*Discusses some of the legends and controversies surrounding Bowie's life, including the origins of the Bowie knife and Bowie's fate at the Alamo. *Includes pictures of Bowie and other important people and places in his life. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. *Includes a Table of Contents. "I'll wage they found no bullets in his back." - Jim Bowie's mother after hearing of his death at the Alamo. A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors’ American Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of America’s most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Jim Bowie is one of 19th century America’s most famous names, even if what’s known about the man is more legend than fact. Like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, Bowie has come to represent the pioneering spirit of the frontier, along with the masculinity, machismo and swagger that earned him a reputation for fighting. And like any good legend, he is perhaps best remembered for his death at the Alamo than for any aspect of his life. Bowie’s death and the defenders’ defeat at the Alamo did not have a decisive impact on Texas’ War for Independence, but it became a poignant rallying cry in the immediate aftermath of the battle, and to this day Americans associate it with patriotism, bravery and determination. “Remember the Alamo” is still a widely used part of the English lexicon today, and the Alamo is a cherished piece of Americana.