The book is set up as a series of accounts from numerous sources. Some are verified accounts and others are third-party accounts.

The oldest discovered accounts are at the front of the book and the newest discovered accounts are at the back. As you might imagine "history" changes over time so that the older accounts tend to be believed while the newer ones are mostly fiction.

Unfortunately this makes the reading after about a hundred pages irrelevant as the author believes the latter accounts to be false, which makes me wonder why I would want to read those accounts at all.

The other aspect is there is no summary of all the accounts to give a clear picture of what really happened. I know that the author's intent was to be unbiased, but he could give the accounts then make a summary based on his investigations. This would wrap up many loose ends, which would make the book complete.

What's most obvious, by its nature, can easily escape our attention. It may therefore be worth noting that the Alamo events of 1836 are long beyond the recall of any person alive today. Theoretically, there might now be some living centenarian whose grandfather could have known James Bowie, or at least been in his presence and spoken with him - but this is conceptual, and though conjecture is fruitless it's still fascinating. We can't talk with the defenders who perished at the Alamo or with the non-combatants who survived it, some of whom actually lived into the 20th century - but in this book by Bill Groneman, EYEWITNESS TO THE ALAMO, they operatively speak to us, if not in the literal sense, then surely effectively.

Gathering information is only one facet of a researcher's work. Finding what he seeks is one of the more time-consuming features of his job. What distinguishes this book from most others is its efficiency: it presents information which apparently can't be found elsewhere in a single book, thereby saving time and effort for both the historian and the knowledgeable reader.

By their immediacy, the accounts presented here - many first-person Alamo reports by those who were there - are as insightful as the very concept of offering them in one self-contained volume. Theoretically many could have compiled such a book, but no-one else did it. This collection of accounts can be a conspicuous blessing to those interested in Western history generally, in Texas history specifically, and in the Alamo in particular.

It seems no adobe brick was left unturned in the research for this work. It is, in a very real sense, a treasury of material taken wherever possible from primary sources. While the reports themselves sometimes contradict those of others - people witness events through their own eyes and relate them from viewpoints tinted by their own experience - we're offered accounts of Alamo events from those very people who endured them. Effectively there's no substitute for this.

This book also offers a balance many others don't: reports from both the American and Mexican sides. Some of the accounts were written down or told to others long after the siege, but those who were there were by definition closer to the scene than those who weren't. The collective discrepancies in their reports (people are in fact human) prevent us from knowing "precisely" what happened at the Alamo in 1836, but that these accounts were offered by those who literally lived through the events gives us not only a more immediate picture, but perhaps more importantly, bottom-line details. If the aggregate details don't resolve conjectures or provide explanations to unanswered (or unanswerable) questions, they are still details which shed more light on what transpired there more than a century and a half ago.

While other historians compile and try to present an amalgam of data, Groneman takes us into a courtroom and displays primary evidence unsullied by legendary gloss, the ghosts of myth, and the passage of 16 decades. He places before us, devoid of cosmetic veneer, the raw material from which we can form our own opinions and draw our own conclusions.

Walter Lord, author of A NIGHT TO REMEMBER and A TIME TO STAND, wrote about another Groneman book, ALAMO DEFENDERS, "...an indispensable tool for anyone working on the Alamo... I wish I had it when I was doing my research" - an ultimate compliment, and the same sentiment can be applied to EYEWITNESS TO THE ALAMO. Interested in the Alamo? Get this book. Have no interest in the Alamo? This book can get you interested.

JEFFREY DANE

By compiling all known first-hand accounts of the siege of the Alamo (including some with a debatable authenticity, duly noted by the author), Bill Groneman has produced an excellent, handy resource for studying this famous incident. Going back to the original sources is always the best way to gain a sense of what really happened, and "Eyewitness to the Alamo" lets the reader do this with a minimum of trouble. Groneman's comments about the various source documents are a helpful guide to their reliability, although of course not everyone would necessarily agree with his every assessment (I have particularly in mind the De la Pena "Diary"). This book makes a great companion to Alan Huffines "Blood of Noble Men" in which Huffines arranges excerpts from many of these accounts into chronological order to tell the Alamo story.

This book Graven Images was good! In this book there are three stories. My favorite story out of all of these is the "Binnacle Boy". The "Binncle Boy" is about a boy who dies in a ship reck. There are not alot of pictures in my book but I still thought it was a good book.

The 3 stories were all connected in some way. But they are also very diferent,too The author puts a twist at the end.

This book was a pleasure to read. It was easy to understand. There was no violence and it had many morals we can all use. For example "don't be 'nitpickey' about things.

This page is about a book by, among others, "Paul" Furlong. I haven't read it, but neither did any of the other so called "Reviewers." Instead, we get gushing statements in praise of the actor, "Edward" Furlong. Now I like Eddie, but wake up folks: this book is not about him! Amazon should exercise some supervision and delete reviews that are obviously inappropriate, including this one.

The book, great. But you other reveiwers makee me sick! You're raving on andd on about how much you LOVE a guy you haven't met! YOU CAN'T TRULY LOVE SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW! You groupies are saying howEddie is so hot. And he is, but there's more to a person than their looks. Sure, I would like to meet the one who made my heart soar when I watched those movies (I even saw Home of our own In french

edward furlong is the hottest actor in the world. he shall be mine. and this book was so good. he's so cute. he's the best actor in the whole world and he shall be my husband. thank you for reading this. and that other chick who reviewed this book should hide.

