"Thermopylae had her messenger of defeat; the Alamo had none"

Y'all have all probably heard the Thermopylae quote, attributed to Gen. Edward Burleson. But we know this distinguished Texian, while imbued with heaps of common sense, wasn't an educated man. He may have said it, but he didn't write it.

So who dunnit? The answer is in these pages.

If you haven't claimed your copy of our limited edition biography of Ed Burleson, never fear. There are a few copies left.

Here's what you need to know about the book:

There's a lot of powder and lead between these covers. Burleson lacked formal education. Instead, he honed his fighting skills with his father before coming to Texas. Once he arrived in 1830, he found his skillset in high demand as the Comanches clashed with the settlements.

He had strong tactical instincts and used them in the aid of Texas. Scratch the surface of events from "Come & Take It" to the Battle of San Jacinto. Everywhere you'll find Edward Burleson.

Don't believe me? Here's his highlight reel:

Leading a ranging company in pursuit of Indians in the 1830s
"Come and Take It" at Gonzales
Commander-in-chief of Texian volunteer forces
"Performing alike the duties of a General and a soldier" at the Siege of Bexar
Why Old Ben Milam was the one who called for volunteers during the storming of Bexar
Signing the capitulation at Bexar with General Cos
Beefing with Sam Houston before the Battle of San Jacinto
Commanding a regiment at San Jacinto
Charging right up the center of battle and over the Mexican breastworks
Hosting displaced Tonkawas at Burleson farm
Serving in the Texian Congress
Surveying the town of Waterloo (we call it Austin)
Fighting Cherokees in 1839
The death of Chief Bowles
The facts about Bowles' hat from Sam Houston
Commanding men at the Battle of Plum Creek
The Presidential/VP campaign of 1841
The inauguration and San Jacinto-themed inaugural ball
The Archives War and Vasquez Invasion of Bexar in 1842
The truth about Burleson's famous Thermopylae/Alamo quote
The presidential campaign of 1844
Horse racing at Bastrop
Presiding over the first Texas Senate
Aide-de-camp in the Mexican-American War
Laying out the town of San Marcos

It's clear why Burleson was called "the hero of thirty battles who was never known to retreat." It's tough to distill his action-packed life down into a single email.

He was an essential part of the connective tissue that made the Republic. This is his story, told in pleasant prose. It has been out of print since the 1990s, but you can finally have a copy of your own!