Thoughts on Lincoln's Flying Spies: Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps by Gail Jarrow

Having never heard of the Civil War Balloon Corps, I was curious to read this title. Thaddeus Lowe petitioned Abraham Lincoln and the various Generals of the Army of the Potomac to hire him (and his balloons) to scout and identify the position and numbers of the Confederate Army. Jarrow tells of the trials and triumphs of Lowe's quest -- which generals supported and which didn't.

I enjoyed the various photographs and illustrations in the book, but I just wish there had been a little bit of color. I know the photographs had to be black and white, but I think some color could have been included somewhere! There is a great deal of information presented to the reader, and some may find it difficult to comprehend it all. I found the story, while a fascinating subject, dully written. I doubt if any, except the avid Civil War buff will bother to read it. Still, it could be useful for use with a research project on this topic. C+ rating.

Texas Turns 175!

By Bonnieblue.png via Wikimedia Commons

 

• 175 years ago, Texians took a giant step in forming the Republic of Texas. On March 2, 1836, the delegates attending the Convention of 1836 in Washington-on-the-Brazos adopted the Texas Declaration of Independence. At the same time, Mexican leader, Santa Anna, was leading the siege of the Alamo, which eventually fell on March 6.

• The Texas State Library & Archives will have the Texas Declaration of Independence and the William B. Travis letter from the Alamo on display in Austin until April 21. If you get a chance to make the trip, you should take the opportunity to view these rare documents. You will be one of a small group of people to actually see these items! For more information see - Texas State Library & Archives.

• The AMS library has many books on the Texas War for Independence and the Republic of Texas. Some that I found interesting:

The Texas War of Independence 

by Richard Worth

Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, c2009

This book tells the story of the Texas War of Independence and the Mexican War from the viewpoint of Mexican Americans. The efforts of Mexicans to preserve their empire in the southwest against a large migration of Anglo settlers who believed they were fulfilling the Manifest Destiny of the United States are detailed here. At First, the clash between Anglos and Mexicans led to the independence of Texas. Finally, it resulted in the U.S. invasion of Mexico and the takeover of the southwest, which became part of the United States.

 13 Days to Glory : the Siege of the Alamo 

by Lon Tinkle

Texas A&M University Press, c1985

A day-to-day chronological investigation of the siege of the Alamo in 1836, discussing the circumstances that led each person to be inside the abandoned mission during the battle that claimed the life of frontiersman Davy Crockett.

•  Some of my favorite web resources on Texas History are:
•  The Handbook of Texas Online
• Texas Treasures | Texas State Library & Archives 
• Lone Star Junction : A Texas and Texas History Resource
• The Alamo 
• Texas Independence 

What are some of your favorite books or resources on Texas History?