FREE/BARGAIN - Non-Fiction - 2015

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by murg

Although in this case, the history was written by the losers.

Well, they--speaking of people involved in the Texas Revolution--weren't losers for very long. Just a short time (few weeks?) after that, ole Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San(?) Jacinto. That was a turning point, I think, where the Texans started defeating the Mexicans repeatedly and, eventually, of course, conquered all or most of what is today Texas and, I think, parts of several other states, too.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Well, they--speaking of people involved in the Texas Revolution--weren't losers for very long. Just a short time (few weeks?) after that, ole Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San(?) Jacinto. That was a turning point, I think, where the Texans started defeating the Mexicans repeatedly and, eventually, of course, conquered all or most of what is today Texas and, I think, parts of several other states, too.

Yes. Parts of Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico.
Yes, San Jacinto is correct.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

It's the winning side for the war that writes the history of the war, including whatever individual battles they lost.

It is the winning side whose version of what happened and why gets to be generally accepted as the truth.

As far as "writing history" is concerned, anyone can do that, and they can and do tell whatever they want to. Case in point: history textbooks in Japan which, even in this era, gloss over, omit, etc. some (many?) of the atrocities of the Japanese Imperial Army shortly before and during World War II. That's just an example, I'm not a nipponophobic.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Yes. Parts of Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico.
Yes, San Jacinto is correct.

You could be our resident expert on Texas!

[shootist]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Good question. I've downloaded the book, but haven't had a chance to read it--won't have a chance for a while. But, I'll try to skim it in the next few days.

If it is very biased, I'm not going to encourage anyone else to obtain it or even mention it to anyone. Such stuff is an embarrassment to the United States and almost literally sickens me. I mean stuff like how the American government STOLE land from the native Americans/indigenous people ("Indians"), STOLE land from the Mexicans, and STOLE land from numerous others. Not to mention that they slaughtered large numbers of the people.

As far as the Alamo is concerned (I had to look this up, I'm not this smart), it is a National Historic Landmark. The Alamo building was controlled by the state of Texas, but "In early 2015, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush officially removed control of the Alamo to the Texas General Land Office." (Wikipedia). The TGLC, from what I gather, is almost certainly a private organization.

Frankly, I'm sure that if the federal government ran it, it would be much less sympathetic to the Texas Revolution--maybe not sympathetic at all. Being run by Texans (and I'm no Texas-hater--I've posted several ebooks that encourage people to visit there, have several dear friends who are Texans, etc.--this is just the truth.), however, I can see how it would be biased in favor of it.

Unlike the Spanish, who didn't "steal" anything.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

You could be our resident expert on Texas!

And how much does this expert job pay?

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by shootist

Unlike the Spanish, who didn't "steal" anything.

Everybody has been stealing land (just like they have everything else) since time immemorial.

I happen to be an American, so I'm interested in what "we" have done and wanting to condemn wrongs that "we've" committed. If I was a Spaniard, I'd be pointing out the wrongs that they had done and be wanting to condemn them for them. The English, the English. The Portuguese, the Portuguese. The Netherlands, the Dutch. Colonial (disregarding the Nazi era for the sake of this discussion) Germany, the Germans. And so on.

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Everybody has been stealing land (just like they have everything else) since time immemorial.

I happen to be an American, so I'm interested in what "we" have done and
{...}

Not quite everyone. The usual example being the Icelanders.

[shootist]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Everybody has been stealing land (just like they have everything else) since time immemorial.

I happen to be an American, so I'm interested in what "we" have done and wanting to condemn wrongs that "we've" committed. If I was a Spaniard, I'd be pointing out the wrongs that they had done and be wanting to condemn them for them. The English, the English. The Portuguese, the Portuguese. The Netherlands, the Dutch. Colonial (disregarding the Nazi era for the sake of this discussion) Germany, the Germans. And so on.

Can we get back to posting bargain books? As interesting as your deep seeded guilt for being an American is I prefer to discuss books.

[murg]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Not quite everyone. The usual example being the Icelanders.

So, the Icelanders evolved from single cell organisms on their own island?

[Apache]

Aren't Icelanders descended from Norsemen? (i.e. Vikings) Sicily Normandy, Brittany and England being the best known examples of Norse conquests.
Apache

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by Apache

Aren't Icelanders descended from Norsemen? (i.e. Vikings) Sicily Normandy, Brittany and England being the best known examples of Norse conquests.
Apache

They all came from Norway, yes, and probably had no ethical objection to stealing land but there was no one living on Iceland at the time.

There was a legend that there were a few Irish hermits who decamped in dislike of the rowdy drunks.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Not quite everyone. The usual example being the Icelanders.

People who kill each other and make pants out of the skin don't get points for not stealing.

[koland]

a few new ones on the list: http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-...date-desc-rank

[bfisher]

Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by Dan Hampton is $CDN 1.99 today at amazon.ca
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B007HBTAP6

Ze blurb:
Action-packed and breathtakingly authentic, Viper Pilot is the electrifying memoir of one of the most decorated F-16 pilots in American history: U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hampton, who served for twenty years, flying missions in the Iraq War, the Kosovo conflict, and the first Gulf War.

Both a rare look into the elite world of fighter pilots and a thrilling first-person account of contemporary air combat, Viper Pilot soars—a true story of courage, skill, and commitment that will thrill U.S. Special Forces buffs, aviation and military history aficionados, and fans of the novels of Tom Clancy and Dale Brown.