sam Houston; three eyewitnesses to the death of Davy Crockett at the Alamo; a desperate inmate of Mexico City's Inquisition Prison, whose scribbled memoir of the war in Texas is now listed in the Guiness Book of World Records; and the stealthy slasher of the most famous historical painting in Texas. In his afterword, Crisp explores the evidence behind the mythic "Yellow Rose of Texas" and examines some of the powerful forces at work in silencing the very voices from the past that we most need to hear today.
Here then is an engaging first-person account of historical detective work, illuminating the methods of the serious historian--and the motives of those who prefer glorious myth to unflattering truth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Crisp packs plenty into his little 197-page book."--Greensboro Record

"An incredibly engrossing book that reveals the truth behind the Alamo myth. Crisp, a master historian, relates how he researched that truth and in doing so gives us a model of how to let the legend remain just that while revealing historical truth.'--Gannett Newswire

"This well-written, surprisingly intimate book is indispensable for all who would truly remember the Alamo.... 'Sleuthing the Alamo' details Crisp's adventures, including chasing down documents, checking translations and grilling a handwriting analyst.... 'Sleuthing the Alamo' is at least as intriguing for the insight it gives into the historian's craft and the ease with which mythology can prevail over the straight story."--Sam Hodges, Charlotte Observer

"A fine place to start if your Alamo knowledge is a little rusty..... A first-person account of one historian's detective work. Moreover, the author is an engaging personality--nothing stuffy about him--and his conversational tone here is convincing and reassuring."--San Antonio Express-News

"An illuminating account of Crisp's attempt to get to the bottom of not only de la Peas allegations but also the frenetic emotional response to them."--Virginian-Pilot & Ledger Star

"Others have written history as detective tale, but none more engagingly or instructively than James Crisp. He nails both the story of the Alamo and the story behind the story. The former is grand tragedy, the latter subtle mystery, and each, in Crisp's telling, is terrific."--H. W. Brands, author of Lone Star Nation

"Rarely has a historian uncovered such fabulous mysteries, worked so tenaciously to solve them, or told of his pursuits with such clarity and grace. Sleuthing the Alamo is as absorbing as the best fictional detective stories, but it is true!"--David J. Weber, author of The Mexican Frontier and other award-winning books on southwestern America

"Jim Crisp takes us on an intriguing and fascinating historical adventure, bringing his inquiring intellect to bear on such tried and true topics as Sam Houston, racism and the Texas Revolution, the de la Pe�a diary, and David Crockett's death. Weaving this complex historical narrative into a wide-ranging discussion of cultural change in Texas over more than a century and a half, Crisp shows us how little we know about such familiar events and personalities and suggests challenging implications for his new findings." --Ron Tyler, Texas State Historical Association, University of Texas at Austin

"Far more than a tour de force of Texas history, Crisp's narrative is eloquent, sophisticated and totally engrossing. It is a superb example of how to practice history, as well as a must-read for all Americans interested in the significance of race and culture in our past and present." --Linda K. Salvucci, Trinity University

"A fascinating glimpse into the intensely personal work of a dedicated historian. This is not just another book about the Alamo. Rather, it is a journey into the nitty-gritty world of historical research, set against the backdrop of one of our most mythologized episodes." --Gregg Cantrell, Texas Christian University

"As a case study, this engaging book should find a place in undergraduate libraries, but it is also recommended for any library with an interest in the history of Texas and the West."--Library Journal (starred review)

About the Author

James E. Crisp is Associate Professor and Assistant Head in the Department of History at North Carolina State University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195163494
• ISBN-13: 978-0195163490
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars historian's personal story researching the Texas Revolution, December 10, 2004

By 

mackattack9988 "mackattack9988" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution (New Narratives in American History) (Hardcover)

