Reviews
"Murphy has performed a valuable service for scholars of the war, the antebellum U.S., and the early Mexican republic."--The Journal of Military History , " 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."--Timothy Henderson, author, A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the US, "It is extremely rare to find such a well-researched, well laid out and colorful story in a historical document. Douglas Murphy has taken dates and people of history and done just that. . . Murphy has explained brilliantly not only conditions, but also an in-depth look at the way the war was viewed by both countries and especially insight into the way military men think and react. . . it is refreshing to see such candor and fairness when dealing with the conflicts of man."-- True West Magazine, "Murphy has performed a valuable service for scholars of the war, the antebellum U.S., and the early Mexican republic."--The Journal of Military History, "For over 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."--Michael Scott Van Wagenen, author, Remembering the Forgotten War: The Enduring Legacies of the US-Mexican War, "For over 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."--Michael Scott Van Wagenen, author, Remembering the Forgotten War: The Enduring Legacies of the US-Mexican War, "The book is a contribution to a growing body of scholarship on the U.S.-Mexican War and continued efforts to see the wat from multiple perspectives. Murphy's use of Spanish and English sources paves the way toward a well-rounded approach to military History."-- Journal of Southern History, ". . . greatly expands the scholarship on the U.S.-Mexico War by providing readers with a far better look at the Mexican side of the conflict. Murphy's balanced approach to the narrative gives new insights into why the first campaign of the war followed the course that it did. This book is important for anyone wanting to learn more about South Texas or the border relationship between the United States and Mexico."-- Southwestern Historical Quarterly, ". . . notably expanded the field with his emphasis on Mexican sources to portray both sides on the opening days of the U.S.-Mexican War. . . this book greatly expands the scholarship on the U.S.-Mexico War by providing readers with a far better look at the Mexican side of the conflict. Murphy's balances approach to the narrative gives new insights into why the first campaign of the war followed the course that it did. This book is important for anyone wanting to learn more about South Texas or the border relationship between the United States and Mexico."-- Southwestern Historical Quarterly, "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 "get it right."--Max Oliver, " 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."--Timothy Henderson, author, A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the US
