It seems virtually impossible for anyone outside the USA to find any form of realistic guide to the best narratives or texts on American history by Americans.
Whereas English history, French history, Russian history, etc. etc. has its recognised 'authorities', US history seems to have a collection of 'pro' tradition or 'con' tradition writings.
Walter Lord's book 'A Time To Stand' may have its detractors and its supporters but in the simplest of terms it does actually tell the story of the siege of the Alamo including the build up and the aftermath. Further reading may be a good move for in depth study but this book gets the reader into the history itself with very little forced interpretation of possible fact or rumour or political spin.
For the non-USA reader who just want to know what happened it's a must.

I was pleased to find "A Time To Stand" in print again after many years. Although I've enjoyed every book of Walter Lord's I've read, and admit that he does his homework and strives to present the historical facts, I feel his writing tends to lean to the fluff and lacks bite. The historical subjects he has chosen to cover useually contain tragedy, (The sinking of the Titanic), and violence, (Pearl Harbor), yet his prose tends to be polite and fluffy, lacking the blood and guts of the bottom line that the events actually presented themselves in. It's almost as if there is a fictional writer in Lord screaming to be set free. Yet none of this subtracts from the hard hitting, factual research that is the nut of Lords work; he never fails to present the facts as they happened.

"A Time to Stand" was the first book about the Alamo I ever read (some forty years ago). With adrenalin still pumping after seeing the John Wayne film, I was desperate to know more. Now the adrenalin pumps every time I read this great book. Though other more recent books present more updated material, most "Alamophiles" agree that Walter Lord's version is the "Holy Grail" of all Alamo publications. Any person who reads other books on this subject, but fails to read "A Time to Stand", is getting only part of the story.

As a big fan of both A NIGHT TO REMEMBER and DAY OF INFAMY, I was excited to read this one. But even as an enthusiast of WW2 History and this particular author, I found it pretty slow going. Plodding details without the candid, human elemnt Lord generally writes best. I finished the book feeling unenlightened and not particularly better informed about the events @ Dunkirk.

Much of the book tells how the British organised and executed one of the biggest rescue operation in history.Evacuation -remarkable achievment-of cornered Allied troops took a week and those seven days by far darkest days in the history of British Empire.Because trapped at Dunkirk were the cream of BEF.It included men like Brooke,Montgomery,Horrocks,Alexander who went on to command armies which retook the continent from the Nazis.But I must say author bored me with all those details regarding evacuation and it took considerable patience on my part to go through this text.Author,however,has furnished fresh insights on what is widely regarded as miracle of Dunkirk.I disagree with this notion.On May 23-24 the advance of Guderian's XIX armoured corps was abruptly halted along Aa canal.All sorts of arguments were advanced justifying the halt order.In Hitler's warped mind French armies holding out below the Somme river appeared more menacing than trapped BEF at Dunkirk.This was in consonance with German thinking France being mortal foe than Britain.By taking that line Nazi leader made Germany's defeat in World War II inevitable.This misperception regarding 'centre of gravity'of war caused Germans postpone the assault on Dunkirk.British shrewd enough to exploit reprieve and mounted biggest seaborne rescue operation.Here lies the truth and not as some British historians[Ellis,Fuller] make us understand than terrain around Dunkirk[marshy,slushy]would have impeded German attempts to seize the port.Circumstances conspired to deny the Germans ultimate truimph.

I've read several histories of the Dunkirk campaign and evacuation, this one is by far the clearest and most interesting of them. Lord tells the story so that you can see what happened, in every part of the field, to all sorts of folks. There may be accounts by military historians that give more detail on troop movements, but for sheer readability this has them all beat. Read Lord's account first, then use academic accounts to fill out the fine print if you feel you need to.

This book is the first I have read concerning the War of 1812. In this book the author covers the period from August 1814 with the British marching onto Washington. Walter Lord offers a spendid account of the fighting at Bladensburg, the burning of Washington and the subsequent campaign against the British. The use of first hand account offers a splendid insight into the people, soldiers, sailors and politicians caught up during this period of history. A well researched and finely told account of this dramatic time in America's past. An excellent story!

