A Line in the Sand : The Alamo in Blood and Memory – Book Review

Last Updated on November 23, 2016

The book titled “A Line in the Sand: The Alamo in Blood and Memory” is a contemporary literary work done by Randy Roberts and James Olson. It provides a deep analysis of a historic event, the battle of Alamo.

About the authors :

James Stuart Olson is a Pulitzer Prize nominee author. He has authored more than thirty books, which are mostly non-fiction and history-related works. Randy Roberts is a Professor of History at the Purdue University. Some of his prominent works are Heavy Justice, Hard Times Man (2010), Where the Domino Fell, and more. The authors provide a vivid description of the historic event. They also provide their analysis from the perspective of both American and Mexican soldiers.

About the Book :

The book, “A Line in the Sand: The Alamo in Blood and Memory” provides a vivid journey of the battle event. It also presents historic moment along with the present day American myths about the event. The book elaborates the Battle of Alamo – the siege and the assault of Alamo – along with its aftermath consequences. The authors also capture a detailed report of the real life survivals of Alamo.
The book also presents how a television show of Disney and Wayne’s film could create deceit in the country. They also put forth their own beliefs about the causes of the battle and their view on how the conflict would have been provoked from political arena. They hold a view that the battle of Alamo is more of a battle for slavery freedom rather than an ethnic or racist battle, as many believe.
Despite all the illustration of Alamo explained by the authors, there exist various controversial aspects around the story. The book has certainly calmed down certain unanswered questions about the battle, but not all. They have really made a commendable work in an unbiased manner, telling the event from the perspective of both the sides.