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34th out of 39 books
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A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico
Often forgotten and overlooked, the U.S.-Mexican War featured false starts, atrocities, and daring back-channel negotiations as it divided the nation, paved the way for the Civil War a generation later, and launched the career of Abraham Lincoln. Amy S. Greenberg’s skilled storytelling and rigorous scholarship bring this American war for empire to life with memorable chara...more
Hardcover, 344 pages
Published
November 6th 2012
by Knopf
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I read about 15 history books per year. Every once in a while I read a book that rattles my world, totally reshapes my thinking, and makes me think "I can't believe I didn't know this already". Just a few days ago I completed "A Wicked War" by Professor Greenberg. I could not put the book down and when finished was enthralled by the subject matter and writing style and wanted more. Professor Greenberg’s narrative is a fast paced enjoyable read. Most of the reading I do is about the Civil War yet...more
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Author Amy Greenberg, A Wicked War.
The quote “the wicked war” comes from U.S. Grant description of the Mexican War.
Samuel Chamberlain, Immoral War: Disgrace of the American National Principles
Slavery as a vice and immoral behavior/ a racist war/ even John C Calhoun oppose the war because of the fear of future race politics and race mixing fearing the end pure white racial superiority to the mixing of Black, Mexican, Indian and Whites. (This is a similar argument used by critics of the Louisian...more
The quote “the wicked war” comes from U.S. Grant description of the Mexican War.
Samuel Chamberlain, Immoral War: Disgrace of the American National Principles
Slavery as a vice and immoral behavior/ a racist war/ even John C Calhoun oppose the war because of the fear of future race politics and race mixing fearing the end pure white racial superiority to the mixing of Black, Mexican, Indian and Whites. (This is a similar argument used by critics of the Louisian...more
Got to just more than half way and finally couldn't force myself to continue. Life is too short. Listening to the audio book and the narrator they choose is horid. She constantly uses a southern accent when reading quotes. Don't know if she really is from the south, but the accent is annoying to distraction. Further, she has a 'know-it-all' tone of voice which makes it sound like she dissapproves of the actions of the individuals in the book. Did the author intend that?
As for the author, she is...more
As for the author, she is...more
Foreshadowing the Civil War, the U.S.-Mexican War was an episode that I had largely missed as a student. (And most Americans are equally ignorant; there is not a single monument to it in Washington, D.C.) This war is important because it shows that a president's lying to Congress in order to gain support for an unjust war is not new in our time, and because it was the first time a nationwide antiwar movement made a difference. It shows us principled politicians choosing to expose the dishonesty...more
Not sure exactly where I lost interest, it all began so well. I was able to learn about presidents mostly unknown to me: Tyler, Polk, Taylor. I learned a great deal about Henry Clay, who really seems to be one of our greatest statesmen who never became president. I learned about the Whig party, which had also been a mystery to me. So nice to see that our two party system could be just as dysfunctional then as now, regardless of what the parties were. I enjoyed the narratives of John Hardin and N...more
An outstanding read! I had not read anything about the war with Mexico previously and was thoroughly engaged with Ms. Greenberg's coverage of the war; particularly with President Polk's role in initiating the war, and his secret desire to extend the boundary of the U.S all the way to the California coast, picking up Oregon in the process. Polk's lies started the war; not unlike the Vietnam war, only with an outcome that proved more beneficial to the U.S. The difficulties in communication and tra...more
A Wicked War is quite a captivating read, in particular its early chapters on the political climate, events and people that led to the war with Mexico. I learned quite a lot and enjoyed the narrative but had some uneasy moments when I wished the author had been more careful in her presentation, or had supported her claims with more evidence. I know very little about the Mexican War, but do know a bit about Abraham Lincoln – and several times while reading this book was jarred by what I felt were...more
A very interesting history of the Mexican War as told through the lives of five men: Lincoln, Clay, Polk, Trist, and Hardin. Nothing to glorify in the American character here. Growing up and reading about manifest destiny I'd never seen it for the arrogant and racist imperialism it was. We took Mexico's land but didn't want their people. Just a very sad chapter in American History that too few Americans know about in detail. A great study in morality too; my country right or wrong. People who op...more
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Greenberg's thesis is not very original as far as the way the Mexican American War is taught in public high schools today. President Polk was a bad guy who got us into an unnecessary war against a neighboring republic. However, Greenberg aims to get into the minds and thus motives of several key actors in the lead up to war, the war itself, and the response to the war.
