Synopses & Reviews
Review
andquot;Two Armies on the Rio Grande is much more than a minutely detailed narrative of the earliest engagements of the US-Mexican War. It manages to vividly recreate the tedium of camp life and the horror of combat; the harshness and beauty of the natural environment; the calculations and intrigues of leaders; and the aspirations and fears of men at war. And it does all this with exhaustive knowledge of, and great sensitivity toward, both sides in the conflict. Assiduously researched and gracefully written, this is military history at its best.andquot;--Timothy Henderson, author, A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its Warandnbsp;with the US
Review
andquot;For overandnbsp;twenty years Douglas Murphy has worked as an historian at the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, the only federally-protected site from the US-Mexican War. Drawing upon battle reports, journals, and letters from both US and Mexican archives, Murphy provides a rare glimpse into the minds of the leaders of the opposing sides and skillfully narrates the inciting events that ultimately led to conflict. Two Armies on the Rio Grande fills an important gap in the historiography of the US-Mexican War and sheds considerable light on a poorly understood campaign that ultimately changed the course of world history.andquot;--Michael Scott Van Wagenen, author, Remembering the Forgotten War: The Enduring Legacies of the US-Mexican War
Review
andldquo;It is extremely rare to find such a well-researched, well laid out and colorful story in a historical document. Murphy has explained brilliantly not only conditions, but also an in-depth look at the way war was viewed by both countries and special insight into the way military men think and react. All who read this account will be blessed, not only with the accuracy of information, the in-depth study of historical and geographical events, but of the dedication of the writer to andldquo;get it right.andrdquo;andmdash;Max Oliver
Review
andldquo;Murphy has performed a valuable service for scholars of the war, the antebellum U.S., and the early Mexican republic.andrdquo;andmdash;The Journal of Military Historyandnbsp;
Synopsis
The opening campaign of the US-Mexican War transformed the map of each nation and shaped the course of conflict. Douglas A. Murphy provides the first balanced view of early battles such as Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.
About the Author
DOUGLAS A. MURPHY is park historian and chief of operations at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park.and#160;He also serves as an adjunct professor of history at the University of Texas at Brownsville.