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Indlæser... The Gates of the Alamo (2000)af Stephen Harrigan
Top Five Books of 2019 (208) Indlæser...
Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. Very good historical fiction about seige of the Alamo. Tended to be a slow read, but also was very busy last few weeks so took forever to finish I was pleasantly surprised by this book, all 576 pages of it! Here is my full review. Stephen Harrigan has produced a fine novel centered on the siege of the Alamo, peopled by both fictional and historic characters from both sides. Along the way, he provides an overview of the political situation in Mexico at the time and takes several healthy swipes at some of the most prevalent Alamo myths. By and large, none of the Texas Pantheon make it through with their historical haloes intact. Travis, Austin, Bowie, and Houston are presented as flawed, even vainglorious men. Of them all, Davey Crockett comes off as the most human, though even he is portrayed as driven not so much by a fight for some nebulous political freedom as he is by the opportunity to withdraw from a humiliating political defeat and make a fresh start with headright land in an independent Texas. The fictional characters tend to come off as much more admirable, and are well-drawn and believable. The description of the final assault on the mission is grimly realistic, and Harrigan extends his story past the iconic battle, painting the aftermath in broad strokes that nevertheless provide a reasonably clear picture of the events that led to Texas independence. An interesting take on a historical event which is very well known. This explores a little more of what happened in the build-up to the siege itself and the aftermath at the Goliad (the "other" Alamo) as well as offering a sympathetic look at a broad range of characters. Some other reviewers have pointed out that the last few chapters seem hurried- which they are, as if the author realized that he had got to a certain number of words and then needed to wrap it all up - and the framing device set in 1911 with a (fictional) last survivor. Some did not like it, but I thought it made the point of how very much San Antonio and Texas had changed over 70 years... and that it was possible for someone who had seen extraordinary things to live into the 20th century with all those memories ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
HæderspriserDistinctions
A huge, riveting, deeply imagined novel about the siege and fall of the Alamo, an event that formed the consciousness of Texas and that resonates through American history. With its vibrant, unexpected characters and its richness of authentic detail,The Gates of the Alamois an unforgettable re-creation of a time, a place, and a heroic conflict. The time is 1835. At the center of a canvas crowded with Mexicans and Americans, with Karankawa and Comanche Indians, with settlers of many nationalities, stand three people whose fortunes quickly become our urgent concern: Edmund McGowan, a naturalist of towering courage and intellect, whose life's work is threatened by the war against Mexico and whose character is tested by his own dangerous pride; Mary Mott, a widowed innkeeper on the Texas coast, a determined and resourceful woman; and her sixteen-year-old son, Terrell, whose first shattering experience with love leads him instead to war, and into the crucible of the Alamo. As Edmund McGowan and Mary Mott take off in pursuit of Terrell and follow him into the fortress, the powerful but wary attraction between them deepens. And the reader is drawn with them into the harrowing days of the battle itself. Never before has the fall of the Alamo been portrayed with such immediacy. And for the first time the story is told not just from the perspective of the American defenders but from that of the Mexican attackers as well. We follow Blas Montoya, a sergeant in an elite sharpshooter company, as he fights to keep his men alive not only in the inferno of battle but also during the long forced march north from Mexico proper to Texas. And through the eyes of the ambitious mapmaker Telesforo Villasenor, we witness the cold deliberations of General Santa Anna. Filled with dramatic scenes, abounding in fictional and historical personalities -- among them James Bowie, David Crockett, and William Travis --The Gates of the Alamoenfolds us in history, and through its remarkable and passionate storytelling allows us to participate at last in an American legend. From the Hardcover edition. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
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