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War on the Border: Villa, Pershing, the Texas Rangers, and an American Invasion
The dramatic story of how over a century ago, the United States and Mexico went to war over their border, a conflict that still resonates today.In 1916, Mexican rebel Pancho Villa staged a bloody raid on a US border town, the latest incident in simmering tensions between the two countries. In response the United States launched the year-long Punitive Expedition—a military invasion of Mexican territory. Commanded by General John J. Pershing, who would go on to lead American troops in Europe a year later during World War I, the expedition included US Army troops, the National Guard, the Texas Rangers, and the legendary African-American Buffalo Soldiers. It was the first time the Army used automobiles and trucks, and Curtiss Jenny airplanes did reconnaissance, another first; even a young George Patton was involved. But despite several bloody encounters, the Punitive Expedition ultimately proved unsuccessful, and its contentious history continues to resonate in US-Mexico border relations today.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2021
208 people are currently reading
3492 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Guinn
30 books728 followersJeff Guinn is a former journalist who has won national, regional and state awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, and literary criticism.
Guinn is also the bestselling author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction including, but not limited to: Go Down Together: The True Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde (which was a finalist for an Edgar Award in 2010); The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral - and How It Changed the West; Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson; and The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple.
Jeff Guinn is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters, and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. He appears as an expert guest in documentaries and on television programs on a variety of topics.
Guinn lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
Guinn is also the bestselling author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction including, but not limited to: Go Down Together: The True Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde (which was a finalist for an Edgar Award in 2010); The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral - and How It Changed the West; Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson; and The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple.
Jeff Guinn is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters, and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. He appears as an expert guest in documentaries and on television programs on a variety of topics.
Guinn lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
January 28, 2023
“The train from El Paso chugged into the Columbus station around midnight. First Lieutenant John P. Lucas disembarked. Lucas, who commanded the 13th Cavalry’s machine gunners, was returning to town after playing in an El Paso polo tournament. He and [the officer of the day] exchanged a few words about the Villa alert and then Lucas, worn out from polo, made his way across the Palomas Road to the small adobe house a few dozen yards from Cootes Hill…Acting on what he later termed a hunch, Lucas checked and loaded his service revolver, went to bed, and soon slept. It was very quiet in Columbus…”
- Jeff Guinn, War on the Border: Villa, Pershing, the Texas Rangers, and an American Invasion
Shortly before dawn on March 9, 1916, several hundred men of General Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s Division of the North charged into the small border town of Columbus, Texas, in two separate columns. Shouting and shooting, several citizens died, some buildings looted, and others burned. The nearby military garrison managed to mount a resistance, and soon a full-scale firefight had broken out, illuminated by the blazes lit in Columbus.
When it ended, eight American soldiers and ten civilians were dead, while Villa left sixty-seven corpses behind, which were burned with kerosene in a kind of ad hoc cremation. Relative to the carnage then taking place in Europe, this was an inconsequential skirmish. To the United States, though, it constituted a slight to national honor, one that had to be avenged.
This is just what Villa wanted.
The Columbus raid had not been a mere act of spasmodic violence, but a calculated insult, devised by Villa to goad the United States into a precipitous act. Once a friend of America, the tangled politics of the ongoing Mexican Revolution had forced him into a corner. His longtime nemesis, Venustiano Carranza was president, and Villa believed that by provoking an over-response from America, he could weaken Carranza’s grip on power.
The Byzantine logic of Villa’s endgame is emblematic of the Mexican Revolution’s shifting ties and allegiances, and is part of what makes it such a complicated and fascinating object of study.
The chief virtue of Jeff Guinn’s War on the Border is that it is an easily-accessible primer on this subject, and its laundry list of characters and intrigues. This accessibility, however, also makes this a book with a low ceiling, good for newcomers, but not as valuable for those with prior knowledge. Additionally, its comparative brevity means that things move along quite quickly, but at the cost of richness of detail.
***
War on the Border’s subtitle strongly suggests a directed focus on the Punitive Expedition ordered by President Woodrow Wilson and led by General John J. Pershing. That is not precisely the case. Instead, Guinn offers up a big chunk of the Mexican Revolution, with an emphasis of the role played by the United States on Mexico’s affairs, and how the Revolution unfolded along the Rio Grande.
To that end, the aforementioned Columbus raid does not actually take place until over halfway through this book’s 290 pages of text. The Punitive Expedition itself is discussed relatively quickly. Rather than a close look at a single event, Guinn chooses a broad, sweeping account that – due to the confined page count – is necessarily pretty shallow.
Before we get to the main event, Guinn walks us through the basics of the oft-strained relationship between Mexico and the United States, and gives a 101-level survey of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, including the major players involved, such as Carranza, Villa, General Victoriano Huerta, and the nefarious American ambassador Henry Lane Wilson. Of course, due to its border setting, the Revolution in the south, led by Emiliano Zapata, is barely touched upon.
Following this, Guinn continues to lay an extensive groundwork by discussing the United States’ seizure of Veracruz, the panic caused by the so-called Plan de San Diego (which purported to outline a recapture of the American southwest), and the brutal “Bandit War” waged by the Texas Rangers.
