Cheap Battle of the Alamo (Video) (Paul Wagner (II), Nina Gilden Seavey) Price

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Customer Reviews of Battle of the Alamo

Decent But Superficial Account of the Battle
This is a decent, although superficial, account of the battle of the Alamo. The production does not explain very well what led to the war between Texas and Mexico. The video does indicate, though, that the Alamo had little strategic significance in the war. Sam Houston, commander-in-chief of the Texan army, realized this and sent Bowie to the Alamo with orders to abandon it. Bowie became convinced, though, that the Alamo was worth fighting for and went against Houston's orders. Although the Alamo served no strategic purpose, it did serve a symbolic one and helped give Texans the motivation to pull together to fight the Mexicans. Without the Alamo, Texas may never have won its fight for independence.

The three most famous Americans at the Alamo were Davy Crockett, William Travis, and Jim Bowie. Bowie became so ill that he was basically not a factor in the battle. Travis, commander of the garrison at the time of the Mexican assault, was probably one of the first people killed. Crockett's death has been the subject of a great deal of controversy in recent years. Did Crockett go down fighting, or did he surrender? The video takes no position on this question but instead simply reports the stories printed in the newspapers at the time saying he fought until the end, as well as reports from Mexican soldiers that he surrendeered and was subsequently executed.

The video is a good introduction to the battle of the Alamo, but people interested in a more in-depth treatment should turn to a book. One of the best is Duel of Eagles, by Jeff Long.