Time to Stand - by Walter Lord (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

On the morning of March 6, 1836, in an old abandoned mission called the Alamo, a small Texas garrison fought to the death rather than yield to an overwhelming army of Mexicans. Through the years the garrison's heroic stand has become so clothed in folklore and romance that the truth has nearly been lost. In A Time to Stand Walter Lord rediscovers and recreates the whole fascinating story. From contemporary documents, diaries, and letters, he has mined a wealth of fresh information that throws intriguing sidelights on the epic of the Alamo. What were the defenders like? Why did they take their stand? Did any escape? Did Davy Crockett surrender?

The cast of characters includes not only famous figures like Jim Bowie but unknown, unsung men: John Purdy Reynolds, the wandering Pennsylvania surgeon; George Kimball, the industrious New York hatter, Micajah Autry of Tennessee, who was a far better poet than a businessman. And then there are the Mexicans: the fabulous Santa Anna; the smooth Colonel Almonte; the forlorn private Juan Basquez, who only wanted to stay home and make shoes.

Review Quotes

"A stirring history of the Alamo's desperate times, a history of which should last."--New York Times Book Review

"An excellent combination of popular writing with careful scholarship."--Library Journal

"This book is recommended for all Texans and for all those who still believe that some things are worth dying for."--Raye Green, Texas Live

About the Author

Walter Lord is the author of such bestsellers as A Night to Remember, Day of Infamy, and The Good Years: From Nineteen Hundred to the First World War.