The Punitive Expedition itself is almost entirely anticlimactic. Though Pershing and Wilson never expressly stated that Villa himself was the target, everybody in America expected him to be captured or killed. In this, the Expedition failed badly, hampered by a tenuous supply line, vehicles that broke down due to poor or nonexistent roads, and an understandable Mexican refusal to help, whether or not they supported Villa.
Even after Pershing has retreated back into the United States, Guinn keeps things moving along, covering the continued depredations of the Texas Rangers – who he strongly takes to task – and the blunder-headed muddling of Germany as it tried to embroil Mexico and Japan in a war on the United States, culminating in the Zimmermann Telegram.
***
This is popular history aimed at a broad audience. If you’ve never read a book on the Mexican Revolution before, this is an excellent starter kit, because Guinn’s summaries are clear, easy to follow, and represent a synthesis of numerous sources.
Guinn is also a natural storyteller, and though you won’t copy down his prose and hang it on a wall in your bedroom, this flows really well, which is not something I can say about all history books. Nevertheless, having read and enjoyed several of Guinn’s prior works, I would say that War on the Border did not quite live up to my expectations. I think Guinn is better working in the realm of biography – his titles on Charles Manson and Jim Jones, in particular, are marvelous – where he can dig deep into one person. Here, he just doesn’t have a perfect grasp on the epic sprawl he is trying to encompass.
For the most part, Guinn writes this as a narrative. Every once in a while, though, he will interrupt proceedings to discuss the evidence, weigh sources, and come to a conclusion. This is especially evident during the Plan de San Diego sections, where he went so far as to interview other historians for their perspectives.
***
As I’ve come to expect from Guinn, this is well-researched and dutifully sourced. Beyond that, Guinn strives for objectivity. It’s worth noting that Guinn is a Texan, which is less a geographic fact, than an all-embracing mood. Still, he does not let his place of birth cloud his judgments, as in the above-noted criticisms of the Texas Rangers’ summary dispensation of justice. He tries to see things from both sides, and to judge the actions of individuals based on what they knew at the time, not what decades of hindsight might later disclose.
***
Nations have long memories that are passed down to their people. The Mexican Revolution – including the Punitive Expedition – is no longer within living memory. But its echoes can still be heard quite clearly. The issues of 1916, of racism, national sovereignty, cross-border crime, and immigration, have not magically disappeared in the last century. Though I often think we’d be in a better place if we could all agree to forget the past and do better in the present, this is the kind of history that effectively explains the now by reference to the then.
- Jeff Guinn, War on the Border: Villa, Pershing, the Texas Rangers, and an American Invasion
Shortly before dawn on March 9, 1916, several hundred men of General Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s Division of the North charged into the small border town of Columbus, Texas, in two separate columns. Shouting and shooting, several citizens died, some buildings looted, and others burned. The nearby military garrison managed to mount a resistance, and soon a full-scale firefight had broken out, illuminated by the blazes lit in Columbus.
When it ended, eight American soldiers and ten civilians were dead, while Villa left sixty-seven corpses behind, which were burned with kerosene in a kind of ad hoc cremation. Relative to the carnage then taking place in Europe, this was an inconsequential skirmish. To the United States, though, it constituted a slight to national honor, one that had to be avenged.
This is just what Villa wanted.
The Columbus raid had not been a mere act of spasmodic violence, but a calculated insult, devised by Villa to goad the United States into a precipitous act. Once a friend of America, the tangled politics of the ongoing Mexican Revolution had forced him into a corner. His longtime nemesis, Venustiano Carranza was president, and Villa believed that by provoking an over-response from America, he could weaken Carranza’s grip on power.
The Byzantine logic of Villa’s endgame is emblematic of the Mexican Revolution’s shifting ties and allegiances, and is part of what makes it such a complicated and fascinating object of study.
The chief virtue of Jeff Guinn’s War on the Border is that it is an easily-accessible primer on this subject, and its laundry list of characters and intrigues. This accessibility, however, also makes this a book with a low ceiling, good for newcomers, but not as valuable for those with prior knowledge. Additionally, its comparative brevity means that things move along quite quickly, but at the cost of richness of detail.
***
War on the Border’s subtitle strongly suggests a directed focus on the Punitive Expedition ordered by President Woodrow Wilson and led by General John J. Pershing. That is not precisely the case. Instead, Guinn offers up a big chunk of the Mexican Revolution, with an emphasis of the role played by the United States on Mexico’s affairs, and how the Revolution unfolded along the Rio Grande.
To that end, the aforementioned Columbus raid does not actually take place until over halfway through this book’s 290 pages of text. The Punitive Expedition itself is discussed relatively quickly. Rather than a close look at a single event, Guinn chooses a broad, sweeping account that – due to the confined page count – is necessarily pretty shallow.
Before we get to the main event, Guinn walks us through the basics of the oft-strained relationship between Mexico and the United States, and gives a 101-level survey of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, including the major players involved, such as Carranza, Villa, General Victoriano Huerta, and the nefarious American ambassador Henry Lane Wilson. Of course, due to its border setting, the Revolution in the south, led by Emiliano Zapata, is barely touched upon.
Following this, Guinn continues to lay an extensive groundwork by discussing the United States’ seizure of Veracruz, the panic caused by the so-called Plan de San Diego (which purported to outline a recapture of the American southwest), and the brutal “Bandit War” waged by the Texas Rangers.
