Ron Rozelle

Ron Rozelle's "Exiled: The Last Days of Sam Houston" is a gem, and I hope the book is not as under-appreciated as its subject, the great Sam Houston.

Today, Sam Houston, is almost forgotten - even in Texas - and that is a crime. Think about it: Sam Houston led the army that significantly changed American history by defeating Mexico's General Santa Ana, thereby turning Texas into the Republic of Texas, he was twice president of that republic, twice a U.S. senator after Texas became part of the show more Union, and at the very end of his political career, he served as governor of the state he was so instrumental in creating. Also, he is the only person in United States history who served as the governor of two different states, having first served as the governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.

I have been an admirer of Sam Houston since I was a child (a long, long time ago), and I'm surprised at how much I learned about the man and his family from "Exiled." It helps, I suppose, that I live in the General's old stomping grounds (in what is a north Houston suburb), and that I'm within 50 miles of Huntsville, the town in which Houston's family spent so many years while he was seeing to his senatorial duties in Washington. Huntsville is also where Houston died and is buried, and it is the home of a wonderful little museum that includes both the longtime family home and the home in which Houston died in 1863 (he died downstairs and his funeral was held in the room above the bedroom he died in). I haven't visited the museum in a few years, and this book has reminded me just how badly I need to do that again.

Sam Houston was an American hero. He loved the Union more than anything in life other than his family. But he was also a Texas patriot, and he loved the state dearly despite resigning the Texas governorship rather then swearing an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. His last words show exactly what meant most to him and what was on his mind when death found him: "Texas...Texas...Margaret." show less

Rozelle's book starts with the feeling of a novel, giving us a look at the lives of the families, students, and teachers during the day before the explosion. While this technique doesn't always work for me, in this case I found it to be really effective and moving. As the narrative gets closer and closer to the explosion and its aftermath, I found myself having to put the book down to take a break and grab a kleenex. The book goes on to give a more traditional historical view of the disaster show more and then moves us to present day New London to introduce some of the survivors who have collected material, created a museum with an archival collection, and raised a monument to a tragedy that for years was not spoken of by the people in the town who wanted to forget that day.

[full review here: http://www.spacebeer.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-boys-and-girls-are-in-there-1937-ne... ] show less

Ron Rozelle has written a remarkable book about the single worst tragedy to ever happen at an American school. The 1937 New London School Explosion took the lives of nearly 300 students and teachers. The grief was so overwhelming that the parents who lost their children buried them, carefully packed the torn, bloody clothes and mementos returned to them and resolved to get on with their lives, never granting interviews or speaking of the disaster until many years later. It was a forgotten show more story that has now been given a sensitive, eloquent telling by Mr. Rozelle.

In our day when tragedies occur, grief counselors flock to the scene to help survivors cope, but in the 1930's, no such help was available and not even expected.

I highly recommend this book. You will be moved to tears of admiration and empathy for those whose lives were ended so suddenly and unexpectedly. show less

I have both this version and also the older Elements of Fiction writing book on 'Setting' by Bickham. Both were excellent, but I found the older version to be slightly more helpful in fleshing out the setting-as-a-character in my epic fantasy work. This is the newer of the two and it relies more on internet-research. When it comes to setting, there is nothing like being there and speaking to people who have been there to get a 'feel' for a place, I have discovered. But once again, both books show more were excellent. For me, I preferred the older version. show less