Welcome to the TLA Reading List Page

Reference, The Alamo, First Person Accounts, Biography, Daily Life, Clothing,
Multi Cultural, Cooking, Skills and Crafts, Fiction,
Movies

While the Texian Legacy Association is primarily concerned with pre-1840 Texas, you will find some books listed here that cover the pre-statehood period. Now, before you get your britches in a bind because your favorite book on Texas history is not listed here, let's remember that these are some favorites used by TLA members for research and entertainment. If you would like one of your favorites listed, just drop me an email. A special "Thanks" goes to Cait Pomeroy and Sandy Kramer for contributing heavily to this list and to Sandy for the original compilation of it.

Through special arrangement with Amazon.com, one of the largest Internet bookstores, you can now order any highlighted book through Amazon.com's on-line ordering page. It's easy; it's simple and it's fast. I've ordered several books from Amazon.com and have always been pleased with the prompt and accurate service I've received. Combine this with some of the best prices around and Amazon.com is awfully hard to beat. They even deliver the books to my doorstep!! AND there's more. For every book that is ordered from this page and this website, The Texian Legacy Association receives a small stipend to help pay for our website. What a deal!! You get great books, at great prices and help TLA, as well.

At the end of each section you will find a "Hard to Find or Out of Print" sub-section listing books that Amazon.com may no longer carry. We've provided a link to a very good book search engine in case you would like try and find them.

Remember to give me a holler if you'd like me to consider adding a book to the list.

( indicates a Director's Choice book.)

REFERENCE

Lone Star Nation : How a Ragged Army of Volunteers Won the Battle for Texas Independence and Changed America

by H.W. Brands, Doubleday; 1st edition (February 10, 2004) TLA Review

Everyday Life in the 1800s : A Guide for Writers, Students & Historians

by Marc McCutcheon, Writers Digest Books, 2001

The La Salle Expedition to Texas : The Journal of Henri Joutel, 1684-1687

by Henri Joutel, Johanna S. Warren (Translator), William C. Foster (Editor), 1998, Texas State Historical Assn.

Texas Forgotten Ports, Volume 1

by Keith Guthrie, 1989, Eakin Press.

Texas Forgotten Ports, Volume 3

by Keith Guthrie, 1995, Eakin Press.

Texas History Movies,

by George Ward, 1986, Texas State Historical Assn.

Texas in Revolt: The Battle for San Antonio, 1835,

by Alwyn Barr, 1990, University of Texas Press

The Texas Rangers,

by Stephen L. Hardin, 1991, Osprey Publishing

The Presidio: Bastion of the Spanish Borderlands,

by Max L. Moorehead, 1975, University of Oklahoma Press

The Far Western Frontier, 1830-1860,

by Ray A. Billington, 1956, Harper & Row

Rise of the Lone Star: The Making of Texas,

by Andreas V. Reichstein, 1989, Texas A&M University Press

From Flintlock to Rifle: Infantry Tactics, 1740-1866,

by Steven Ross, 1979, Associated University Presses

The Texian Iliad,

by Stephen L. Hardin, 1994, University of Texas PressTLA Review

Spanish Texas 1519-1821,

by Donald E. Chipman, 1992, University of Texas Press

Painting Texas History to 1900,

by Sam Deshong Ratcliffe, 1992, University of Texas Press

Juan N. Almonte's 1834 Inspection, Secret Report, and Role in the 1836 Campaign

by Juan Nepomuceno Almonte, Jack Jackson, John Wheat, Texas State Historical Association; (December 1, 2003)

Voyages of the Steamboat Yellow Stone

by Donald Jackson. 1987, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, U.S.A.

Memoirs for the History of the War in Texas

by Vicente Filisola. 1985 Eakin Press, Austin, TX

The Mexican Side of the Texas Revolution, 1836

by Carlos E Castaneda, trans. P L Turner 1956 (reprint of 1928 ed)

Presidio Labahia

by Kathryn Stoner O'Connor, 1966, Von-Boeckmann Jones Co, Austin, Texas

Texas Forgotten Ports, Volume 2

by Keith Guthrie, 1993, Eakin Press.

The Texas Revolutionary Experience: A Political and Social History, 1835-1836,

by Paul D. Lack, 1992, Texas A&M University Press

The Sword of the Republic: The United States Army on the Frontier, 1783-1834,

by Francis Paul Prucha, 1969, Macmillan

The Day of San Jacinto,

by Frank X. Tolbert, 1959, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.