The Punitive Expedition itself is almost entirely anticlimactic. Though Pershing and Wilson never expressly stated that Villa himself was the target, everybody in America expected him to be captured or killed. In this, the Expedition failed badly, hampered by a tenuous supply line, vehicles that broke down due to poor or nonexistent roads, and an understandable Mexican refusal to help, whether or not they supported Villa.
Even after Pershing has retreated back into the United States, Guinn keeps things moving along, covering the continued depredations of the Texas Rangers – who he strongly takes to task – and the blunder-headed muddling of Germany as it tried to embroil Mexico and Japan in a war on the United States, culminating in the Zimmermann Telegram.
***
This is popular history aimed at a broad audience. If you’ve never read a book on the Mexican Revolution before, this is an excellent starter kit, because Guinn’s summaries are clear, easy to follow, and represent a synthesis of numerous sources.
Guinn is also a natural storyteller, and though you won’t copy down his prose and hang it on a wall in your bedroom, this flows really well, which is not something I can say about all history books. Nevertheless, having read and enjoyed several of Guinn’s prior works, I would say that War on the Border did not quite live up to my expectations. I think Guinn is better working in the realm of biography – his titles on Charles Manson and Jim Jones, in particular, are marvelous – where he can dig deep into one person. Here, he just doesn’t have a perfect grasp on the epic sprawl he is trying to encompass.
For the most part, Guinn writes this as a narrative. Every once in a while, though, he will interrupt proceedings to discuss the evidence, weigh sources, and come to a conclusion. This is especially evident during the Plan de San Diego sections, where he went so far as to interview other historians for their perspectives.
***
As I’ve come to expect from Guinn, this is well-researched and dutifully sourced. Beyond that, Guinn strives for objectivity. It’s worth noting that Guinn is a Texan, which is less a geographic fact, than an all-embracing mood. Still, he does not let his place of birth cloud his judgments, as in the above-noted criticisms of the Texas Rangers’ summary dispensation of justice. He tries to see things from both sides, and to judge the actions of individuals based on what they knew at the time, not what decades of hindsight might later disclose.
***
Nations have long memories that are passed down to their people. The Mexican Revolution – including the Punitive Expedition – is no longer within living memory. But its echoes can still be heard quite clearly. The issues of 1916, of racism, national sovereignty, cross-border crime, and immigration, have not magically disappeared in the last century. Though I often think we’d be in a better place if we could all agree to forget the past and do better in the present, this is the kind of history that effectively explains the now by reference to the then.
October 19, 2021
The US - Mexican border wars germinated towards the end of Presidency of Porforio Diaz who served 7 terms. His economic development programs favored Mexico’s elite, US businessmen and US companies while the lives of the general population worsened. A coup against a democratically elected successor to Diaz set off the Mexican Revolution which seemed to be uprisings led by those with ambitions to be the next president.
The most famous of these marauding politicians was Pancho Villa. Being the northernmost insurrectionist, he was the biggest threat to US citizens in Mexico and Texas and US Corporations with operations in Mexico.
Protection of Americans and their ranches and business interests was important for US presidents (briefly) Taft and (mostly) Wilson. A “Plan de San Diego” circulated among rebels that called for the ceding of TX, AZ, NM and CA and the killing of all adult white men. Germany was giving money and supplies at various times to the different factions with the goal of dragging the US into this conflict which would hinder US response to their European aggression.
Jeff Guinn takes you through the atrocities, loyalties and betrayals as competing “generals” vied for troops, funding, press and the hearts and minds of the people. I, like most Americans, did not know of Villa’s invasion of the AZ town of Columbus nor of the resulting “Punitive Expedition” led by John Pershing to capture Villa.
The Texas Rangers had a violent role in the border wars and Buffalo Soldiers aided Pershing. George Patton and his sister, Anne/Nina, have cameos in this book.
You see Villa’s fascinating and charmed life. He attained fame, by what may be the first “reality movie” – he sold rights for Hollywood crews to film his raids. These appeared on their own in theaters and were spliced into other films. He was saved from a firing squad; was miraculously removed from a battlefield with a serious wound and successfully hidden from the punitive expedition. After this major loss and wound his populist image was tarnished by evidence of funding from Standard Oil. Since he could no longer inspire dedicated troops, next revival (due to the demise of a rival) as a gubernatorial appointee is even more remarkable.
This is a well organized (an achievement given the complex subject) and well written book. The narrative is tight with no drifting to stray topics. There are good photos, and the index (which I often used) is very good. The notes show the range of sources. With all that said, you need to be interested in this topic to appreciate the book. If you appreciate the topic, you will really appreciate the book.
The most famous of these marauding politicians was Pancho Villa. Being the northernmost insurrectionist, he was the biggest threat to US citizens in Mexico and Texas and US Corporations with operations in Mexico.
Protection of Americans and their ranches and business interests was important for US presidents (briefly) Taft and (mostly) Wilson. A “Plan de San Diego” circulated among rebels that called for the ceding of TX, AZ, NM and CA and the killing of all adult white men. Germany was giving money and supplies at various times to the different factions with the goal of dragging the US into this conflict which would hinder US response to their European aggression.
