“We have to forget the Alamo myths to remember the historic Alamo properly.” A Conversation with Forget the Alamo authors Bryan Burrough&Chris Tomlinson - a podcast by LBJ Foundation

The legend of the battle of the Alamo is not only an intrinsic part of Texas lore but is enshrined in the American imagination—a band of fiery rebels fighting for independence who die as martyrs in the cause of liberty. But a new book, “Forget the Alamo!” argues that the Alamo myth is just that—an allegory that tells us what we want to believe about the Alamo, but not what actually happened. 

 

Written by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford, “Forget the Alamo!” has not been without its critics. A recent event at the Bullock Texas State History Museum was cancelled hours beforehand by Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who called it a “fact-free rewriting of Texas history.” 

 

Guest host LBJ Library Director Mark Lawrence talks to two of the book’s authors—Bryan Burrough and Chris Tomlinson—about what history really says about the Battle of the Alamo and why the myth that so many want to preserve has endured so long.

Further episodes of With the Bark Off: Conversations on the American Presidency

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Website of LBJ Foundation