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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful and compelling view of history, December 10, 2002
This review is from: The Breach (Paperback)
The Breach by Brian Kaufman is a historical novel that presents General Manuel Fernandez Castrillon, the man who was an Aide-de-Camp to the infamous Santa Anna in 1836 when the Mexican president and his army marched against Texas and conquered the Alamo. A powerful and compelling view of history, The Breach tells the story of an honorable Mexican soldier and his personal witness to the controversial aspects of the war, which included the execution of Davy Crockett and four other Alamo prisoners. The Breach is a compelling, deftly written, stirring, unflinching and insightful novel from cover to cover.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dulce et Decorum Est, May 19, 2003
This review is from: The Breach (Paperback)
Brian Kaufman's The Breach is not your normal book. It's not a "present-tense" action chronology we typically expect to read, but a fictional journal of activity and introspection that will continually have you flipping to the front cover to check if it really is a novel (Kaufman's own mother was similarly taken in)! It is "written" by an unlikely historical hero, Mexican General Manual Fernandez Castrillón, Aid-de-Camp for the Mexican president Santa Anna. The real-life Castrillón was born and bred in Cuba, served with Royal Spanish Colonial Army, then swapped allegiances to the Mexican forces, which earned him some prison time. From 1822, on, he became a close friend and confident to Santa Anna. Not personally an Alamo buff (and it's not just about the Alamo, per se, but more a vignette encompassing the events surrounding and including, the Alamo), yet fascinated with humanity and all its struggles, I was amused at how I was summarily drawn into, not just Castrillón's head, but his acute sense of honor and duty, as well. Being an extremely introspective individual myself, I found myself sympathizing with our Mexican general, as he did and saw things with which he didn't approve, but when things finally became far too corrupt for his concepts of duty and honor, he made his stand. In a sense, you could say Castrillón fought his own, personal, Alamo, against his commander and friend, who had became far too egotistical, or deranged, a force for his own good, and had "surrounded and crushed" Castrillón, as they had both done to the brave inhabitants within the Alamo. The final scene portraying Castrillón, the author has verified as true, and is Dulce et Decorum Est, if tragic. Had we had Castrillón on our side, I'm sure the Alamo's outcome would have turned out far differently! The Breach approaches this topic in an uncommon way, and I liked that. It's from the United States' 1836 enemy's point of view, it's done in journalistic, after-the-fact fashion, and we're inside this guy's head during the entirety of the story (with one, notable, exception). I like this! I must admit, however, that it did take me a little effort to get into the beginning of the book, but stick with it, and I don't think you'll be disappointed! The Breach shows us that people are people, no matter what side of the border we live on, or which uniform we wear, and gives us a broader perspective on events, when, to us living in the U.S., in high school, we are usually only presented the details of the Alamo's last stand from our country's point of view. We need more works like this. Kaufman breeds empathy for a man who was just doing the best he could, in a very bad situation, and conveyed a sense of how I, too, could very well have been this man, this Castrillón, in another time, at a different fork in the road. Castrillón, as portrayed by the author, is an honorable man, perhaps, as much so as any Davy Crockett or a Sam Houston, but who just so happened to pick the wrong side of the conflict, on which to fight.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Fiction. Read it!, June 7, 2003
This review is from: The Breach (Paperback)
The Journal entries of General Manuel Fernandez Castrillon begin in January, 1836, as the Mexican Expeditionary Force heads out of Saltillo toward Texas and the Alamo. The General is aide-de-camp to Mexican President Santa Anna. Castrillon understandably expects the men, animals, and women who accompany the soldiers to be treated in a manner worthy of his civilized country. The real story begins to unfold as he learns that Santa Anna has not an iota of feeling. His decisions along the way are so bad that precious provisions are lost, the men are half-starved and not paid as promised, and the animals are so thirsty their tongues actually split. His treatment of women I leave the reader to discover. Castrillon realizes that his leader is not only inept, but a vile, debased person who does not embody one facet of Mexico's civilized culture. But the General's outward persona as a soldier never wavers from his deep commitment to duty. Aside from the rich narration of battles, readers are privileged to share the inner thoughts of a man who thinks he could have been a poet, a homesteader, and father. In the end, he pays the price, as do all of us, for his early life choices and decisions.
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