Ghostly Bugles

Step into the past, where the haunting tales  of the Alamo reveal untold stories of courage, sacrifice, and the  enduring mysteries of the human spirit.

During a  visit to historic San Antonio, an elderly man finds himself confronting  his own mortality as he reflects on one of history’s most iconic  battles—the 1836 siege of the Alamo.

As he wanders through Alamo  Plaza, his dreams, memories, and vivid encounters with the voices of the  past blur the line between reality and the supernatural. These restless  souls—Texian, Tejano, and Mexican alike—cry out for inclusion,  recognition, and remembrance, each carrying stories beyond the myths and  legends.

Ghostly Bugles delves deep into the fight to preserve both history and humanity. It  explores the Alamo’s transformation into hallowed ground and the ongoing  efforts to honor its legacy as a world-class site of remembrance.

With  poignant storytelling, Max L. Knight masterfully examines themes of  memory, mortality, and the need to reclaim forgotten voices. Whether  you’re a history enthusiast or simply seeking an unforgettable tale, Ghostly Bugles offers a fresh perspective on the Alamo like never before.

MAX L. KNIGHT was born in Panama and grew up in the Canal Zone and in San Antonio, Texas, where he and his wife Janet “Gray” currently reside. They have three grown children: Lisa, Brian, and Sean. Two of their other children, Max Lee and Brad, are deceased.

Max is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Government from Campbell University.

Max served twenty-four years in the United States Army (1973-1997) retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Afterwards, he spent five years (1998-2002) working at RCI Technologies in San Antonio, where he became the Director of Internal Operations. He became the first Alamo Docent in 2004, but the tragic events of 9/11 had already compelled him to reactivate his security clearance and, when the approval finally came through, he returned to work in support of U.S Counterintelligence operations (2005-2013.) A stage IV throat cancer diagnosis in 2014 abruptly ended that phase of his life, and he turned to writing to help him get through the chemo, radiation, and surgeries. Max is currently cancer free.

His first book, Silver Taps, a personal memoir of his relationship with his dad and his struggle to come to grips with his father’s death from Alzheimer’s disease, was published by Outskirts Press in 2015. His subsequent works, Palo Duro, a novel of the Plains Indian Wars, and Tarnished Brass, a novella about U.S. involvement in El Salvador’s Civil War, were published by Page Publishing in 2016 and 2019. Max has also written book reviews for Lone Star Literary Life, a weekly publication dedicated to Texas authors and events.