Jeff Guinn takes you through the atrocities, loyalties and betrayals as competing “generals” vied for troops, funding, press and the hearts and minds of the people. I, like most Americans, did not know of Villa’s invasion of the AZ town of Columbus nor of the resulting “Punitive Expedition” led by John Pershing to capture Villa.
The Texas Rangers had a violent role in the border wars and Buffalo Soldiers aided Pershing. George Patton and his sister, Anne/Nina, have cameos in this book.
You see Villa’s fascinating and charmed life. He attained fame, by what may be the first “reality movie” – he sold rights for Hollywood crews to film his raids. These appeared on their own in theaters and were spliced into other films. He was saved from a firing squad; was miraculously removed from a battlefield with a serious wound and successfully hidden from the punitive expedition. After this major loss and wound his populist image was tarnished by evidence of funding from Standard Oil. Since he could no longer inspire dedicated troops, next revival (due to the demise of a rival) as a gubernatorial appointee is even more remarkable.
This is a well organized (an achievement given the complex subject) and well written book. The narrative is tight with no drifting to stray topics. There are good photos, and the index (which I often used) is very good. The notes show the range of sources. With all that said, you need to be interested in this topic to appreciate the book. If you appreciate the topic, you will really appreciate the book.
February 18, 2021
Fascinating Read About Seemingly Forgotten History. Let's face it, these days (and even when this elder Millenial was in school in the late 80s - early 2000s), American schools (at least, perhaps, outside the Southwest) barely even teach World War 1 itself - much less the other actions that were going on as America was trying to stay away from that war. I knew of exactly one story from the Punitive Expeditions before reading this book, and that was the story of George S Patton's first ever motorized attack - one of the events early in his career that made him truly legendary. Here, Guinn does a truly remarkable job of setting the stage and scope of the entire situation, from its earliest beginnings (even repeatedly referencing when the Spanish first came to central America) through the fates of the key players he has spent the text explaining. If you've never heard of this last war on Continental US soil before, do yourself a favor and read this book. If you want to understand more context for a lot of the current simmering tensions along the US/ Mexico border... do yourself a favor and read this book. Yes, the actions themselves were now slightly over a century ago - but if you're able to read at all, it means that it was in the time of no further from you than your great-great grandparents, and these actions still reverberate to this day in the lands and minds of those whose own great-great grandparents (or more recent) were actively involved here. Very "readable" narrative, never sounds overly "academic", and well documented to boot. Very much recommended.
June 4, 2024
Author Jeff Guinn has a way of taking a well-covered subject, such as Bonnie & Clyde, OK Corral, or Charles Manson, and melting away the myths, legends, misconceptions and general whooha and delivering what occurred and why, all in an entertaining fashion.
In ‘War on the Border’, that area between Texas and Mexico, murderous Warlord Pancho Villa and General Pershing are a pair of the primary characters and eventually adversaries, along with a host of Mexican presidents, generals, the Texas Rangers, German political intrigue and the various strange people who always seem to find their way into chaotic situations for money or glory, or both !
Where else could Pancho Villa have Hollywood come in and film his battles for profit, this is 1914 !!?!
Though one may think the idea of the Wild West’ is a bit fanciful, this story is certainly a reminder that even well into the 20th century, Texas could be a dangerous place.
In ‘War on the Border’, that area between Texas and Mexico, murderous Warlord Pancho Villa and General Pershing are a pair of the primary characters and eventually adversaries, along with a host of Mexican presidents, generals, the Texas Rangers, German political intrigue and the various strange people who always seem to find their way into chaotic situations for money or glory, or both !
Where else could Pancho Villa have Hollywood come in and film his battles for profit, this is 1914 !!?!
Though one may think the idea of the Wild West’ is a bit fanciful, this story is certainly a reminder that even well into the 20th century, Texas could be a dangerous place.
September 17, 2021
Jeff Guinn, an award-winning investigative reporter and author of a number of noteworthy historical sagas, has penned a riveting account of the troubled relationship between Mexico and her northern neighbor over a wide span of years.
He begins with the alleged raid by Pancho Villa on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, and the Punitive Expedition of 1916 that brought the U.S. and Mexico to the brink of all-out war.
Guinn sticks with the generally accepted version that Villa launched the attack in the hope U.S. troops would cross the border in retaliation, thus derailing relations between the two countries and drawing support away from President Venustiano Carranza and to the revolutionaries trying to topple his regime. Villa did take credit for the raid, but he had also made claims about other matters when it suited his purpose. Alternate theories purport Carranza initiated the raid in hope of inspiring U.S. wrath against his enemies. And it's also a fact Germany was involved in efforts to keep the U.S. busy and out of the war in Europe, providing offers of weapons and other help to both Carranza and Villa.
Despite diplomatic efforts, tempers were roused and General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing was authorized to launch the nine-month invasion deep into Mexican territory in pursuit of Villa and his forces. For the first time in history, the U.S. employed gasoline-powered vehicles and aircraft in a military exercise outside the country--resources which proved of little value given the ruggedness and expanse of the territory they traversed.
This portion of the book is interesting and well-written. Guinn takes it several steps further, though, going into the earlier history of U.S.-Mexican relations and exploring such issues as Mexico's struggle to create a viable democratic government, U.S. expansionism, and appropriation of Mexican territory in the aftermath of the war of 1846-47, the conniving of U.S. representatives and business interests, the vigilante actions of the Texas Rangers, and much more.
