Author: Eileen Welsome
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Total Pages: 403
While the names of United States Army General John Pershing and the Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa, may be familiar to many, Eileen Welsome's work lays out, in great detail, the events that intertwined the lives of two men. A town most have likely never heard of, Columbus, New Mexico, and the events that transpired there in early 1916, would forever link these two historical figures.
Welsome begins by describing the political unrest in Mexico that lead to Villa's ascension to one of Mexico's chief revolutionaries. In doing so, the author also reveals the strained relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as, Villa's motivation for attempting to rally the common man of Mexico against the ruling government. Ultimately, Villa launches an attack on the U.S., in the small, sleepy border town of Columbus. After the attack, Pershing was assigned to lead what became know as The Punitive Expedition, traveling into Mexico with the intent of bringing Villa and his men to justice.
The descriptions, both of the geographic locations, as well as the individuals themselves, are tremendous. Welsome does a beautiful job of helping the reader visualize the events that took place throughout the book. The author also does an admirable job of providing the reader with the overall sentiment of the people - both U.S. and Mexican citizens - and their reactions to what transpired throughout the book. Great attention is also paid to the interaction between the two governments, as well. As might be expected, the reader is introduced to a large and varied cast of characters. At times, it does become a bit challenging to remember who is who. A fair number of maps aid in helping to illustrate the movements of both Villa and Pershing. Pictures are also included of most of the central characters, as well as the town of Columbus. The final chapter of the book provides the reader with a summary of the survivors of Villa's raid and Pershing's expedition, outlining the course their lives took following these events.
While I knew of both Pershing and Villa, it was not until I read this book did I realize the connection between these two men. At the conclusion, I felt I had not just learned about the events involving Pershing, Villa, and the town of Columbus, but that I had also learned a great deal about the history of Mexico and U.S.-Mexican relations during the early 1900s. I always find books like this, where I end up feeling I've learned a great deal more than I know before, to be worth my time.
Bottom line:
Would I read it again? Yes
Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes
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