James Crisp provides a unique account of historical research, written in the first person, about doing documentary research - much like a detective - on various aspects of the Texas Revolution. His approach begins with how he was first exposed to Texas history and all its myth and legend as a schoolboy in Texas. His personal experiences with race and segregation then began to mold his worldview and contributed to his academic study of history. Race and Texas continued to be important themes in his professional pursuits, as one chapter shows how Crisp uncovered the real Sam Houston speech to volunteers at Refugio, a speech much different from the one alleged to have been a racist attack against the Mexican opposition. This episode in Sleuthing the Alamo illustrates how history is often more complex than it appears at first glance (even with hindsight) as a document purported to be a genuine record of Houston's speech and relied on by academics was the product of censorship, mistranslation, and embellishment - by four different parties influencing the document itself for over a century. Uncovering the stories behind the allegedly racist Houston speech solidified Crisp's thesis that race was more a consequence than a cause of the Texas Revolution. The Houston speech "detective story" is just the beginning. No doubt the most controversial part of this book will be what Crisp has to say about the de la Pena diary and the fate of Davy Crockett at the Alamo, a subject to which Crisp is no stranger to controversy. He provides a similar rundown of the Yellow Rose of Texas legend in the afterword, but the final verdict on that legend seems less well settled by comparison, and it appears to in fact remain under investigation. Overall, an extremely readable book that will capture anyone interested in Texas history, the Alamo, the role of legend in culture, and the process of historical documentary research.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not For The Novice Alamo Reader, March 16, 2005

By 

King Richard "CoeurDeLion" (Live Oak, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution (New Narratives in American History) (Hardcover)

If you're looking for your basic action-filled tale of land-grabbing "foreigners" valiantly holding their ground for 13 days against the "bloodthirsty" hordes of Mexican soldiers at the shrine of Texas independence, this book definitely is NOT for you. More of a thin, scholarly piece (less than 200 pages of actual text) this is more for the person who knows something about the battle of the Alamo and has read other books on the subject. Crisp's main thesis is well-thought-out; notably that many of the past injustices in Alamo writing have their roots in racist attitudes perpetuated from the 1800's following the fall of the Alamo and which are today, to some extent, still prevalent.
Beginning with his childhood we are shown how even he, a native of Texas, was exposed to those racist attitudes and it was not until his late teens that he came to realize that just because a person's skin is a different color doesn't mean they are a bad person. Yet this attitude, he explains, was what gave the native Tejanos in Texas the proverbial "short end of the stick" when discussing the Alamo. As a result, what we get is more a story of personal discovery and education wrapped around the Alamo narrative.
If you aren't familiar with the controversy surrounding such items as the de la Pena diaries (one Mexican soldier's account of the battle) and are simply looking to find out how good old Davy (he preferred David) Crockett died, there are other books on the market which should no doubt be read first. If, on the other hand, as mentioned before, you're well-versed in the Alamo battle and lore, you'll want to pick up this most recent Alamo book.
Gets 4 stars instead of 5 mostly due to length since it seems there are other areas Crisp could have discussed as well. Eminently readable, you can read it in one sitting with no problem.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly for buffs, February 25, 2006

By 

Anson Cassel Mills (Lake Santeetlah, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett's Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution (New Narratives in American History) (Hardcover)

That Sleuthing the Alamo has no index is a tip-off that this volume is not the sort of academic book usually published by Oxford University Press.

Crisp does two things well here: 1. he carefully unravels the earlier bowdlerizing, mistranslation, and general mishandling of a German memoir of the Texas Revolution by one Herman Ehrenberg, a retelling that puts anti-Mexican sentiments into the mouth of Sam Houston, and 2. he defends the authenticity of a diary of a Mexican soldier, Jose Enrique de la Pena, which (among other merited swipes at Santa Anna) asserts that the general ordered Davy Crockett's murder after the latter was taken prisoner at the fall of the Alamo.

Around these two themes are wrapped the author's musings about his Texas childhood and the racism once de rigueur in Texas elementary schools, as well as speculations about the Yellow Rose of Texas and overly solemn assessments of silly missives Crisp and his predecessors received from amateur defenders of received wisdom about the Texas Revolution.

If you're a Texas Revolution buff and already have a command of its controversies and primary sources, this is an important book. If you have limited interest in Sam Houston's views of Mexicans or in how Davy Crockett died, then you'll probably find Sleuthing the Alamo of marginal interest.

It's a poor historian whose juices don't flow when he's on the hunt for documentary shenanigans. But it takes an unusual one to make a coherent narrative out of the search.