Ghostly Bugles: A Novel of the Alamo

Fast/Fiction Perfect

ââ?¬Å"Ghostly Bugles: A Novel of the Alamoââ?¬Â? is a compelling novel that looks at one of the most well-known battles in US history through the eyes of a man who is attempting to figure out the answers to questions that have haunted him for years. As you may know by now, I am a huge fan of everything that is history and I love it when a book is written that contains just the right amount of history about a certain event combined with just the right amount of fiction to make it a great story. ââ?¬Å"Ghostly Buglesââ?¬Â? is definitely one of those kinds of books.

ââ?¬Å"Ghostly Buglesââ?¬Â? is a re-creation of the battle at the Alamo, being told from a fictional perspective. The reader meets the main character, a man whom we never actually know by name; he is simply referred to throughout the story as ââ?¬Å"the old man.ââ?¬Â? This man has always been fascinated with the Alamo and has gone there again, during the time when people are trying to restore this historical place and create a tourist attraction that they hope will be visited by many. As ââ?¬Å"the old manââ?¬Â? goes from spot to spot at the site of the Alamo, he thinks back to what happened there in 1836 and can feel the presence of those who died there. As the man tours the various sites, eats his lunch, and reflects on all that happened there, the reader is given a wonderful factual history of the battle as well as a look at the present-day restoration that is going on.

As readers, we are treated to a back-and-forth look at the entire battle as the chapters switch from the present with the old man giving us a glimpse of his thoughts, feelings, and knowledge of the event back to the past and the battle itself. We also come to know many of the participants, from those we know so much about like Davy Crockett or Santa Ana, to those lesser known who lost their lives for a cause they believed in.

It is apparent from the very beginning that, although the main character was certainly not there at the battle, he knows so much about it. He is able to literally feel the pain the soldiers felt as well as the hope they had that they would win, regardless of which side of the battle they were on. Instead of focusing only on the past, the author keeps bringing readers back to the present as the main character looks at the Alamo of today and so long ago.

ââ?¬Å"Ghostly Buglesââ?¬Â? is a fascinating, very well-written story for everyone out there. If you feel that you already know everything there is to know about the Alamo, I can assure you that this book will show you that you do not. It is filled with all of the historical facts surrounding the battle, but it is so much more. It is the story of a man who is getting older and facing his own death in the years to come trying to figure out what others, people he feels he knows even though he never met them, felt at the same moment. The dialogue in the book is very well done and fits the time and situation.

If you are a history buff, then ââ?¬Å"Ghostly Buglesââ?¬Â? is definitely a book for you. Even if you are not a huge history fan, it is still a fascinating story and may make the historical fiction genre one that you end up loving as much as I do. I would highly recommend this book to all.