My friend Peter Rollins did me the honor of inviting me to contribute an essay to the new book Why We Fought: America’s Wars in Film and History, edited by Peter and John E. O’Connor.   My essay is, you’ll be shocked to learn, about the Alamo. The title is Reprinting the Legend: The Alamo on Film.Here’s some more information from the flyer:  This book makes a powerful case that film can be as valuable a tool as primary documents for improving our understanding of the causes and consequences of war. Why We Fought: America’s Wars in Film and History is a comprehensive look at war films, from depictions of the American Revolution to portrayals of September 11 and its aftermath. The volume contrasts recognized history and historical fiction with the versions appearing on the big screen. The text considers a selection of the most pivotal war films of all time, including All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), Apocalypse Now (1979), Platoon (1986), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Why We Fought reveals how film depictions of the country’s wars have shaped our values,politics, and culture, and it offers a unique understanding of American history.  Peter C. Rollins is Regents Professor Emeritus of English and American Film Studies at Oklahoma State University and is former editor of the journal Film & History. He is the coeditor of numerous books, including Hollywood’s Indian: The Portrayal of the Native American in Film. John E. O’Connor is professor emeritus of the Federated Department of History at New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University. He is also a founding editor of Film & History and the coeditor of several books. If you’d like to order it – and, as usual, I get nothing whether you do or don’t – here’s the rumpus: