The Blood of Heroes: The 13-Day Struggle for the Alamo - and the Sacrifice That Forged a Nation Audible Audiobook – Unabridged James Donovan (Author, Narrator), Hachette Audio (Publisher) (Hachette Audio)

My son gave me this audio book after he finished listening it. I wasn't sure what to think. I lived in Texas for six years, and I love the state and the people who live there. Texas is truly unique. I now live in Colorado, but I still miss Texas. I visited The Alamo several years ago, and was struck with how small it is. Granted, much of it has been torn down, and the area around it is populated by less-than-historic businesses. It seems like an afterthought now, and it is sad to me that it has been relegated to this stature.

I never really knew much more about The Alamo and the heroes who died there besides the fact that David Crockett met his fate in that shrine. This book was hard to read in many respects. It's not meant to be a fun read. It's meant to be a detailed account of the people who died fighting insurmountable odds for a cause in which they believed. And those heroes were an inspiration to an entire nation.The Blood of Heroes is the gripping and definitive chronicle of the iconic battle that inspired a nation - a sweeping saga of 200 brave Americans who stood tall against an overwhelmingly superior Mexican force. On February 23, 1836, a Mexican army thousands of soldiers strong attacked a group of roughly 200 Americans holed up in an abandoned mission just east of San Antonio, Texas. For nearly two weeks, the massive force lay siege to the makeshift fort, spraying its occupants with unremitting waves of musket and cannon fire. Then, on March 6th, at 5:30 A.M., the Mexican troops unleashed a final devastating assault: divided into four columns, they rushed into the Alamo and commenced a deadly hand-to-hand fight. The Americans, despite being hugely outnumbered, fought valiantly - for themselves and for a division of an independent Texas. In the end, they were all slaughtered.

Drawing upon newly available primary sources, The Blood of Heroes is the definitive account of this epic battle. Populated by larger-than-life characters - including Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis - it is a dynamic story of courage, sacrifice, and redemption.

Reading of the sometimes graphic descriptions of the deaths of these men was not easy. But to know that they stood strong and died strong in their belief is something that I will never forget. For those of you who are looking for some kind of historical novel, this is not it. It doesn't weave novelistic events into history. Instead, it brings to life the people who lived it, not as mere "characters" in a story, but as living, breathing men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country and the freedoms we enjoy. Women? Yes...their sacrifice was in supporting their loved ones and having to deal with the horror of their deaths.

This book is meticulously researched, and yet written in a style that is easy to follow. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the true story of The Alamo without the myths.