I have read "Dawn's Early Light" several times and have found it to be the single most readable and understandable writing on a subject that is suprisingly not well known to most American readers. Lord uses numerous primary sources- diaries, letters, and memoirs of the participants, as well as thorough research and a tightly written narrative to tell the story of the British invasion of 1814. Especially effective are his characterizations of the British and American leadership. Walter Lord has managed to convey effectively the professionalism and cockiness of the British forces and the hopelessly chaotic and desperate American defense. It reads very much like a novel.

Vivid and mysterious Lord of the Flies is one of those uncommon books which is susceptible to several levels of interpretation and analysis. It has this characteristic because it deals honestly and profoundly with human beings under stress, and because its author, William Golding, has a sympathetic and intense vision of the problems facing modern man, the varied reactions of different types of people under similar conditions, and the internal tension experienced by human beings forced to face new a difficult situations. Through its portrayals of human beings and human problems, this novel illustrated important general principles of human behavior and human relations. Lord of the flies is a thought-provoking novel. The book describes in detail the horrific exploits of a band of young children who make a striking transition from civilized to barbaric. The Lord of the Flies commands a pessimistic outlook that seems to show that man is inherently tied to society, and without it, we would likely return to savagery. Symbolism played had also played an important role in the development of story. This narrative technique was used to give a significance to certain people or objects, which represent some other figure. The following table lists many of the examples of symbolism used throughout Golding's book.

Can we really "trace the defect of society back to the defect of human nature"? This book was written in an attempt to find out. In Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows us, naked and exposed, at once innocent and corrupt, noble and cruel, and all to human. He uses symbols, theories, and ideas to help illustrate his point. For example, the female sow, represents the mother of the boys - the killing of the sow symbolizes the killing of the mother. The roles of the three main characters are different; Ralph being the ego (self knowledge), Piggy being the superego (conflict between thoughts) and Jack being the id (want). Lord of the Flies uses symbolism so well, that it is understandable, interesting to read, and catching. The writing in this book is structured so well. I was able to understand what he wrote, and I was hooked. What I liked best about this book was the clarity of it, the style of his writng and the plot of the story. His writing is also very specific. I was able to put pictures in my mind about what was being said - {Over the Island the build up of clouds continued. A steady current of heated air rose all day from the mountain and was thrust to ten thousand feet; revolving masses of gas piled up the static until the air was ready to explode}-this is an excerpt from chapter nine. It is obvious that his style of writing is excellent and should be highly acknowledged. It deserves a 5 star rating. Lord of the Flies is a wonderful, symbolic, adventure into ritual, primitivness, death, guilt, innocence, betrayal, and war. Only then, will you find the answer to the question, "can we trace the defect of society back to the defect of human nature"?

How long will it take for the mores and constraints of civilization to be eroded in a surreal, isolated jungle setting? A group of English schoolboys survive a plane crash in a post- nuclear world, to find themselves on a lush, tropical island, with no apparent dangers and even better-no adults! Sounds idyllic: no rules, no punishment, no judgment for bizarre behavior. Nor anyone to take responsibility for the "littleuns."

But social dynamics quickly emerge, as human nature is released from 12 years of training. Thoughtful Ralph is voted Chief, with bespectacled Piggy his second in command. The right to speak in council is formalized by the possession of "the Conch" shell. Is it human nature to require rules and ritual? Their critical need, of course, is to maintain a signal fire (especially the smoke) to attract a passing ship. For if there is no Hope of rescue, what will happen to this mini outbost of Britian; will they "go native?"

Rivalry increases as Jack--leader of the choir boys turned hunters--challenges Ralph's authority, gradually luring many boys to his tribe which offers disguises and promotes violence. Will Ralph realize that he needs to rely on both Piggy's logic and Simon's insight? Could a boy's game disintegrate so quickly into murder? Can Fear evolve into a hideous primitive religion? Is it necessary to create a god of sorts? A gripping tale of the immortal struggle between man's baser instincts and centuries of socialization. A grim must-read for all thinking adults, Lord of the Flies offers great adventure for kids. This is Not a CHILDREN's Classic.