The Raven : A Biography of Sam Houston

Rating:
Summary: A Fine Texas History Lesson
Review: A interesting Texas history lesson, this book was recommended by a local Texas historian from the Haley Library and Museum. Very enjoyable if you want more than just a history about Sam Houston, this is a Texas/Mexico history mini-lesson as well. The book tells the story of Sam Houston's life including his: Tennessee Governorship, ties to President Andrew Jackson, role as General of Armies and Malitias, tenure as President of the Republic of Texas, role as United States Senator and Governorship of the State of Texas.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and fast-paced
Review: I read this book because it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1930, but it stands with any more recently written biography. Sam Houston had a fantastically interesting life, and if you haven't read a bio of him you will be amazed. I recommend this book without reservation.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and fast-paced
Review: I read this book because it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1930, but it stands with any more recently written biography. Sam Houston had a fantastically interesting life, and if you haven't read a bio of him you will be amazed. I recommend this book without reservation.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding! One of the best books I have ever read!
Review: I've read this book twice and I'm currently working on my third time. Not only is it a supurb, extremely well-written biography of one of the most interesting men in American history, it is also a wonderful story, filled with triumph and betrayal, adventure and sadness, cowardice and courage. If this were a novel, it would be considered one of the greatest American novels of all time. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding! One of the best books I have ever read!
Review: I've read this book twice and I'm currently working on my third time. Not only is it a supurb, extremely well-written biography of one of the most interesting men in American history, it is also a wonderful story, filled with triumph and betrayal, adventure and sadness, cowardice and courage. If this were a novel, it would be considered one of the greatest American novels of all time. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

Rating:
Summary: An Intimate Biography
Review: In 1929 Marquis James published his autobiography of Sam Houston which he titled "The Raven". It reflects, favorably for me, the style of scholarly writing of the times. Mr. James, who has written of other men and events of Houston's era, writes in a manor that suggests an almost intimate knowledge of his subject. He often shares Houston's feelings and reactions which he probably picked up on through his research into his subject's personal papers. As a result, the reader is more apt to become more emotionally involved with General Houston as he or she reads "The Raven". This became somewhat of a problem for me because Sam Houston is a somewhat exasperating individual.

The Sam Houston that emerged, for me, in "The Raven" was a man of strong leadership abilities, solid loyalties, and minimal political thought. I say this last part reluctantly because Marquis James provides information that suggests that he was a very capable governor. However, there seem to be few issues that come up during Houston's various tenures in the US House and Senate. There were the issues of Texas, the Union, and his close friends; the Chreokees. There is little, if anything, on Houston's opinions concerning the National Bank, trade issues, interstate commerce or other important subjects of the day. Indeed, we get images of a bored Senator Houston whittling away (literally) his time in the US Senate. There is, however, plenty about Houston the leader whether it be on the field of battle or the state house. He was and remains a most impressive figure in the history of the United States of America. Much of what I had heard about the man was fleshed out in "The Raven" in a satisfactory manner.

The major events are dealt with appropriately. For example, we don't get half of the book devoted to the Battle of San Jacinto. In fact, we get only a brief message of the Alamo but enough of San Jacinto to know what happened and how it affected both Houstan and Texas. Indeed, the greatest attention seems to have been given to Houston's failed first marriage. It ended with neither party talking about the cause of the split. The author seemed intent on uncovering the real cause and had us revisiting his first wife periodically through her life after Houston.

Marquis James did have an interesting mystery that he introduced to us early in the book. It had to do with a gift from Houston's mother to him when he was young. I had forgotten all about it until it showed up again at the end of the book; an appropriate message at an appropriate place.

I learned a lot about Sam Houston from reading this book and I am glad I did. There is plenty of Texas in here as there should be. There is also plenty of Tennessee, Washington DC, Andrew Jackson, Santa Ana, Cherokee Indians, and, as I alluded to early, the first Mrs. Houston (the second Mrs. Houston seemed to exist solely for producing offspring and writing letters). If Sam Houston is your hero, this is your book. If not then this is still an excellent biography.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on life of Sam Houston
Review: Marquis James shows why he won more than one Nobel prize for historical writing. In this book he takes you through the entire life of Sam Houston, giving the reader an insight on the events of Houston's earlier life that shaped his actions in the founding of the Texas Republic. Until reading this book, I had no idea just how important Sam Houston was to the history of not just Texas, but the entire United States.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on life of Sam Houston
Review: Marquis James shows why he won more than one Nobel prize for historical writing. In this book he takes you through the entire life of Sam Houston, giving the reader an insight on the events of Houston's earlier life that shaped his actions in the founding of the Texas Republic. Until reading this book, I had no idea just how important Sam Houston was to the history of not just Texas, but the entire United States.