Winders, historian and curator of the Alamo, delves into the historical, political, and military context of the Texans' struggle for independence to explain why the men were at the Alamo in the first place. He shows how the Texan victories of 1835 created discord among rebel leaders as various factions strove to direct the revolution to meet their own goals, and concludes that in-fighting among the revolutionary leadership doomed the Alamo garrison. B&w illustrations and maps are included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)