Chapultepec [Mass Market Paperback]

Norman Zollinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1996

In 1847 in Mexico, Lance Corporal Jason Jeremiah James of the 4th Kansas rifles fought at Chapultepee. on the parapet of that great fortress, James saw something that haunted him for fifteen years. In 1862, James is colonel of the 4th Regiment of La Legion etrangere--France's fabled Foreign Legion--and is again stationed in Mexico.

Educated in Paris, the lovely New Englander Sarah Kent Anderson has arrived in Mexico to look after her dead brother's silver mines. Although she is a girlhood friend of Empress Carlota of Mexico, Sarah quietly supports the republican president, Juarez. Her growing attraction toward Jason James only furthers her confusion.

As Sarah Anderson struggles to choose between her sympathy for Juarez and her love for the new emperor and empress, Jason James must not only come to grips with his torn loyalties and the woman he loves, he must stand again at Chapultepee and face the demons of his youth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From two-time Golden Spur winner Zollinger (Not of War Only) comes this rich historical romance set in Mexico in the 1860s. Kansan Jason James arrives in that young nation as a member of the French Foreign Legion in 1862, just as the French are preparing to overthrow the elected government of Benito Juarez and establish the Austrian monarch Maximilian as emperor. Jason fought in Mexico 15 years earlier with American forces, and events that occurred then at the eponymous ancient fortress haunt him still. The American, assisted by his unforgettable manservant, the dwarf Cipi, quickly rises to become a colonel in the Mexican Army, under sworn oath to the emperor; meanwhile, another Yank, Sarah Anderson, who has lived in Paris for years, arrives in the embattled country in order to settle her deceased brother's estate, a struggling silver mine. Sarah, a former schoolmate of Maximilian's wife, the new empress, is dragooned into becoming a member of the royal court even though her real sympathies lie with Juarez. Despite romantic entanglements with others, Jason and Sarah become involved as history erupts around them. Zollinger doesn't miss a trick, painting a striking portrait of a doomed monarchy and its historical personages while deftly moving his own fictional characters through a bounty of confrontations and conflicts. This is a grand historical treat that should put the author in the running for yet another Golden Spur.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

While the United States was distracted by the ravages of the Civil War, the French took this opportunity to intervene in neighboring Mexico and create a monarchy. Maximilian and Carlota become the tragic figureheads in this doomed escapade. The forces of Mexican president Benito Juarez, never completely defeated, gather strength and eventually force the French to withdraw. Maximilian is executed and the fragile Carlota loses her sanity. This important piece of Mexican history is brought to life through the eyes of two fictional characters, Sarah, a friend of Carlota's but with Republican sympathies, and James, an American expatriate and French legionnaire. Zollinger's (Not of War Only, LJ 5/15/94) entertaining novel makes this complex history understandable. Recommended for popular collections.?Patricia Altner, Information Seekers, Bowie, Md.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (August 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812555414
• ISBN-13: 978-0812555417
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Historical Novel, September 18, 1998

By 

Hope for the Best "Hope for the Best" (California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chapultepec (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of the most intelligent, interesting, and best written historical novels I've read in a long time. The characters are well defined and realistic, the era beautifully brought to life. Zollinger is a newly discovered literary treasure for me and he deserves wider attention. John Pessler

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great historical find!, October 12, 2000

By 

Mary Reinert (Nevada, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chapultepec (Mass Market Paperback)

I purchased this book from on "on sale" rack outside a bookstore - bought it because it was cheap. What a find! This is a great historical novel about a time in Mexico I knew very little about. The setting and characters come alive as the reader begins to see the tremendous complexities of this time in Mexico. Only drawback - a bit too many Spanish and French phrases (although usually easily figured out) and a bit too detailed in some of the battle scenes - lovers of battle strategies will love it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Chapultepec: A Misnamed Story, September 14, 2009

By 

J. Dobbins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chapultepec (Mass Market Paperback)

Chapultepec is an interesting romantic story set against the backdrop of the French invasion and adventure in Mexico during the 1860's. When this reader thinks of Chapultepec, however, the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-1848 and the mythic defense and destruction of the students of Mexico's Military Academy comes most quickly to mind. In this novel the incident is mentioned and used as a plot tool. Chapultepec castle is featured, but neither the castle nor the incident is really central to the story. Because writer makes frequent use of expressions in Spanish and French, some familiarity with both languages is helpful for the reader.