My special education children have really enjoyed reading this book and also studying Texas history in regard to the Battle of the Alamo..Truly one of the better books in the entire series.

The book "A PROMISE AT THE ALAMO" is based on the American Mexican War.It is a good book because it has a lot of details in it.I would probablygive it a 10 out of 10 stars because it had a lot of action.It is my favorite book!

This book is written in a conversational and easy to read style that practically pulls you into the the events described. Any one who was in Vietnam during the war, was a military dog handler of any kind, or is just interested in the recent U.S. or military history will love this work. You will travel with the author through part of his military tour, laugh, cry and sweat with him, and maybe, finally understand what it was like to be in southeast Asia in the sixties and early seventies. A wonderful and entertaining factual account.

I was impressed with the complete history that was written into this book. I was also glad to see that a family tree was included in the back section of the book. I am a descendant and was impressed that the correct personal information was there.

I highly recommend Shroyer's Secret Mesa. In a thought-provoking way, the author introduces the reader to the fascinating world of Los Alamos, research center AND town. Never dry, the book relates history and present day projects with a human interest focus. Frankly, I couldn't put the book down, and learned a myriad of new things by reading it. If you're looking for a unique read, pick up this one.

SECRETS! is a delightful, intriguing book. The writing is crisp and snappy and very humorous and the story pulled me in from the very first page. I practically read the entire book in one sitting. We get a wonderful glimpse into the lives of a family during the years of the Cold War in the secret city of Los Alamos where atomic bombs were made and tested. Told through the viewpoint of a young girl whose father worked at the national laboratory at a time when nuclear war was a very real threat and school kids hid under their desks when the sirens went off, there are two parallel stories in this book. First, the unique experiences growing up during the 1950s and the secret games of childhood while living in a gated, locked city where everyone needed a special pass to get in or out, and second, the secret life of her father since he could never discuss the work he was doing at his job at the labs - and he always has a funny story to explain where he's been or what he's been doing whenever his family asks. An enjoyable and interesting read!

In his historical series the Kent Chronicles author John Jakes wrote about the Battle of the Alamo (in "The Furies" I believe) from the perspective of a fictional woman who survives, but is lost to history. In "Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story" he revisits this story in fictional form again, but this time telling the story of Susanna Dickson, the wife of Alamo defender Almeron Dickinson, who actually did survive the battle along with their 15-month-old daughter Elizabeth. The story Jakes tells spends as much time on the aftermath of the battle and what happened to the Dickinsons, which is significant because usually the story most students read in juvenile histories about the Alamo skip to the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto where San Houston's troop yelled "Remember the Alamo!" Jakes tries to avoid the legends that still exist about the story of the Alamo and stay faithful to the historical record, but admits gaps exist and some "facts" exist in different versions. Jakes tells of Susanna Dickinson's recovery in the hospital, her meeting with Santa Anna and the message he had her carry to Sam Houston in Gonzales. She tells the leader of the Texan army what happened to her husband and the other defenders of the Alamo. It is from that conversation that Jakes crafts a compelling idea that Susanna Dickinson played an important role in the quest for Texas independence. The book is designed and illustrated by Paul Bacon, whose pen and watercolor pictures capture the times and tenor of the tale. This is not the first book a student should read if they want to know about the Alamo, but once they have learned the basic history of these events they will find this version by John Jakes adds something to their understanding. Furthermore, I would suggest that adults interested in the Alamo would find this book of great interest as well. Susanna Dickinson remarried and never spoke of the Alamo again until late in her life and lived until 1883. In his talent hands, Jakes makes this woman more than a footnote to history. This book is what we would call a grace note.

Dr. Tinkle's account of the Battle of the Alamo has, in some ways, been a life-forming book. It was in these pages (as a child in the early 1960s) that the heroic/epic myth of the Alamo became realized to me. What culture (native Celt-German-Texan) had begun in me, and what Disney and the Duke has fueled, became a way of life after reading Tinkle's account of the events now carved in stone in our national conscious. Col. Wm. Barrett Travis' mythical drawing of the line in the courtyard (wheteher true or not, true mttyh becomes myth made true)became a model for life. The pattern has been repeated dozen's of times: find a worthy cause, draw a line, get massacred.

I owe it all to this book. Get a copy if you can.

While the recent Texas Illiad, and Stephen Harrigan's The Gates of the Alamo are both good reads (Gates of the Alamo sits on my nightstand, waiting its turn) that do much to shed both historical light on the battle, and dispel popular revisionist histories (the probably forged De la Pena's Diaries being the worst), Thirteen Days to Glory remains my sentimental favorite, the stuff that myths are made of, and fed.

I recently purchased this book after a visit to the Alamo. I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet Ms. Ragsdale. This book portrays an aspect of history that is rarely seen. Most Americans learn about the fall of the Alamo in their history classes. However, this is the first time I have had the joy to read about those who were also within the Alamo's walls, the women. These women endured a great catastrophe with honor and grace. It is quite refreshing to be given the opportunity to read about the others who participated in our country's growth and freedom. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in American History, Women's Studies or in general. It is a book that moves you and brings you to the Alamo. It helps one to read it and imagine the scenes that were occurring at that point in time. A great read!

A superb, fast paced book with excellent character development. A well thought out and researched plot that takes you through the action of a floundering oil tanker in the North Seas, middle eastern terrorism and the ins and outs of insurance fraud, with much more. EXcellent reading that keeps the reader attention throughout.