He paints vibrant biographical sketches of the various players, including Woodrow Wilson, Villa, Carranza, Persing, Francisco Madero, Porfirio Diaz, Victoriano Huerta, General Frederick Funston, General George Patton, and others.
Often, people look at history as simply something that happened in the past. They forget those things of the past often have repercussions felt long into the future. We, today, are still experiencing repercussions of events that began nearly 200 years ago on the U.S-Mexican border and have yet to resolve them.
He begins with the alleged raid by Pancho Villa on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, and the Punitive Expedition of 1916 that brought the U.S. and Mexico to the brink of all-out war.
Guinn sticks with the generally accepted version that Villa launched the attack in the hope U.S. troops would cross the border in retaliation, thus derailing relations between the two countries and drawing support away from President Venustiano Carranza and to the revolutionaries trying to topple his regime. Villa did take credit for the raid, but he had also made claims about other matters when it suited his purpose. Alternate theories purport Carranza initiated the raid in hope of inspiring U.S. wrath against his enemies. And it's also a fact Germany was involved in efforts to keep the U.S. busy and out of the war in Europe, providing offers of weapons and other help to both Carranza and Villa.
Despite diplomatic efforts, tempers were roused and General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing was authorized to launch the nine-month invasion deep into Mexican territory in pursuit of Villa and his forces. For the first time in history, the U.S. employed gasoline-powered vehicles and aircraft in a military exercise outside the country--resources which proved of little value given the ruggedness and expanse of the territory they traversed.
This portion of the book is interesting and well-written. Guinn takes it several steps further, though, going into the earlier history of U.S.-Mexican relations and exploring such issues as Mexico's struggle to create a viable democratic government, U.S. expansionism, and appropriation of Mexican territory in the aftermath of the war of 1846-47, the conniving of U.S. representatives and business interests, the vigilante actions of the Texas Rangers, and much more.
He paints vibrant biographical sketches of the various players, including Woodrow Wilson, Villa, Carranza, Persing, Francisco Madero, Porfirio Diaz, Victoriano Huerta, General Frederick Funston, General George Patton, and others.
Often, people look at history as simply something that happened in the past. They forget those things of the past often have repercussions felt long into the future. We, today, are still experiencing repercussions of events that began nearly 200 years ago on the U.S-Mexican border and have yet to resolve them.
August 17, 2021
Guinn does it again
I have loved every book Jeff Guinn has written. They are deeply researched, fast paced, and always are full of great stories to support the main one. This superb book gives the reader a deep insight into the sordid history between Mexico and the US snd brings to life the fascinating snd notorious Poncho Villa.
I have loved every book Jeff Guinn has written. They are deeply researched, fast paced, and always are full of great stories to support the main one. This superb book gives the reader a deep insight into the sordid history between Mexico and the US snd brings to life the fascinating snd notorious Poncho Villa.
March 29, 2021
The book is based on the “invasion” of Mexico by the United States in pursuit of Pancho Villa and the border wars that he and others instigated. The book is well written and the author does a very good job of making the events read more like a novel than dry history. He addresses the concerns of both sides of the conflict and what they were trying to achieve. The only misleading part of the book is that he includes the Texas Rangers in the title, but writes very little about them in the book itself. A good book for anyone interested in the history of the American west as it came to a close with World War I.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, my blog page and my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, my blog page and my Facebook page.
December 6, 2021
Things I was taught about Pancho Villa, Pershing, and the border incidents by the American school system: Pancho Villa was a small time bandit, Pershing entered Mexico briefly to kill Pancho villa and was mostly successful, airplains were first used by the US in the expedition. To paraphrase General Kenobi "these things were true, from a certain point of view".
What actually happened is a completely different and far more interesting story. Pancho Villa was at one point one of the most powerful leaders in a Mexican civil War and was very close to winning it. Pershing invaded a sovereign country without its consent which is by all standards an act of war and this was not the first time and thats not even counting the actual mexican-american war, Pershing expedition was not only a failure but a boondogle that was hampered by political and military pressure caused by the fact that this incursion was in all rules of law illegal, and airplanes were used but were ineffective and all of them crashed.
The most important aspect of this book has less to do with Villa and Pershing and a whole lot more to due with perspective. This is a 300 page book on perspective and context of the Zimmerman Telegram. You get in history books the Zimmerman telegram as a one line mention in the history of WWI with usually a confused sentence about not understanding why it was sent and no historical context in which it was sent in This book gives you this context and in doing so gives you a much better understanding of the US in WWI and its preceding years. As an aside the Rangers portion of this book is disturbing to say the least and the racial aspect while common for the era was just sad.
A book that fills in gaps in the usually sweeping overview of World History that you normally get. This gives perspective and detail that is missing and needed in history lessons.
Highly recommended.
What actually happened is a completely different and far more interesting story. Pancho Villa was at one point one of the most powerful leaders in a Mexican civil War and was very close to winning it. Pershing invaded a sovereign country without its consent which is by all standards an act of war and this was not the first time and thats not even counting the actual mexican-american war, Pershing expedition was not only a failure but a boondogle that was hampered by political and military pressure caused by the fact that this incursion was in all rules of law illegal, and airplanes were used but were ineffective and all of them crashed.
