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Post by Rich Curilla on Jul 9, 2009 21:50:50 GMT -5
Now wait a minute, though. The Big Brother I know would be on the other side, wanting to trash myths.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 9, 2009 22:24:15 GMT -5
Ah, to myth or not to myth; that is the dilemma. Maybe it's the "Liberty Valance" syndrome -- "when the legend becomes truth, print the legend." Ironically, as Peter Bagdonovich points out, John Ford was actually doing just the opposite in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." By the time that line is spoken in the film, Ford has just shown us the truth, not the legend, and frowned on how legends obscure facts. Some say he was apologizing for all the films he'd made that promoted legends over facts (although I'd argue that "Fort Apache" is a clear counter example).
AW
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Post by Kevin Young on Jul 11, 2009 6:42:10 GMT -5
In the end, I'm inclined to agree that it won't be up to all the hub-bub over its repeated delays. I doubt there's much new here, if anything. Not that there's anything unusual about that in the world of publishing. In fact, it seems to be more the rule than the exception. The rehash is more common than the revealing. AW Good point. Dan Killgore (How Did Davy Die) did got death threats for his little book.
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jul 11, 2009 7:17:07 GMT -5
Clearly, there won't be much if anything new or (in our eyes here) even mildly controversial regarding the breakout. But for the armchair historian, even the hint of groups of defenders trying to escape the carnage inside the Alamo's walls could be an earth-shaker and even impossible to for them to swallow.
Even if the anticipated readership is small, I'd still be inclined to double-check certain facts before throwing it out there. But that's just me. I never worked in book publishing, but I was a journalist for 13 years, working as reporter, copy-editor, design editor and and eventually managing editor for various newspapers.
I know books and newspapers is like comparing apples and oranges, but I can see where maybe someone wanted the writer to recheck something. But then again, that's just me ....
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Post by Jim Boylston on Jul 11, 2009 10:44:34 GMT -5
I'd be very surprised if the delays are due to editorial concerns. I'm betting they're fiscal problems. These are tough times for print media.
I'll be interested to see the book's bibliography. The subject of these breakouts has been discussed at length here and elsewhere on the web.
Jim
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 11, 2009 14:48:18 GMT -5
The breakouts really are not anything new; they are mentioned in at least one of Bill Groneman's early books on Crockett (I think the estimate there was some 60 or 70 defenders bolted). There is also the so-called "Lancer account," which acknowledged that some defenders bolted. Jim and Stuart published articles on this some time ago in Alamo Journal too. So it's not really news that this happened, although the investigation and discussion of the breakouts has been advanced much further on this forum than anywhere else to date.
AW
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 11, 2009 15:31:11 GMT -5
Dan Killgore (How Did Davy Die) did got death threats for his little book. I heard that; hard to believe, but a lot of people don't want their illusions or preconceived notions tampered with. I think Kilgore said something like - he wouldn't mind it so much if more people bought the book! I had to wonder how many of his detractors had actually read it and how many responded so vehemently without even seeing it! AW
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Post by Jim Boylston on Jul 11, 2009 19:35:19 GMT -5
So it's not really news that this happened, although the investigation and discussion of the breakouts has been advanced much further on this forum than anywhere else to date. AW To be fair, a lot of the discussion took place before our exodus, though most of the principals were the same. Jim
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jul 11, 2009 21:21:03 GMT -5
Ah, yes. How quickly one forgets (but not quickly enough).
AW
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Post by stuart on Jul 12, 2009 3:13:03 GMT -5
Dan Killgore (How Did Davy Die) did got death threats for his little book. I heard that; hard to believe, but a lot of people don't want their illusions or preconceived notions tampered with. I think Kilgore said something like - he wouldn't mind it so much if more people bought the book! I had to wonder how many of his detractors had actually read it and how many responded so vehemently without even seeing it! AW That's the problem - and what I think may be at least partly responsible for the delay; Jim Crisp's account of the DLP controversy ("Sleuthing the Alamo") covers this pretty well
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Post by Kevin Young on Jul 12, 2009 10:50:31 GMT -5
Paul Hutton got some nasty mail as well. I was with Jim when the nice Texas lady said she should cut his heart out with a bowie knife (which version I am not sure). But then she took it back and it is kind of joke with Jim and her.
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Post by alamonorth on Nov 9, 2009 18:34:01 GMT -5
Amazon is now announcing this book for February 2010 and it has a different cover.
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Post by Kevin Young on Nov 9, 2009 19:11:23 GMT -5
Just in time for High Holy Days....
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jerry
Full Member
Posts: 60
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Post by jerry on Nov 10, 2009 12:10:05 GMT -5
The publisher is confident the book will be available in February. Take that for what it's worth -I was assured in July that the book would be released this November.
Jerry
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Post by marklemon on Nov 10, 2009 13:11:08 GMT -5
I think its significant, and extremely telling, that the cover was changed. The original cover art by Zaboly showed an aerial perspective of defenders running out of the east palisade gate toward the waiting Mexican cavalry. That this was changed must reflect a reluctance by either the author, or the publisher (I'm sure it was the latter) to show Texans "running away." This was not due to any patriotic fervor on their part, but most likely a result of the realization that some Texans may be incensed at this, and not buy the book.... ML
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