San Antonio College Library

The three-day battle for the pass at the "Hot Gates" of Thermopylae was a critical contest in the Persian king Xerxes's massive invasion of Greece. The bloody stand made there by Leonidas and his small Spartan army in 480 BC has since become the very emblem of patriotism, courage, and sacrifice. The ambitions of Xerxes were vast. Having amassed the largest force of men and ships ever assembled, he set out to conquer Greece, at the same time sending...

From before the dawn of the 20th century until the arrival of the New Deal, one of the most protracted and deadly labor struggles in American history was waged in West Virginia. On one side were powerful corporations whose millions bought armed guards and political influence. On the other side were 50,000 mine workers, the nation's largest labor union, and the legendary "miners' angel," Mother Jones. The fight for unionization and civil rights sparked...

This History Channel presentation of The Alamo, documents one of the most famous battles in American history. Using eyewitness accounts, commentary by historians, informative graphics, and dramatic re-enactments, the program offers a detailed description of the bloody showdown on March 6,1836, between the army of Mexican dictator Santa Anna and a band of Texan volunteers, including the legendary Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, fighting for their independence...

"Yellowstone holds a special place in America's heart. As the world's first national park, it is globally recognized as the crown jewel of modern environmental preservation. But the park and its surrounding regions have recently become a lightning rod for environmental conflict, plagued by intense and intractable political struggles among the federal government, National Park Service, environmentalists, industry, local residents, and elected officials....

A limited-edition reprint of the rarest and most-quoted contemporary book on the Confederate side of the Civil War in the Far West. Noel was with the Sibley Brigade, toughest Confederate unit that fought entirely west of the Mississippi: in New Mexico, at Galveston and in the Red River battles in Louisiana. Few fighting outfits of North and South rode as far or fought in such diverse areas as did the Sibley Brigade: from the deserts of New Mexico...

"Deep in the heart of the southern West Virginia coalfields, one of the most important environmental and social empowerment battles in the nation has been waged for the past decade. Fought by a heroic woman struggling to save her tiny community through a landmark lawsuit, this battle, which led all the way to the halls of Congress, has implications for environmentally conscious people across the world." "The story begins with Patricia Bragg in the...

This film explores the final subjugation of defiant Indian tribes and other holdouts to federal authority in the West. Included in this program are balanced, up-to-date portrayals of many of the most memorable characters from America's past, including George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Brigham Young, and Chief Joseph. Part of the series The West: A Film by Stephen Ives. Distributed by PBS Distribution. (84 minutes)

From the comfortable distance of seven decades, it is quite easy to view the victory of the Allies over Hitler's Germany as inevitable. But in 1940 Great Britain's defeat loomed perilously close, and no other nation stepped up to confront the Nazi threat. In this cogently argued book, Robin Prior delves into the documents of the time - war diaries, combat reports, Home Security's daily files, and much more - to uncover how Britain endured a year of...

The 78 maps in this atlas add significant information to the study of the development of the American West. Defined for this resource as those 17 continental states west of the Missouri River. The maps range in chronology from explorations in the sixteenth century to the location of World War II prisoner of war and Japanese internment camps. The atlas includes the maps, each with explanatory text and bibliography, highlighting natural resources, geographic...

In June of 1876, on a desolate hill above a winding river called "the Little Bighorn," George Armstrong Custer and all 210 men under his command were annihilated by almost 2,000 Sioux and Cheyenne. The news caused a public uproar, and those in positions of power promptly began to point fingers in order to avoid responsibility. Custer, who was conveniently dead, took the brunt of the blame. The truth, however, was far more complex. This is the first...