Battleground B?xar: The 1835 Siege of San Antonio

A Triumph

The new book 'Battleground Bexar' is a triumph of rich historical discovery. Any historian, amateur or professional, and any one with an interest in not only Texas history, but in American history as well will cherish the experience inside its pages. In this work author Richard Curilla accomplishes, and very well I wish to strongly say, many missions. The first is that after well over one hundred and fifty years of (one hundred and twenty of those being under the influence of the boom of global publishing and the movies) Remember the Alamo! ... Remember the Alamo! becoming deeply imbedded into the American, and even international vernacular, and mind set, Mr. Curilla yells with an authoritarian voice, Hault! ... there's much more to the story, and it is worth knowing. Furthermore, Curilla teaches his reader that there are names involved in the history of Texas other than Houston, Bowie, Travis, and Crockett, and that these names carry with them absolutely great, if not even greater, heroism than the former mentioned.
Another important mission that Mr. Curilla accomplishes is that by telling the story of events that occurred prior to the story of the fall of the Alamo he sheds light on the question many Americans have, which is that under our goals of "Manifest Destiny" didn't we really steal Tejas from Mexico? Without answering that question directly Curilla explains that the answer is no. He does this by telling a story that details many of the intricacies and complexities that were involved in the Texas independence movement. One of the truly outstanding features of this book is the amount of detailed research given in less than 200 pages. The author's use of illustrations of military placement and maps is a brilliant addition to the work. However, the best part of Curilla's research is his use of direct quotes from the many players of this intriguing story.
Another fascinating portion of the book is what we learn about the author himself. Due to books, and films, and mythical portrayals of Texas heroes by those such as Fess Parker, John Wayne and others Curilla became enamored with Texas history as a young lad. He went on to work in the film industry as an actor, set locator, and eventually as a technical historical advisor on feature movies and documentaries dealing with Texas history and the Old American West. However during all of those years Curilla was honing his art and craft as an historian. So I must say, getting back to the book and based on it, as a professional degreed historian myself, considering his talents as a writer, and relentless diligence as a researcher displayed in 'Battleground Bexar' I consider Mr. Curilla in with the best historians I have encountered.
In closing I want to say a bit more on this author as a writer. Though this book is zeroing in on a very specific subject matter that is a part of a vast tempest of much larger epic. Mr. Curilla accomplishes something amazing. He manages to relay the feelings within the hearts and minds of many of the key people involved in this chronicle without being too general which would lead to vagueness, nor is he too specific that it becomes a tedious effort for the reader.
He also manages somehow, between the lines, without a direct mention, to remind us that this is an American story, and that Texas is the only one of its fifty states that shares a parallel with America herself, having been a country on its own, and founded also through revolution from a tyrannical dictator. Without any mention of their names the reader can feel a haunting from men such as Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Washington. Mr. Curilla accomplishes this feat primarily through his delicate and precise presentation of Stephen Austin, the father of Texas. I will leave you the potential reader, with this last thought. There is a line in the great John Ford western 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' ... "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." This recognizes probably the most difficult challenge the current writer of history faces today in our post modern world. The legends are seen as more exciting. However, in this work through his understanding of the attraction for the reader of enthralling tension, the perfect speed of the pace of the story, and the undaunted heroism of real people, Richard Curilla gives his readers the facts, but with the excitement, thrills, and entertainment of the legends.
I hope my few words will encourage all who read this review to delve into the adventure of 'Battleground Bexar ...The 1835 Siege of San Antonio' a book I enjoyed immensely. Thank You