This book is useful as an introduction to the historical event, but her contention that the war created the first anti-war moveme...more
This book is useful as an introduction to the historical event, but her contention that the war created the first anti-war moveme...more
I had to read this for my history reading group and was not looking forward to a book about the Mexican American War. But it was terrific! We see the MA war changing the domestic future of the US and the conduct of its foreign policies. We see Native Americans, slaves, and women as people to care about and as important actors in history. We see men as more than political actors. They are invested in family and that brings about tension in their relation to their politics. The author has a strong...more
The author definitely has a bias for Clay and against Polk -- and if all she observes is true, Polk clearly was racist and did not play well with others. The question I have is that when I commented to someone about the racism of Polk that led to the subtle maneuvers that provoked Mexico to actions that led to war, he said he'd never heard about that -- now he doesn't know everything, but in the area of US history, he's far more knowledgeable than I am. So, does the author's bias lead her to spi...more
A very well written book about a war that is largely forgotten in American life. Unfortunately, this is the type of book that only a history nerd would read, and as such, half-way through the reader already knows how its all going to end. Interesting insight into the early political life of Lincoln, as well as the know-nothing politics of Polk. Actually, now that i think about it, I'm going to give this one more star: Reading about Polk, one begins to draw many similarities to Bush 43. History d...more
This is a well-written book about the major players involved in the Mexican War. I found this book to be straightforward and interesting. Unlike the naive gentleman who wrote the scathing review, I did not find this book to be written by an American-hating author with the goal of being anti-American. If one thinks that this country always did the right or honorable thing, then they live in a fantasy world. I truly recommend this book to anyone with a genuine interest in this time period and/or A...more
When I started reading this book I could not help but see comparisons to recent 'historical' events. Polk was the first 'dark horse' candidate elected president. His war was "the first American war against a neighboring republic, the first started with a presidential lie, and the first that a large number of American people felt guilty about. Polk, perhaps because he hadn't fought in a war himself, 'adopted a belligerent attitude toward other nations that played well at home.' The author provide...more
This is an extremely interesting and well written book and if you think you know evereything there is to know about Abraham Lincoln you may think again after reading this book. This sordid story of a totally unjust war against Mexico may well make you wonder what else we don't know about our past. The book is populated by many towering historical figures such as Lincoln and henry Clay but Greenberg does an excellent job of bringing to light some other not so famous figures who are equally compel...more
I bought this book eager to read a history of the Mexican-American war. I thought there would be a lot on battles and commanders but was pleasantly surprised by the direction the book took, focussing heavily on the politicians, generals, and overall political climate of the times. The book reads well and I recommend it for those looking for a nice read about the antebellum United States.
A history book I picked up because of a favorable review. Covers the Mexican American war - a war I didn't know much about. I would recommend because it is both interesting and educational. It focuses mainly on American motives for starting the war. Not one of Americas finest hours.
The "Wicked War" by Amy Greenberg is a fascinating period in history. I highly recommend this book but keep an open mind, this is Amy Greenberg research and interpretation of the events/people during that time.
Dec 22, 2012
Paul
is currently reading it
This was pretty much the Iraq War of the 19th Century. With this big difference: Iraq was about oil, and the war with Mexico was about land. The neo-cons pre-date Irving Kristol.
Interesting book on one of the most unpopular wars that America has fought. Along with the story of the first organized anti-war movement this is a real page turner.
terrific. a hidden and ignoble story of US history, with disturbing links to day's foreign policy blunders of iraq and afghanistan and the war on 'terror'...
A Wicked War about the Mexican War of 1846 to 1848 is an excellent book that primarily discusses the politics and the men (James Polk, Henry Clay, and Abraham Lincoln) that shaped the war and changes the United States. It is interesting that politics and debates over Mexican War or any war have not changed over the last 175 year. People (e.g. Lincoln in the Whig Party) blamed President Polk for lying to the American people for starting the war in that the U.S. actually invaded Mexico to start th...more
Well written and robustly scholarly researched account of "Mr. Polk's war." Read for the war's own historical facts, but it's parallels with President Johnson's lie about The Gulf of Tonkin as a pretext to involve US troops in a war in Vietnam, and President Bush's lies that supported the invasion of Iraq. But Polk's action formed precedent for American presidents to take unilateral invasive action in Cuba, Guatemala, Chile, the Philippines, Iran, and Afghanistan. See also, Howard Zinn Speeches...more
Guess like most folks never paid much attention to this "war" but glad I took time to find out what took place. Authors research made book interesting for semi history buff.
A
Well worth reading and is relevant to our age as well.
Eye opening book revealing some of the roots of the civil war and the US expansionism
Very well researched and unbiased description of politics in antebellum U.S.
Well-written history of a grim and brutal unjust war, Greenberg's analysis and attention to race, gender, class, and religion make this history vital to students of American history.
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Amy Greenberg is Liberal Arts Research Professor of History and Women's Studies at Penn State. She is a leading scholar of Manifest Destiny and has held fellowships from the Huntington Library, the New York Historical Society, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the American Philosophical Society. Her previous books include Manifest Manhood, Antebellum American Empire, and Cause for Alarm.
More about Amy S. Greenberg...
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