Hardly 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 new, 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 in-depth coverage reveals the gallantry displayed by individuals on both sides of the conflict, as well as the atrocities of war. Most of all, it provides a balanced view of the Revolution that fairly assesses the conduct of both Texans and Mexicans. Texian Iliad belongs on the bookshelf of everyone interested in Texas or military history, as well as of general readers who want the facts behind the legends.

Lust for Glory: An Epic Story of Early Texas and the Sacrifice That Defined a Nation is a concise, reader friendly depiction of the "Heroic Age" of Texas history. Employing short, episodic chapters, it explores the twenty-five years between 1821 and 1846. Certainly one of the most eventful eras, it included Mexican independence, Anglo-American settlement, the "Come-and-Take-It fight, battle of the Alamo, Goliad Massacre, victory at San Jacinto, and the decade of the Texas Republic that culminated in statehood. Extraordinary figures like Stephen F. Austin, William Barret Travis, Sam Houston, and his long-suffering wife, Margaret, come alive on the page. Although Dr. Hardin's narrative reads like a contemporary page turner, all is carefully documented. Skillfully conceived and masterfully written, Lust for Glory flows with a style as passionate and exuberant as the place and the people it describes.