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Rating: 
Summary: Story of a Plain Man who inspite of Setbacks Rises Again
Review: From a hero from Horseshoe Bend fighting against the Creeks, Houston emerges as a disciple of "Old Hickory" eventually becoming the governor of Tennessee. Although successful, during a run at re-election, the battle scared Houston marries a much younger and indulgent woman who from the honeymoon night on rejects Houston, which captures wide spread press and ruins his political career causing him to amazingly exile himself amongst the Cherokee. With bouts of alcohol, remarriage and political representation of the Cherokee, Houston is seemingly rescued by Jackson and motivated to immigrate to Texas. The author gives a very good representation of a successful man who shows great promise particularly his ability to communicate with the common folk yet he has serious personal liabilities. Houston becomes active in Texas politics but the fascinating story of Houston is his command of Texas forces fighting Santa Anna. Houston orders Travis and Bowie to abandon the Alamo due to Santa Anna's large army and heavy cannon preferring to fight with mobility in the field. They refuse and become famous but suffer complete loss. However, Houston's tactics prove effective as he attains victory over Anna. Again active in politics, Houston stubbornly refuses to support secession while governor and is a pariah among his fellow Texans. Interesting story of a humble man who lived in such plain dwellings with dog runs in Texas. Very much a worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: Story of a Plain Man who inspite of Setbacks Rises Again
Review: From a hero from Horseshoe Bend fighting against the Creeks, Houston emerges as a disciple of "Old Hickory" eventually becoming the governor of Tennessee. Although successful, during a run at re-election, the battle scared Houston marries a much younger and indulgent woman who from the honeymoon night on rejects Houston, which captures wide spread press and ruins his political career causing him to amazingly exile himself amongst the Cherokee. With bouts of alcohol, remarriage and political representation of the Cherokee, Houston is seemingly rescued by Jackson and motivated to immigrate to Texas. The author gives a very good representation of a successful man who shows great promise particularly his ability to communicate with the common folk yet he has serious personal liabilities. Houston becomes active in Texas politics but the fascinating story of Houston is his command of Texas forces fighting Santa Anna. Houston orders Travis and Bowie to abandon the Alamo due to Santa Anna's large army and heavy cannon preferring to fight with mobility in the field. They refuse and become famous but suffer complete loss. However, Houston's tactics prove effective as he attains victory over Anna. Again active in politics, Houston stubbornly refuses to support secession while governor and is a pariah among his fellow Texans. Interesting story of a humble man who lived in such plain dwellings with dog runs in Texas. Very much a worthwhile read.
Rating: 
Summary: This is Houston and Texas at it's best, a good book.
Review: I could not put this book down! I like ol' Sam Houston. Being a member of the Masonic Order as was Houston and knowing that Sam Houston was a big factor in the forming of the Grand Lodge of Texas, I wish Mr. DeBruhl had visitied the Republic of Texas Room in the Grand Lodge of Texas Museum in Waco, Texas. I live in Nacogdoches, Texas and work only a few steps from were Sam Houston lived and across the street from were the Old Stone Fort once was. You can look East and see the house were Anna Raguet lived. Across the street was the office of Thomas J. Rusk. This book came real close to home for me, I liked it.
Rating:
Summary: Good Biography of Sam Houston
Review: This book captures Sam Houston quite well. It is much better than John Hoyt Williams' Sam Houston, published around the same time. Houston was the George Washington of Texas: commander-in-chief of the Texan army when Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto, first president of the Republic of Texas, governor when Texas became a state. Houston had a theatrical flair and obviously succeeded in becoming a larger-than-life historical giant.As impressive as his historical achievements were, what makes Houston fascinating to me are two things. First was the fact that he ran away from home at age 16 to live with a band of Cherokees. He was adopted by the chief of the tribe, who gave him the name Kalanu, or "The Raven." Houston left the tribe when he was 19, but returned to live with the tribe on other occasions when he was fleeing white civilization, most notably when he returned 20 years later and married Tiana (or Diana), a prominent member of the tribe. A fascinating novel about Tiana and her relationship with Houston is Walk In My Soul, by Lucia St. Clair Robson. A second fascinating aspect of Houston's life was his relationship with Eliza Allen, a white woman Houston married in 1829. The marriage lasted only a few months, at which time Allen fled Houston to return home to her parents. Neither she nor Houston ever revealed the reason for their breakup, but it destroyed Houston's political career in Tennessee, led directly to his going back to live with the Cherokees and marry Tiana, and eventually to his going to Texas. Elizabeth Crook's novel, "The Raven's Bride," is a compelling speculative account of what might have happened. Sword of San Jacinto is a good, readable overview of the life of one of the most fascinating characters in American history.
Rating:
Summary: Good Biography of Sam Houston
Review: This book captures Sam Houston quite well. It is much better than John Hoyt Williams' Sam Houston, published around the same time. Houston was the George Washington of Texas: commander-in-chief of the Texan army when Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto, first president of the Republic of Texas, governor when Texas became a state. Houston had a theatrical flair and obviously succeeded in becoming a larger-than-life historical giant. As impressive as his historical achievements were, what makes Houston fascinating to me are two things. First was the fact that he ran away from home at age 16 to live with a band of Cherokees. He was adopted by the chief of the tribe, who gave him the name Kalanu, or "The Raven." Houston left the tribe when he was 19, but returned to live with the tribe on other occasions when he was fleeing white civilization, most notably when he returned 20 years later and married Tiana (or Diana), a prominent member of the tribe. A fascinating novel about Tiana and her relationship with Houston is Walk In My Soul, by Lucia St. Clair Robson. A second fascinating aspect of Houston's life was his relationship with Eliza Allen, a white woman Houston married in 1829. The marriage lasted only a few months, at which time Allen fled Houston to return home to her parents. Neither she nor Houston ever revealed the reason for their breakup, but it destroyed Houston's political career in Tennessee, led directly to his going back to live with the Cherokees and marry Tiana, and eventually to his going to Texas. Elizabeth Crook's novel, "The Raven's Bride," is a compelling speculative account of what might have happened. Sword of San Jacinto is a good, readable overview of the life of one of the most fascinating characters in American history.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointingly superficial
Review: This quick and easy read is an entertaining biography of an entertaining and important man. But I finished it feeling we had glossed over the surface of General Sam without really getting under his skin. This was a decent introduction to the man and his times, but the serious student will be left wanting more.
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