The most important aspect of this book has less to do with Villa and Pershing and a whole lot more to due with perspective. This is a 300 page book on perspective and context of the Zimmerman Telegram. You get in history books the Zimmerman telegram as a one line mention in the history of WWI with usually a confused sentence about not understanding why it was sent and no historical context in which it was sent in This book gives you this context and in doing so gives you a much better understanding of the US in WWI and its preceding years. As an aside the Rangers portion of this book is disturbing to say the least and the racial aspect while common for the era was just sad.
A book that fills in gaps in the usually sweeping overview of World History that you normally get. This gives perspective and detail that is missing and needed in history lessons.
Highly recommended.
December 27, 2024
Just finished:
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2021.
Jeff Guinn is a great writer and he delivered again with this book on Pershing's expedition into Mexico after Pancho Villa. Pershing's forces responded to Villa and his men's attack on Columbus, New Mexico. Pershing's forces were never able to catch Villa.
Ultimately I thought this book was also a history of the US-Mexican border and a picture of diploma relations between the two countries.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2021.
Jeff Guinn is a great writer and he delivered again with this book on Pershing's expedition into Mexico after Pancho Villa. Pershing's forces responded to Villa and his men's attack on Columbus, New Mexico. Pershing's forces were never able to catch Villa.
Ultimately I thought this book was also a history of the US-Mexican border and a picture of diploma relations between the two countries.
January 9, 2022
Guinn's book is not just about the Punitive Expedition. He spends many chapters setting up the situation and giving us great, in depth views of the participants, then continues to follow the tensions between the countries after Pershing and his forces have returned to U.S. soil.
I was particularly interested in the relations between Japan and Germany during this period. I thought I knew the contents of the Zimmerman telegram fairly well but didn't know about the overtures Germany had made to Japan.
I wish Guinn had said more about Villa's death, which is almost a footnote in the epilog of this book.
I was particularly interested in the relations between Japan and Germany during this period. I thought I knew the contents of the Zimmerman telegram fairly well but didn't know about the overtures Germany had made to Japan.
I wish Guinn had said more about Villa's death, which is almost a footnote in the epilog of this book.
January 10, 2022
I learned a lot from this book I had not known before. Mainly about Germany’s interference / agitation trying to get Mexico as an ally during WWI, and the role they played.
Many of the books I’ve read in Mexico history and Pancho Villa talk about the constant infighting, politics, and jumping from side to side of the various power players. So that was a topic I had already known quit a bit.
This one did describe a lot of the killings, conflict on the border between US and Mexico and/or conflicts between whites and Hispanics, and is a difficult description as many Mexican/Americans tried to stay neutral or loyal to America, but were just thrown into the same crowd as “the rest of the Mexicans” , so it easily turned into a race based us vs them conflict and a lot of innocent people on both sides killed just for being the wrong color.
The building and use of the Texas Rangers is very enlightening here. They were not created as a law enforcement arm, but more of a militia to fight Indians, then Mexican bandits, which morf’d into bullying, targeting minorities, and a questionably immoral mission. They fought brutality with brutality and many innocents were impacted.
Pancho Villa is a fascinating character, I read everything I can get my hands on about him. Was he a Robin Hood/good guy “for the people” , or a bad guy as a robber, killer, power hungry leader, (I think more of the latter) but he did generally try to take the US side in most early issues, before ultimately scrapping with US.
Overall, glad I read this book, not my favorite. Not particularly enjoyable reading as it seemed a little too military technical (many names, many titles, commands, etc) got confusing, but I’m glad I read it.
Many of the books I’ve read in Mexico history and Pancho Villa talk about the constant infighting, politics, and jumping from side to side of the various power players. So that was a topic I had already known quit a bit.
This one did describe a lot of the killings, conflict on the border between US and Mexico and/or conflicts between whites and Hispanics, and is a difficult description as many Mexican/Americans tried to stay neutral or loyal to America, but were just thrown into the same crowd as “the rest of the Mexicans” , so it easily turned into a race based us vs them conflict and a lot of innocent people on both sides killed just for being the wrong color.
The building and use of the Texas Rangers is very enlightening here. They were not created as a law enforcement arm, but more of a militia to fight Indians, then Mexican bandits, which morf’d into bullying, targeting minorities, and a questionably immoral mission. They fought brutality with brutality and many innocents were impacted.
Pancho Villa is a fascinating character, I read everything I can get my hands on about him. Was he a Robin Hood/good guy “for the people” , or a bad guy as a robber, killer, power hungry leader, (I think more of the latter) but he did generally try to take the US side in most early issues, before ultimately scrapping with US.
Overall, glad I read this book, not my favorite. Not particularly enjoyable reading as it seemed a little too military technical (many names, many titles, commands, etc) got confusing, but I’m glad I read it.
August 24, 2021
I wanted to read to book to inspire me to visit Columbus, NM, and The Pink Store just across the border. A success on that front. But I was also pleasantly surprised how much El Paso/Juarez history was included, as well. I learned a lot, helping inform our politics of today.
August 24, 2021
Story of conflict between US and Mexico at the turn of the 20th century. Good portraits of Pancho Villa and Woodrow Wilson in terms of the conflict.
