"Exploring the Legends of the Alamo" by Wallace O. Chariton

After visiting the Alamo in San Antonio in 2016, and knowing that we would be there again in 2017, I wanted to read up a little more on the Alamo.

The story is a great one.  A rugged bunch of pioneers against Santa Anna's much larger army.....

Plus, it went down in 1836.  Reports, first hand accounts, and records in general are pretty scarce.

AND there are some conflicting bits of information here and there.

Luckily, Wallace O. Chariton has put together the very fun to read book, "Exploring the Legends of the Alamo".

Even if you aren't familiar with the story of the Alamo, this would be a good starting point.  Chariton gives most of the basics of the battle and the events as he discusses "the Legends."

In this volume, Wallace Chariton is trying to resolve some of the mysteries about the battle.  He looks at who said what about the events.  He discusses the reliability of the sources too, which gets interesting!

Chariton discusses some intriguing topics/legends/rumors.  He debates the possibility that some of those at the Alamo surrendered, and did not die fighting.  He asks about why a 400 person army did not come to the aid of those at the Alamo- and he also considers what may have happened if they had helped.  He speculates about how survivor Susanna Dickinson's reports have preserved...  and confused the story.

One chapter in particular that I enjoyed covered a man who MAY have left the Alamo just before the final battle.  His intriguing story becomes very cloudy since his existence is in question, and his stories are told by someone else, many years later.

There is confusion about numbers (how many men exactly died at the Alamo?).  There is confusion about names, and who was where during the battle.

Luckily, Wallace O. Chariton covers it all in a very easy to understand way, making this a fun and interesting book to read about the legends of the Alamo!