Includes a CD featuring Alamo music from the 1800s to the present!
From the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, October 2009:
"To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about reading this book. The glossy cover desgn, the opening commentaries by celebrities Fess Parker and Phil Collins, and the central theme—the music of the Alamo—had me concerned that this publication might be mosly fluff, suitable as a souvenir for tourists visiting the Alamo gift shp but not much more than that. I am pleased to say that I was wrong. Very wrong.
It is not that this is not an attractive, readable book that can be enjoyed by anyone, historian or casual reader. It is. The images are impressive, the layout is well conceived, and the music CD included in the back cover sleeve provide a nice, broad sampling of music associated with the Alamo. This is an accessible, engaging, entertaining work that anyone with an interest in Texas history and culture would find rewarding.
However, Music of the Alamo is also impressive in terms of its scholarship. It is not inteded to be an exhaustive academic examination of the topic, so it is no laden with abstract historiographical arguments or extensive footnoting, but it is fairy well documented, and it does include a thoughtful, rather in-depth discussion of the many social, cultural, and political issues that helped shape the current mythology surrounding the state's most famous historical shrine.
Rather than focusing primarily on the brave deeds of Davy Crockett, William Travis, and others, as so many books about the Alamo have done, Chemerka and Wiener provide a very balanced account of the well-known battle and the subsequent mythology by candidly addressing such thorny issues as racism, ethnic stereotyping, and hero worship. The authors do a good job of affording due respect to the Alamo and its defenders while still pointing out that much of the popular music associated with this famous site has been manufactured by those seeking to glorify the dead as martyrs or simply to turn a profit.
Music is, after all, the book's main theme, and Chemerka and Wiener present a wide variety of song samples, ranging from the Civil War era to the present, which illustrate how the Alamo and some of its more prominent defenders (most notably Davy Crockett) have been celebrated throught the world. Music of the Alamo includes sheet music, movie posters, photos of Alamo-related merchandise, and a number of other images that help explain just how central music has been to the evolution and perpetuation of the Alamo myth. It also includes an extensive bibliography and discography that help guide the reader to additional sources of information.
All in all, this is a well-researched, well-written, and beautifully designed book that will be enjoyed by almost anyone interested in Texas music history." — Gary Hartman, Southwestern Historical Quarterly, October 2009
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The story of the famous siege and battle of the Alamo has been told in prose, poetry, art, film, and staged productions for over 170 years. And it has been told in song. For 13 days in 1836, a small band of Texian and Tejano defenders, including Davy Crockett, William B. Travis, and Jim Bowie, stood their ground inside the Alamo against an overwhelming Mexican force. The valiant struggle of the gallant garrison would resonate from sea to shining sea in the decades that followed.
From 19th century folk ballads, minstrel show tunes and orchestral marches to recent pop chart hits, children's songs, theatrical productions and big-screen film scores, every generation has heard melodies that helped them "Remember the Alamo!" Music of the Alamo traces the many and varied musical interpretations of the Alamo and its heroes, and illuminates various periods of American musical history.
Music of the Alamo: From 19th Century Ballads to Big-Screen Soundtracks traces the musical history of the Alamo and offers the only complete discography and detailed title list of written or recorded songs about the Shrine of Texas Liberty. WILLIAM CHEMERKA is the founder of The Alamo Society and has edited the organization's quarterly, The Alamo Journal, since 1986. He has appeared on The History Channel as an on-camera consultant in productions including The Real West: The Battle of the Alamo; Live from Austin: Davy Crockett; and Wild West Tech: The Alamo, among others. Texas Monthly calls Chemerka "the Google of Alamo Buffs." ALLEN WIENER is the author of The Beatles: The Ultimate Recording Guide. |
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