The Mexican-American War (World History Series) [Hardcover]

Don Nardo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999 | Series: World History Series

Examines the Mexican-American War, discussing American expansion, the fall of Mexico City, the conclusion of the war, the peace treaty, and the legacy of a "dirty" war.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-A clear and concise look at a largely forgotten but extremely important part of American history. Nardo covers the events leading up to this still controversial conflict; the major battles; the large antiwar movement in the U.S.; and the bitter reaction, which persists to this day, on the part of some Mexicans. Excerpts from various documents from the period are included, as are extensive chapter notes and bibliographies. Numerous black-and-white photos and reproductions enliven the presentation, but there are only a few maps and the movements of the various armies become a little confusing. There are also one or two minor errors. For example, Grant and Lee did not form a friendship during the war. At Appomattox, Lee couldn't ever remember meeting Grant. Alden Carter's The Mexican War (Watts, 1992) covers the military side of the war, but doesn't go into as much depth on the political issues. Nardo offers one of the best overviews of all aspects of the war currently available.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Greenhaven Press (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560064951
• ISBN-13: 978-1560064954
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,657,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Don Nardo is a historian and award-winning writer who specializes in the ancient world, especially the civilizations of Greece and Rome. He began as a actor and worked with the National Shakespeare Company before turning to writing screenplays and teleplays and, soon afterward, devoting much of his time to historical research and writing. In the past two decades, he has published nearly two hundred volumes on diverse historical topics. And having earned numerous favorable reviews, he is widely recognized as the country's leading writer of historical works for young adults. He is also versed in various other subjects and as a result is frequently asked by publishers to write books on a number of scientific and literary topics.

Mr. Nardo also composes and arranges orchestral music, having started composing in his early teens. Over the years he has turned out more than eighty musical works, including 2 symphonies, 4 string quartets, several concertos, a film score, incidental music for stage productions, and several commissions, the most recent a double concerto for violin and Portuguese guitar written for two noted musicians. He is also the resident composer and arranger for the Amadis Orchestra, based in Connecticut. For more information, see his official web site at www.nardopublishing.com and his more extensive biography at Wikipedia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Well Done, May 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mexican-American War (World History Series) (Hardcover)

A well written and kind of disturbing book about a war most Americans have pretty much forgotten. The author tells it like it is, or was to be more precise, without trying to gloss over the bad parts, for instance where Americans were lawbreakers, greedy, and sometimes warlike and brutal in their relations with the Mexicans. Those are the disturbing parts, because today we don't like to hear that our country can do things that we normally associate with guys like Saddam Hussain. But the story has to be told because it did happen and forgetting about the past is a big mistake, as some scholar once pointed out. For those who are unhappy about George W. Bush making it into the White House, I wonder what they would think of James K. Polk. They should read this book and find out what this guy did to make sure the country got its hands on Texas and California.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly Written, August 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mexican-American War (World History Series) (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this brief but superbly written synopsis of the Mexican War. Even though it is aimed at students, it does not talk down to the reader and really captures the events, political debates, protests, and ultimate outcome of the conflict. John Eisenhower's "So Far from God" and John Weems' "To Conquer a Peace" are good choices for those wanting a more in-depth look at the war, but for those shopping for a quicker, easier read, Nardo's book really fills the bill.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving, Highly Informative Writing, April 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mexican-American War (World History Series) (Hardcover)

Historian Don Nardo has written numerous excellent books for young people, mostly about ancient times. I have had the good fortune to use some of them in teaching my high school history classes. I was not aware until now, however, that he is equally versed in American history. Most people today do not remember the Mexican War. That is probably due in part to the fact that it was a shameful affair, in which the United States quite literally launched an essentially unprovoked military aggression against a neighboring country, mainly out of greed for land and deep-seated racial and ethnic bias. Though Nardo does not take sides, since he is writing for studnets and must remain impartial, he allows the facts to speak for themselves. And those facts nearly leap from the pages. Numerous passages from books, newspapers, and official documents of the times provide copious documentaion worthy of scholarly history books (although Nardo is always careful to keep the writing clear and easy to understand). It is difficult, after reading this superlative treatment of the war, and especially the events leading up to it, to think about Texas in the same way I used to. The way this country acquired it was and will always remain a stain on American honor. Nardo must be congratulated for a job exceedinly well done.