Dream of Empire. A History of the Republic of Teaxs, 1836-1846,

by John Edward Weems with Jane Weems, 1995, Barnes and Noble Books

Forgotten Battlefield of the First Texas Revolution. The Battle of Medina, August 18, 1813,

by Ted Schwarz, 1985, Eakin Press

The Magnificent Barbarians. Little Told Tales of the Texas Revolution,

by Bill and Marjorie Walraven, 1993, Eakin Press

Rx, take one cannon: the Gonzales come & take it cannon of October 1835.

by Jane Bradfield, 1981, Shiner, TX TLA Review

"Long Rifle and Brown Bess: Weapons and Tactics of the Texas Revolution, 1835-1836",

(thesis), by Stephen L. Hardin, 1985, Southwest Texas State University

"The Runaway Scrape': An Episode of the Texas Revolution",

(thesis), by Carolyn Louise Callaway, 1942, University of Texas

A History of Women in the West,

(5 volumes), 1994 Harvard University

Memoranda and Official Correspondence Relating to the Republic of Texas, Its History and Annexation, Including a Brief Autobiography of the Author,

by Anson Jones, 1859/1966, Rio Grande Press

The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar,

(6 volumes), by Mirabeau B. Lamar, 1968, Pemberton Press

Sacrificed at the Alamo: Tragedy and Triumph in the Texas Revolution

by Richard Bruce Winders, McWhiney Foundation Press; (February 1, 2004)

Blood of Noble Men: The Alamo Siege and Battle

by Alan C. Huffines, Eakin Press; 1st ed edition (April 1999) TLA Review

Three Roads to the Alamo

by William C. Davis, 1998, Harper Collins Publishers

The Alamo Reader

by Todd Hansen (Editor), published by Stackpole Books in September, 2003. TLA Review

Sleuthing The Alamo

by James E. Crisp, published by Oxford University Press in December, 2004.

Remembering the Alamo : Memory, Modernity, and the Master Symbol (History, Culture, and Society Series)

by Richard R. Flores. Univ of Texas Pr; (June 2002)

James Clinton Neill : The Shadow Commander of the Alamo

by Richard C. King, Eakin Publications/ 2002

The Archaeology of the Alamo: A Self-Guided Walking Tour and Personal Account

by Herbert G. Uecker. Monte Comal Publications; (December 2001)

Uniforms of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution and the Men who Wore Them 1835-1836

by Bruce Marshall. Schiffer Publishing; Illustrate edition (April 30, 2003) TLA Review

The Alamo 1836: Santa Anna's Texas Campaign (Campaign, 89)

by Stephen L. Hardin, Angus McBride (Illustrator). Osprey Pub Co/September 2001

The Alamo : A Cultural History

by Frank Thompson. Taylor Pub; (July 2001)

Eyewitness to the Alamo (Revised Edition)

by Bill Groneman, Paul Andrew Hutton. Republic of Texas Pr; Revised edition (June 2001)

Historic Monuments : The Alamo

by Julia Hargrove, Gary Mohrman (Illustrator). Teaching & Learning Co; (April 2001)

Alamo Traces: New Evidence and New Conclusions

by Thomas Ricks Lindley (Paperback - September 2003)

The Alamo : And the Texas War for Independence September 30, 1835 to April 21, 1836 : Heros, Myths and History

by Albert A. Nofi. Da Capo Press; 2nd edition (February 2001)

The Better Part of Valor: A Story of the Alamo

by Trish Bennett. iUniverse.com; (January 2001)

The Alamo Story : From Early History to Current Conflicts

by J. R. Edmondson. Republic of Texas Pr; (March 2000)

A Line in the Sand : The Alamo in Blood and Memory

by James Stuart Olson, James N. Olson, Randy W. Roberts, New York / 2001.TLA Review

Encyclopedia of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution

by Thom Hatch. McFarland & Company; (August 1999)

After the Alamo

by Bob Scott. Republic of Texas Pr; (July 1999)

Death of a Legend : The Myth and Mystery Surrounding the Death of Davy Crockett

by Bill Groneman. Republic of Texas Pr; (June 1999)

1836 Facts About the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence ('Facts About' Series)

by Mary Deborah Petite. Da Capo Press; (April 1999)

