Brian Kilmeade takes readers on a “fast-paced, Western-style action” telling of the Alamo battle and the decisive victory of the Texas rebels at San Jacincto. It’s an exciting read, but one that leaves out some important details.

One of the main grievances of the Texicans was that Mexico outlawed slavery in 1829; American settlers were intent on bringing their chattel into the province. The Texas rebellion, as Kilmeade notes, “paved the way for America’s growth”, but that growth put the Texas on a collision with Mexico, leading to the Mexican War (1846) and heightening the conflict over slavery in the US.