By Stephen Harrigan

This terrific historical novel brings to life the mythic siege of the Alamo. The events are seen through the eyes of several characters. Chief among them are Mary Mott, an innkeeper, her teenage son Terrell, and Ed McGowan, a botanist working on a comprehensive encyclopedia of the flora of Texas. Other characters include Joe, a slave owned by Col. Travis, Blas Montoya, a sergeant in the Mexican army, and Telesforo Villasenor, an ambitious mapmaker on Santa Anna's staff. Events conspire to bring all the characters together at the Alamo.

Along the way we meet Travis, Bowie, Crockett, and Santa Anna. A more colorful group of characters is difficult to imagine. If you want cover-to-cover descriptions of battles and military minutiae you will be disappointed. But you will be treated to a fine historical novel whose pages fairly crackle with authenticity. The book covers the events leading up to the fall of the Alamo, the siege itself, and the aftermath (including the massacre at Goliad and the battle of San Jacinto). There is also a terrific map of the Alamo by Gary Zaboly.

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