The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZEThe Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston by Marquis James is a sweeping portrait of Samuel Houston, the American military leader and statesman whose life traced the turbulent course of the early United States, the Texas Revolution, and the struggle over Union and secession. Born in Virginia in 1793 and raised in Tennessee, Houston fled home as a young man and lived for several years among the Cherokee, who knew him as “Raven.” From service under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812 to his rise as a congressman, governor of Tennessee, and later commander of the Texian Army, Houston’s career was marked by reinvention, ambition, and an extraordinary ability to move between cultures, regions, and political worlds.This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography follows Houston from his dramatic resignation as governor of Tennessee and return to Cherokee life, to his decisive victory at the Battle of San Jacinto and his leadership as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas. James also captures Houston’s later years as a U.S. senator, governor of Texas, and outspoken Unionist who opposed secession before being forced from office in 1861. Rich with frontier drama, political conflict, military history, and the contradictions of nineteenth-century America, The Raven offers readers a vivid account of the only man elected governor of two different U.S. states—and one of the defining figures behind the creation and annexation of Texas. Read more