Most Americans know the story of the Battle of the Alamo as the iconic stand led by Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Barret Travis, and other rebels who gallantly fought for independence from Mexico, losing the battle but setting Texas up to win the war.
It is an origin story that has become the beating heart of Texas exceptionalism. The legend is also an American touchstone, a symbol of national resolve. But our next guest, Chris Tomlinson, says that version of events owes more to fantasy than reality.
The new book "Forget The Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth" takes a look at the Alamo myth, its creation and its stubborn endurance—from the historic battle to the present day.
Chris Tomlinson is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News and the author of the New York Times-bestselling "Tomlinson Hill" about his family's slave-owning history in Texas.