Paul Chudecki has filled this small book with just about everything anyone that is either an owner of , or just interested in , the V8 engined range of Aston Martin Lagondas. He covers the development and racing heritage with a wealth of illustrations and pictures of many wonderful examples of the marques , many of them quite unique . The thirteen chapters and six appendices cover every aspect of the various marques that the V8 engine was fitted to including the DBS & Vantages , Lagondas and even the Zagato & Bulldog specials and prototypes. He has a vast repository of information to pass on and manages it superbly in this concise and well laid out book , even managing a chapter advising on the points to look for when buying and a complete reference on chassis and engine numbers for easy identification of any model found ! I found this book to be both informative as well as very absorbing as the information is given in a very easy flowing style with no lapses into geek speak.

Well worth the money either as a definative reference book or a fascinating coffee table quick read .

Despite its relative age, the quality of this book means that much of its content still holds good. The format of individual authorities writing chapters on their own specialism nicely combines the best of expertise with variety. Subjects range from analytical techniques (developing inferences,tape recorded conversations, telephone records, and particularly unique chapters on Network Analysis), to practical workplace issues like data collection and analysis, report writing, and the Intelligence Function in general. Each of the authors is well recognised and respected within the field, and the content of the book is still not repeated elsewhere in quite the same way. A good introduction to many aspects of the field and the profession, with other good references and links built-in.

The Eye - Principles and Applications, was found to be an essential tool. Forrester aims (and succeeds) to inform in detail everything a first year university student needs to know about the eye. This is the beauty of the book: It doesn't skim over anything. When you're looking for a book to give more than a general overview, but don't need the complexity a post-graduate may, a book such as this is perfect. The only valid criticism may be that the included diagrams were erratic: some were perfectly presented, but others, whilst correct, were sometimes confusing, especially for students. Overall, a useful book for research and reference.

Arriving on shelves over twenty years ago, this collaborative work by Paul B. Ryan and Thomas A. Bailey is a comprehensive, in depth reference. Although lean on illustrations, it is full of important information on the many controversies surrounding the loss of the LUSITANIA in 1915. Conspiracy theorists beware: here is undisputable evidence that the sinking of the LUSITANIA was not the result of a setup. For anyone who wants the truth behind the LUSITANIA disaster, here it is - time tested and proven.

I am a diag-rad resident. This was a recommendation from my program director, you cannot go wrong with this.

This is one of the most best illstrated books i've ever read. The detail of the photos makes it a great book, if you like to look at the pictures. There is plenty of information and lots of interesting facts. For someone who wants to get a close look down a throat of a Great White this book has the photos for you. I highly recomend this book for people with sharks on the brain.

I found the cover of the Paperback version somewhat misleading,
claiming that the title character was hiding a "Terrible secret" and that society would be "shocked and hurt" by the revelations.
This was definitely a serious book, but Not the heavy mystery which the publisher (Bantam Starfire) proclaimed. The story is both humorous and pathetic--well worth reading, especially for
high school kids, who can relate to superficial conversations and disintegrating relationships with their parents.

Two sophomores who are misfits in some ways team up to play telephone pranks, which is how they meet Angelo Pignati (who
does not raise pigs). What starts out as a loony, harmless,scam changes into an important and fulfilling relationship for the three of them. One where it is safe and OK to do silly things--like roller skate through a department store--just for the the sheer joy of being alive and enjoying each other's wacky company. Emotionally-constricted at home, both John and Lorraine find exhilaration in the total acceptance of their personalities without criticism, reveling in this unexpected personal freedom.

Unfortunately they revel too much in the home of the Pigman (their private but respectful name for this gentle soul), who has been both liberal and trusting with his hospitality. The teenagers realize too late that things can go too far, when their adult friend pays the price for their selfishness and excess. This kindly middle-aged man helped set them free from social bondage--free to be themselves, accepted just as they are, but was the price too high for them all? Since when is Freedom really free? Liberty carried to extremes is License. A thoughtful read.

In my opinion the Pigman is a very sad book that could bring out strong emotion from any reader. This is not one of the books I would normally read but it did impress me. In my view the writers style was a little hard to follow in this book. John and Lorraine were actually writing the book, so either John or Lorraine writes one chapter and then the other person writes the following chapter. Sometimes it gets confusing because John for example , might think of something Lorraine left out in her chapter, so John inserts that later in the story. I would recommend "The Pigman" to young teenagers who enjoy reading emotional books. Someone who loves to read science-fiction novels and action stories would not like this book.

Two "social outcast" students get to know a lonely old man while playing a phone game with her friends. As it was just a joke to visit him at the beginning, his house becomes a second home and he himself kind of a grand-father for them. Their friendship gets deeper an deeper, until something horrible happens...

The book "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel is a great description about friendship between young and old and between boy and girl. Although the two different narrators who take turn with each chapter might be a bit confusing at the beginning, the style of writing is very good. The reader can identify with the main characters and does not lose interest in reading the book as there are always included little things that make him keep on reading. Moreover, the author describes precisely the family lives of the three main characters. In my opinion "The Pigman" is a really good book with which many people can identify and which is not too difficult to read as even non-native speakers are able to understand it.