Search results for ""author stephen l hardin""

This book describes the development of the Texas Rangers, from their beginnings in the early 1820s as an irregular force designed to combat the Comanche raids on settlers in Mexican-governed Texas. They played a major part in the fight for independence and in the early history of the Republic, fighting both the Mexicans and the Indian raiders. After Texas joined the Union, the Rangers fought alongside US regulars in the resulting war. As time moved on and the Indians and Mexicans became less of a threat, so they were replaced by new enemies. The Rangers now had a vital role to play in the taming of the West, facing adversaries such as the infamous John Wesley Harding. They have since been called to deal with rustlers, bootleggers and bandits and have developed into a modern and professional law enforcement organization.

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Winner, T. R. Fehrenbach Book Award, Texas Historical Commission Summerfield G. Roberts Award, Sons of the Republic of Texas Honorable Mention, Certificate of Commendation, American Association for State and Local HistoryHardly were the last shots fired at the Alamo before the Texas Revolution entered the realm of myth and controversy. French visitor Frederic Gaillardet called it a "Texian Iliad" in 1839, while American Theodore Sedgwick pronounced the war and its resulting legends "almost burlesque."In this highly readable history, Stephen L. Hardin discovers more than a little truth in both of those views. Drawing on many original Texan and Mexican sources and on-site inspections of almost every battlefield, he offers the first complete military history of the Revolution. From the war's opening in the "Come and Take It" incident at Gonzales to the capture of General Santa Anna at San Jacinto, Hardin clearly describes the strategy and tactics of each side. His research yields new knowledge of the actions of famous Texan and Mexican leaders, as well as fascinating descriptions of battle and camp life from the ordinary soldier's point of view.This award-winning book belongs on the bookshelf of everyone interested in Texas or military history.

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