Spirits of the Alamo

by Anne Powell Wlodarski, Robert James Wlodarski. Wordware Publishing; (February 1999)

The Alamo and the War of Texan Independence 1835-36 (Men-At-Arms Series, 173)

by Philip J. Haythornthwaite, Paul Hannon (Illustrator) Osprey Pub Co/September 1998

History and Legends of the Alamo and Other Missions in and Around San Antonio (Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project Publication.)

by Adina De Zavala, Richard R. Flores (Editor). Arte Publico Pr; Reprint edition (January 1997)

The Alamo Remembered : Tejano Accounts and Perspectives

by Timothy M. Matovina. Univ of Texas Pr; (November 1995)

Inherit the Alamo : Myth and Ritual at an American Shrine

by Holly Beachley Brear. Univ of Texas Pr; 1 Ed edition (March 1995)

The Alamo, and the Texas War of Independence, September 30, 1835 to April 21, 1836 : Heroes, Myths, and History

by Albert A. Nofi. Da Capo Press; Reprint edition (April 1994)

Exploring the Alamo Legends,

by Wallace O. Chariton, 1992, Wordware Publishing

Clara Driscoll : Savior of the Alamo Her Life Story (Women of Texas : A Series of Books on Texas Women)

by Nelda Patteson. Smiley Co; (November 1991)

100 Days in Texas: The Alamo Letters,

by Wallace Chariton, 1990, Wordware Publishing TLA Review

Alamo Defenders : A Genealogy : The People and Their Words

by Bill Groneman. Eakin Publications; (September 1990)

Duel of Eagles : The Mexican and U.S. Fight for the Alamo

by Jeff Long. William Morrow & Co; (June 1990)

The Battle of the Alamo

by Ben H. Procter. Texas State Historical Assn; (January 1987)

Heroes of the Alamo and Goliad, Revolutionaries on the Road to San Jacinto and Texas Independence

by Mary Ann Noonan-Guerra. Alamo Pr; (January 1987)

Rendezvous at the Alamo : Highlights in the Lives of Bowie, Crockett and Travis

by Virgil E. Baugh. Univ of Nebraska Pr; (November 1985)

Viva Tejas : The Story of the Tejanos, the Mexican-Born Patriots of the Texas Revolution

by Ruben R. Lozano. Alamo Pr; (December 1, 1985)

A Time to Stand

by Walter Lord, 1978, Univ of Nebraska Press

The Alamo,

by John Myers Myers, 1948/1973, Bison Books

Critical Study Of The Siege Of The Alamo

by Amelia Williams. Reprint Services Corp; (January 1932)

Alamo: Flash Point Between Texas and Mexico

by Unknown.

The Alamo : A Primary Source History of the Legendary Texas Mission (Primary Sources in American History)

by Janey Levy. Rosen Publishing Group; (June 2002)

The Siege and Taking of the Alamo

by Gen. Miguel A. Lamego Sanchez, Press of the Territorian, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1968

The Alamo : An Illustrated History

by George Nelson.

How did Davy Die?

by Dan Kilgore, Texas A&M University Press, College Station, 1978.

Alamo Sourcebook 1836 : A Comprehensive Guide to the Alamo and the Texas Revolution

by Timothy J. Todish, Terry Todish, Ted Spring, Eakin Publications/ 1998.

FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS (Texas and the West)

Texas Tears and Texas Sunshine,

edited by Jo Ella Powell Exley, 1985, Texas A&M University Press

Rip Ford's Texas,

by John Salmon Ford, edited by Stephen B. Oates, 1994, University of Texas Press

Three Years Among the Comanches, the Narrative of Nelson Lee Texas Ranger,

by Nelson Lee, 1991, University of Oklahoma Press

Far From Home, Families of the Westward Journey,

by Lillian Schlissel, Byrd Gibbens, and Elizabeth Hampsten, 1989, Schocken Books, Inc.