July 24, 2021
This excellent book covers the U.S. invasion into Mexico in 1916 in response to a deliberate provocation by Mexican populist fighter Pancho Villa. Villa's was a strategic hit into the U.S., which he hoped would bring the U.S. into Mexican territory and impact the ongoing Mexican civil war. It did. The "Punitive Expedition" was led by Gen. John J. Pershing, who went on the lead U.S. troops in Europe in World War I, and lasted only a few months. But the ramifications of this step were significant.
Guinn is an excellent story teller and he capably covers the complex Mexican politics and U.S. national interests and calculations that led up to the invasion. The story is peopled with colorful characters, not least of which is Pancho Villa and the conniving Venustiano Carranza who is desperately hoping to hold onto power in Mexico City. Woodrow Wilson must made decisions about involvement in Mexico, while dealing with the conflagration in Europe. Pershing's son in law is none other than young George Patton, who strives to make a name for himself even then. The expedition withdrew without capturing Mr. Villa. You are sorry to see it end. Guinn goes on to briefly describe Villa's demise. In the process, he covers a lot of the cultural history along the border and the complex story of the Mexican civil war. His writing is clear and fast paced and thorough. It was a pleasure to read and to gain a deeper understanding of Mexican-U.S. relations over the years.
Guinn is an excellent story teller and he capably covers the complex Mexican politics and U.S. national interests and calculations that led up to the invasion. The story is peopled with colorful characters, not least of which is Pancho Villa and the conniving Venustiano Carranza who is desperately hoping to hold onto power in Mexico City. Woodrow Wilson must made decisions about involvement in Mexico, while dealing with the conflagration in Europe. Pershing's son in law is none other than young George Patton, who strives to make a name for himself even then. The expedition withdrew without capturing Mr. Villa. You are sorry to see it end. Guinn goes on to briefly describe Villa's demise. In the process, he covers a lot of the cultural history along the border and the complex story of the Mexican civil war. His writing is clear and fast paced and thorough. It was a pleasure to read and to gain a deeper understanding of Mexican-U.S. relations over the years.
August 9, 2021
I've been a Jeff Guinn fan for a few years now. I always make a point of keeping up with his new releases and hunting them down. This was an interesting one that touched on a historical period I should be more familiar with and am not--the Mexican Revolution.
Guinn always does a great job of writing about controversial topics with considerable insight and a balanced, fair approach. His crime books remain my favorite, but I really enjoyed this one too. Pancho Villa's raid and the resulting American incursion into Mexico don't occupy as much as the title and ad copy imply. It's really more an overview of Mexican history and border history at the time, which is all too relevant even now, that builds up to the raid and incursion, and is very interesting in its own right. It's probably one of the more accessible summaries I've encountered of what was a very complicated political situation in 1910s Mexico.
My only problem is now I have to wait another 2-3 years for Guinn to write his next book. The struggle is real!
Guinn always does a great job of writing about controversial topics with considerable insight and a balanced, fair approach. His crime books remain my favorite, but I really enjoyed this one too. Pancho Villa's raid and the resulting American incursion into Mexico don't occupy as much as the title and ad copy imply. It's really more an overview of Mexican history and border history at the time, which is all too relevant even now, that builds up to the raid and incursion, and is very interesting in its own right. It's probably one of the more accessible summaries I've encountered of what was a very complicated political situation in 1910s Mexico.
My only problem is now I have to wait another 2-3 years for Guinn to write his next book. The struggle is real!
April 21, 2022
In his memoirs Pres Grant wrote that the war with Mexico was nothing but pure theft because Mexico had the audacity to abolish slavery years prior. We Americans wanted to defend our right to own our slaves and to expand slavery. I highly recommend Grant's book as well by the way. Shocker, now we have a legacy of generations of racism, violence, and hatred. To this very day we want to build a wall to serve as a monument to our ignorance and backwardness.
This book is a reminder to me that there is in Columbus NM a museum covering the Pancho Villa attack. I drove right down that road as a younger guy, completely oblivious to what happened there and I needed to pay a visit. One day.
This book is a reminder to me that there is in Columbus NM a museum covering the Pancho Villa attack. I drove right down that road as a younger guy, completely oblivious to what happened there and I needed to pay a visit. One day.
May 30, 2021
Reading history is a constant reminder that the world seems to be on a repetitive spin cycle of border conflicts, struggles for political power, and failed attempts at diplomacy. Over the past several years, the border between the United States and Mexico has been a never-ending source of quarrels. Some might think it began with Donald Trump's calls to build the wall, but as Jeff Guinn notes in his skillfully written history, WAR ON THE BORDER, Mexican-American relations have troubled both countries since their founding days.
In 1825, the first envoys of the young U.S. government were sent to Mexico City, the capital of newly independent Mexico. America’s southern neighbor had won her independence from Spain in 1821, and the two nations, each occupying 1.7 million square miles, shared a 2,400-mile border stretching from what is now Wyoming to Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. Mexicans were initially surprised when the first diplomatic contact was an American offer to buy land in what is now the western United States.
Subsequent years would confirm Mexicans’ concern that the U.S. would capture land by whatever means necessary. By the early 20th century, more than half of the original Mexican nation now belonged to America, and Mexican citizens resented how their northern neighbor treated them.
