Rating: 
Summary: Great Book on the Birth of Texas
Review: Though I've lived in Houston all my life, the only knowledge I had of the Texan Revolution was what I remembered from my high school text books. Biased history books to say the least. I learned more from this one book about the war with Mexico than I ever learned in a high school classroom. Texian Iliad gives an excellent, honest account of the war and the battles and skirmishes that were fought. Views from both sides are delivered. The image Houston's men had of him was a surprising revelation for me as was the unorganization and in-fighting of the Texians. Illustrations by Zaboly greatly enhance the book as each drawing is given an in-depth description. Also included are photographs and paintings of the participants. I do think the book could have been longer and gone into even more detail, perhaps shedding more light on the character of the major players - Santa Anna, Bowie, Travis, Houston... But for a play by play account of the Texas Revolution, I doubt this book can be beat.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: To do justice to this excellent book would require a much longer review than I'm sure Amazon visitors are prepared to read. Put quite simply, anyone interested in Texas history in particular, or 19th century America in general, should own Texian Iliad.Stephen L. Hardin's book, meticulously researched and carefully written, successfully appeals to both an academic audience and the history reading general public. The author's deft descriptions put you in the midst of the action, whether it's with Travis at the Alamo or riding beside Houston at San Jacinto. And the art work is simply great. Gary S. Zaboly's well researched illustrations are not only a magnificent complement to the text, but rare in the quality of their historical accuracy. His rendition of a Mississippi volunteer in the Texas army, with his purloined chickens and jug of spirits, is alone well worth the price of the book. In addition, Zaboly's maps and illustrations of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto are among the clearest and most useful to be found anywhere. Texian Iliad has received considerable recognition from the historical profession, including the Kate Broocks Bates Award from the Texas State Historical Association, the Summerfield G. Roberts Award, the T. R. Fehrenbach Award, and the American Association for State and Local History's Certificate of Merit. Professor Hardin's credentials as a historian and writer include membership in the prestigious, invitation-only Texas Institute of Letters as well as numerous other professional organizations. In short, if you want a good historical read, you'll have a hard time finding one better than Texian Iliad.
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