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Post by Chuck T on Apr 22, 2010 22:13:51 GMT -5
" We few. We happy few. We Band of Brothers". A victory of the mobile and quick whitted over the arrogant and conventional. Not unlike San Jacinto
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Post by Chuck T on Apr 22, 2010 22:58:37 GMT -5
Saw this on my ship modeling web site and could not resist:
"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which only distorts the result" --------Barbara Tuchman
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Post by marklemon on Apr 22, 2010 23:33:13 GMT -5
No truer words could ever be spoken, particularly about Alamo research. Thanks Chuck.
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Post by marklemon on Apr 22, 2010 23:39:06 GMT -5
Man for man the best brigade in the ANV including the Stonewall Brigade, and I am from Virginia.------------Chuck Chuck, Not to wander too far off topic, but wanted to let you know that I am in the process of getting my Hood's Brigade ancestor's CW manuscript published. I have read most Confederate memoirs, including "Company Aytch" and this one ranks up there with the best. Some of the most brilliant imagery and battle accounts from a Confederate participant I've ever seen. This will be a significant new resource when it appears.
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Post by Chuck T on Apr 23, 2010 0:13:59 GMT -5
Mark: Love to see the manuscript. I just used your name in vein in my review of EXITDUCKS over on Amazon entitled Pompous Agenda Driven Trash by Bookworm
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Post by marklemon on Apr 23, 2010 0:17:08 GMT -5
Mark: Love to see the manuscript. I just used your name in vein in my review of EXITDUCKS over on Amazon entitled Pompous Agenda Driven Trash by Bookworm Chuck, I just started a new thread in General History, in which I'll be posting selected excerpts from the manuscript. Hope you find it as interesting as I always have.... Mark
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Post by bobdurham on Apr 23, 2010 8:22:22 GMT -5
Mark,
Will your publication of your GGGGrandfather's book contain any of your illustrations? I'm refraining from reading any of the excerpts you're posting -- want it to all be completely fresh for me when I purchase your book. Eagerly waiting for it.
Bob
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Post by marklemon on Apr 23, 2010 10:05:23 GMT -5
Mark, Will your publication of your GGGGrandfather's book contain any of your illustrations? I'm refraining from reading any of the excerpts you're posting -- want it to all be completely fresh for me when I purchase your book. Eagerly waiting for it. Bob Hey Bob, Thanks, and I completely understand what you mean.... Actually, in a way, Capt Lemon illustrated it himself, as we have detailed maps of every battle in which he participated, as well as a very cool service record drawing he did documenting his service, key events, battles, etc. These seem to have been popular at the time, as I saw a similar one in Robert Knox Sneeden's drawings (Eye of the Storm, and Images from the Storm) as well as other places. However, I am contemplating adding my two cents, with some drawings to illustrate the actions that he so vividly describes. Mark
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Post by Herb on Apr 23, 2010 12:09:06 GMT -5
Well, I haven't read Thomason (or Chandler, though Wolfpack has recommended Chandler a number of times...I need to get that one), but I'm a big Cornwell fan. I've read most all the Sharpes and a few of his other titles. Sorry for the digression, but this is too good to pass up. The two books, I've probably have reread the most are Anton Myer's Once an Eagle and Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon. A long, long, time ago, as a young lieutenant, I had a senior officer I respected a great deal, tell me if you want to be a professional you have to study Napoleon. I followed his advice, and a few years later, as a captain, I was almost amazed as the army totally revised its tactical doctrine and organization (Division 86). Everything that was "new" could be found in the organization and the tactical utilization of the Grande Armee by Napoleon in 1805-06. While Chandler can be intimidating for a lot of Americans; due to its size, the unfamailiar names and unfamiliar geography, I would go a step further, if you want to understand modern (post American Revolution) military history, you really need to study Napoleon. I first read Myers in the 7th grade. But, he ended up being on most Army required reading lists. I found the story inspirational, and while I've grwon more cynical over the years and now view it as a trifle too idealistic. It's still a valuable read for those who want to understand the US Army and what it means to be a "Regular".
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Post by martyb on Apr 23, 2010 12:43:14 GMT -5
OUTSTANDING...OUTSTANDING!!
Anton Myer's 'Once an Eagle' is one of my favorites. The made a passable miniseries starring Sam Elliot. I required my troops to read a lot of books when I had a reading list (I didn't always agree with the Chief of Staff's reading list). I also loved Caputo's 'Rumor of War' and of course 'We were soldiers once...and young'. 'About Face' by "The Hack" was essential in understanding the Warrior ethic. Chandler of course is the best for Napoleon. I've dogeared two of the 'Campaigns..' books.
Mark, I too apologize for digressing, but alamo54us was talking good writing and good history.
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Post by Chuck T on Apr 23, 2010 12:45:41 GMT -5
Wolfpack: I agree. Chandler is a must read. Like you I was introduced to Chandler by another officer, my boss when I was in the force structure business. He told me to get a copy and read it so I would have a basic understanding of what the force structure business is all about. I have been grateful ever since. It is my go to place to understand the organizational concepts of the last two hundred years. And that goes for all structure including the ones we are most concerned about on this site.
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Post by Chuck T on Apr 23, 2010 12:59:20 GMT -5
For Quinceymorris: What are you asking for the Thomason biography. As a ship modeler I am currently trying to figure out how to chop a scale 14 feet from a model of Gearing so I may construct a U.S.S. John W. Thomason DD 760. Perhaps we should take any further conversation on the book to the appropriate thread.
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Post by Herb on Apr 23, 2010 14:03:10 GMT -5
A new thread to discuss/recommend Military History books not covering the Alamo, is now open in the General History topic.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 23, 2010 14:11:57 GMT -5
Thanks, Wolf; this thread was veering off topic. To return to the original topic (and/or perhaps conclude it), this is what I posted under the "Alamo Film, Music and Literature" thread that is titled "Release of 'Exodus from the Alamo' Delayed." Maybe we can post all future comment on this book right here in this thread:
The bottom line on this book is that, while Tucker raises legitimate issues regarding the Alamo battle and the Texas Revolution in general, such as slavery, 19th century racism, and the breakouts at the Alamo, none of that is new. The literature on this goes back 40 years or more. These issues have been discussed and analyzed far better than in Exodus from the Alamo, despite the author's constantly repeated claim that this is the first book to do so.
He sets up a strawman claim that all previous Alamo history repeats the fictional, glorified Hollywood version ("The Alamo Myth"), then repeatedly knocks it down by showing how inaccurate that image is. But that is not the commonly-held version of these events at all, which Tucker must know since he includes many of the better Alamo histories in his notes and bibliography.
It's a conclusion-driven book that relies too heavily on secondary sources, cherry-picks evidence, exaggerates many points, contradicts itself many times (i.e. Joe is reliable, but not reliable where his accounts contradict the book's agenda), reaches unsupported conclusions, is poorly written and, apparently, was never edited, which resulted in constant repetition of points and statements to a mind-numbing degree.
Allen
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Post by Jim Boylston on Apr 23, 2010 14:49:26 GMT -5
Thanks, Allen. Maybe we can get the "Exodus" train on one track! Jim
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