A review by clairealex
Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth by Chris Tomlinson, Jason Stanford, Bryan Burrough

5.0

First, I should perhaps admit a bias in favor of mythbusting on any topic. Second, I found this book a delightful item in the genre. It begins with a history of what is known to have occurred at the Alamo and in Texan and Mexican politics preceding that battle, alluding to bits of myth that are therein contradicted. Understanding of the times has been expanded by diaries and other writings of non-Anglo participants. Next comes a history of the creation of the myths and their perpetuation, which is followed by the history of attempts to correct the record and the predictable backlash. The clash is told up to its status at the time of writing, and as you might imagine, is still unresolved. There is a brief chapter on a collection of artifacts related to the Alamo and problems establishing their provenance, which adds to the whole busting project.

Though the subject was serious--footnotes and endnotes abound, the treatment was light, even humorous at times. Now it was easy reading for me, who had nothing invested in the myths; it might be more difficult for someone committed to them.