With Santa Anna in Texas: A Personal Narrative of the Revolution,

by Jose Enrique de la Peña, 1997, Texas A&M University Press

The Eagle: The Autobiography of Santa Anna,

by Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, 1967, Pemberton Press

The Evolution of a State, or Recollections of Old Texas Days,

by Noah Smithwick, 1983, University of Texas Press

Memoirs for the History of the War in Texas, Vol. 1,

by Filisola, General Vicente (translation by Wallace Woolsey), 1985, Eakin Press

Memoirs for the History of the War in Texas, Vol. 2,

by Filisola, General Vicente (translation by Wallace Woolsey), 1985, Eakin Press

Recollections of Early Texas. The Memoirs of John Holland Jenkins,

edited by John Holmes Jenkins, III, 1995 University of Texas Press, (this book is now available for reading on line at Island Multimedia)

Reminiscences of Fifty Years in Texas,

by John J. Linn, 1986, State House Press

The Diary of William Barret Travis, August 30, 1833-June 26, 1835,

by William B. Travis, 1966, Texian Press

A Mexican Sergeant's Recollections of the Alamo and San Jacinto... As Told to John S. Ford in 1875,

by Francisco Becerra, 1980, Jenkins Publishing Co.

Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas... Facts Gathered From Survivors of Frontier Days,

by Andrew Jackson Sowell, 1990, Ben C. Jones & Co., Printers

Now You Hear My Horn - The Journal of James Wilson Nichols, 1820-1887,

edited by Catherine W. McDowell, 1967, University of Texas Press

A Revolution Remembered. The Memoirs and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguín,

edited by Jesús F. de la Teja, 1991, Statehouse Press.

BIOGRAPHY

James Clinton Neill : The Shadow Commander of the Alamo

by Richard C. King, Eakin Publications/ 2002

Three Roads to the Alamo

by William C. Davis, 1998, Harper Collins Publishers

Turn Your Eyes Toward Texas,

by Paula Mitchell Marks, 1989, Texas A&M University Press

Women of the West,

by Cathy Luchetti and Carol Olwell, 1982, Orion Books

The Mountain Men,

by George Laycock, 1996, Lyons & Burford, Publishers

Mary Austin Holley, A Biography,

by Rebecca Smith Lee, 1987, University of Texas Press

Philip Nolan and Texas: Expeditions to the Unknown Land, 1791-1801,

by Maurine T. Wilson & Jack Jackson, 1987, Texican Press

Life and Times of Henry Smith

A.D. Aldridge & Co., Dallas

Letters from an Early Settler ofTexas

by William B. Dewees, Texian Press, Waco, 1968

Diary of Col. Wm. F. Gray Giving Details of His Journey to Texas and Returns in 1835-1836

by William Fairfax Gray, Fletcher Young, Houston, 1965.

Samuel Maverick, Texan: 1803-1870. A Collection of Letters, Journals and Memoirs

Edited by Rena Maverick Green, Privately Printe, San Antonio,1952.

Memoirs

by Antonio Menchaca, Edited by Fredrick C. Chabot, Yanaguana Society, San Antonio, 1937.

The Groces and the Whartons in the Early History of Texas,

(thesis), by Laura Elizabeth Hale, 1942, University of Texas

Anson Jones: The Last President of Texas,

by Herbert Picens Gambrell, 1964, University of Texas Press

Susanna Dickenson, Messenger of the Alamo,

by Richard C. King, 1976, Shoal Creek Publishers

Pioneer Women In Texas,

by Annie Doom Pickrell, 1929/1991, Statehouse Press.

DAILY LIFE

Child Life in Colonial Days,

by Alice Morse Earle, 1899/1993, Berkshire House Publlishers

Home Life in Colonial Days,

by Alice Morse Earle, 1898/1993, Berkshire House Publlishers

The Book of American Traditions,

by Emyl Jenkins, 1996, Crown Publishers

Glittering Misery, Dependents of the Indian Fighting Army,

by Patricia Y. Stallard, 1992, University of Oklahoma Press

The American Frugal Housewife,

by Mrs. Child, 1833, Carter, Hendee & Co., Boston

Sketches of Early Texas and Louisiana,

by Theodore Frederic Gaillardet, 1966, University of Texas Press

Tidings from the 18th Century,

by Beth Gilgum, 1993, Rebel Publishing Co.

CLOTHING

The Calico Chronicles: Texas Women and Their Fashions, 1830-1910,

by Betty J. Mills, 1985, Texas Tech Press

American Family of the Early Republic Paper Dolls,

by Tom Tierney, 1988, Dover Publications, Inc.

Buckskin and Homespun: Texas Frontier Clothing, 1820-1870,

by David Holman and Billie Persons, 1979, Wind River Press.

English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century,

by C. Willett Cunnington, 1990,

MULTI-CULTURAL

Black Texans: A History of Negroes in Texas, 1528-1971,

by Alwyn Barr, 1996, Jenkins Publishing

Anglos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas, 1836-1986,

by David Montejano, 1987, University of Texas Press

The Alamo Remembered. Tejano Accounts and Perspectives,

by Timothy M. Matovina, 1994, University of Texas Press. 

The Slave Narratives of Texas,

edited by Ron Tyler and Lawrence R. Murphy, 1974.

Slavery and the Annexation of Texas,

by Frederick Merk, 1972, Alfred A. Knopf

COOKING

Hearthside Cooking,

by Nancy Carter Crump, 1986, EPM Publications, Inc.

The Heritage of Southern Cooking,

by Camille Glenn, 1986, Workman Publishing

Felicity's Cookbook,

by the American Girls Collection, 1994, Pleasant Company Publications

SKILLS AND CRAFTS

Back to Basics, How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills,

edited by Norman Mack, 1981, The Reader's Digest Association

Felicity's Craft Book,

the American Girls Collection, 1994, Pleasant Company Publications

Hands to the Spindle,

by Paula Mitchell Marks, 1996, Texas A&M University Press

FICTION

The Breach

by Brian Kaufman, Last Knight Publishing Company (June 2002) TLA Review

Jane Long of Texas,

by Neila Skinner Petrick, 1995, Prime Time Press

13 Days to Glory, the Siege of the Alamo,

by Lon Tinkle, 1985, Texas A&M University Press

True Women,

by Janice Woods Windle, 1993, Ivy Books

Amanda Goes West,

by Betty J. Mills, 1994, Texas Tech University

Amanda's New Life,

by Betty J. Mills, 1994, Texas Tech University

Amanda's Home On the Range,

by Betty J. Mills, 1994, Texas Tech University

Love is a Wild Assault,

by Elithe Hamilton Kirkland, 1959/1984, Doubleday & Company, Inc.

Hard to Find Books

For rare, out of print or just hard to find books, I highly recommend Used Book Search. They search 45 million books, worldwide, and I have rarely been disappointed. Good hunting.

MOVIES

Martyrs of the Alamo (1915) DVD

starring Fred Burns, Sam De Grasse, John T. Dillon, Walter Long, Alfred Paget and Tom Wilson. Directed by William Cabanne

Heroes of the Alamo (1937) DVD

starring Lane Chandler, Ruch Findlay, Earl Hodgins, Rex Lease, Julian Rivero, Bruce Warren and Roger Williams. Directed by Harry L. Fraser

The Alamo: Shrine of Texas Liberty (1938) (1999) VHS

starring Coates Gwynne, Sterling Waters and J.R. Klumpp. Directed by Stuart Paton

Lone Star (1952) VHS

with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. Directed by Vincent Sherman

The Man from the Alamo (1953) VHS

starring Glenn Ford and Julia Adams. Directed by Budd Boetticher

The Last Command (1955) VHS

starring Sterling Hayden, Richard Carlson and Arthur Hunnicutt. Directed by Frank Lloyd

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955) VHS

starring Fess Parker and Hans Conried.

The Alamo: Original Uncut Version (1960) VHS DVD

starring John Wayne, Richard Widmark and Laurence Harvey. Directed by John Wayne

Viva Max! (1969) VHS

starring Peter Ustinov, John Astin and Jonathan Winters. Directed by Jerry Paris

Gone to Texas (1986) DVD

starring Sam Elliott and Michael Beck. Directed by Peter Levin

James A. Michener's Texas (1995) VHS DVD

starring Stacy Keach and Patric Duffy. Directed by Richard Lang

Alamo-Thirteen Days to Glory (1997) VHS

starring James Arness, Brian Keith and Alec Baldwin.

Two for Texas (1998) VHS

starring Kris Kristofferson and Scott Bairstow. Directed by Rod Hardy

The History Channel Presents The Alamo (2003) VHS DVD

Four programs: Remember the Alamo, The Real West: The Battle of the Alamo, The Real West: The Texas Rangers, and Biography: Davy Crockett, Frontier Legend

The Alamo (2004) VHS DVD

starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton. Directed by John Lee Hancock TLA Review

Alamo: The Price of Freedom

The reason this film was not on our list was because we have no source to get it on VHS or DVD. If you know of a source, please let us know and we'll be glad to add it. Thanks, Sam, for letting us know we needed this note.