In 1916, a charismatic leader named Pancho Villa was engaged in conflict with the Mexican government of Venustiano Carranza. Villa had been a friend of the U.S. and felt betrayed when President Woodrow Wilson supported Carranza. Recognizing the deep-seated animosity of Mexicans toward America, Villa sought to gain popular support by aggressive actions against the U.S.
Further complicating diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Mexico was the ongoing war in Europe. Possible American intervention in that conflict was the outgrowth of the emergence of the U.S. as a world power. Germany rightly assumed that if America became involved in the European struggle, it would be on the side of England and France. The Germans hoped that an American military presence on the Mexican border would divert attention from a potential intervention in Europe. Secretary of State Robert Lansing warned President Wilson that the one thing Germany was hoping to maintain in Mexico was chaos. That chaos could be avoided by diplomatic recognition to one man in Mexico who could be trusted to get his country under control and take over the border. Wilson finally agreed and chose Carranza.
Both General John Pershing and the Texas Rangers are mentioned in the title of Guinn’s historical account, but they are not major players in the Mexican-American border conflict of 1916. Pershing pursued Villa in Mexico, but it was an unsuccessful campaign. The Texas Rangers, a revered Texas law enforcement organization presently undergoing a reevaluation of their role in Texas history, were involved at the border but not in sufficient numbers to influence the outcome of the diplomatic struggle.
WAR ON THE BORDER is a great place for readers to begin a study of the subject, which will lead them to other books that are as deeply researched as Guinn's. The history of the border between the U.S. and Mexico is a complex issue that remains relevant today as the two nations continue seeking resolution over centuries of disagreement.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
In 1825, the first envoys of the young U.S. government were sent to Mexico City, the capital of newly independent Mexico. America’s southern neighbor had won her independence from Spain in 1821, and the two nations, each occupying 1.7 million square miles, shared a 2,400-mile border stretching from what is now Wyoming to Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. Mexicans were initially surprised when the first diplomatic contact was an American offer to buy land in what is now the western United States.
Subsequent years would confirm Mexicans’ concern that the U.S. would capture land by whatever means necessary. By the early 20th century, more than half of the original Mexican nation now belonged to America, and Mexican citizens resented how their northern neighbor treated them.
In 1916, a charismatic leader named Pancho Villa was engaged in conflict with the Mexican government of Venustiano Carranza. Villa had been a friend of the U.S. and felt betrayed when President Woodrow Wilson supported Carranza. Recognizing the deep-seated animosity of Mexicans toward America, Villa sought to gain popular support by aggressive actions against the U.S.
Further complicating diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Mexico was the ongoing war in Europe. Possible American intervention in that conflict was the outgrowth of the emergence of the U.S. as a world power. Germany rightly assumed that if America became involved in the European struggle, it would be on the side of England and France. The Germans hoped that an American military presence on the Mexican border would divert attention from a potential intervention in Europe. Secretary of State Robert Lansing warned President Wilson that the one thing Germany was hoping to maintain in Mexico was chaos. That chaos could be avoided by diplomatic recognition to one man in Mexico who could be trusted to get his country under control and take over the border. Wilson finally agreed and chose Carranza.
Both General John Pershing and the Texas Rangers are mentioned in the title of Guinn’s historical account, but they are not major players in the Mexican-American border conflict of 1916. Pershing pursued Villa in Mexico, but it was an unsuccessful campaign. The Texas Rangers, a revered Texas law enforcement organization presently undergoing a reevaluation of their role in Texas history, were involved at the border but not in sufficient numbers to influence the outcome of the diplomatic struggle.
WAR ON THE BORDER is a great place for readers to begin a study of the subject, which will lead them to other books that are as deeply researched as Guinn's. The history of the border between the U.S. and Mexico is a complex issue that remains relevant today as the two nations continue seeking resolution over centuries of disagreement.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
May 28, 2025
This book provides an intriguing account of an oft-forgotten chapter in the history of relations between the United States and Mexico: the Villista Raids and the Punitive Expedition of 1916-17.
Throughout the 1910s, Mexico was embroiled in a multi-factional civil war called the Mexican Revolution. One of the most charismatic figures to emerge from this war was a man named Pancho Villa, an eccentric bandit turned Governor and military General who idolized early Hollywood and genuinely admired the United States, but whose leadership methods were questionable at best and whose grasp on power was always tenuous.
For this reason, the U.S. eventually backed the Presidency of Venustiano Carranza, whom American leaders generally regarded as being a more stable option for leadership in Mexico. Woodrow Wilson and other American political leaders were far more concerned with WWI than with the war in Mexico, and American business leaders wanted a President who wouldn’t engage in radical land reform.
Villa interpreted the American refusal to back him as a personal betrayal, and this led to several raids across the U.S. border, such as the Battle of Columbus— partially executed out of practical necessity, as Villa was losing his war against Carranza and desperately needed funds and supplies, which he was willing to seize at any cost.
The raids sparked American outrage and led to retaliation, both in the form of mob justice which stoked ethnic tensions in the Southwest, and in the form of an official military expedition into Mexico led by General John Pershing, which yielded mixed results: substantially weakening the Villistas, but failing to capture Villa himself and fueling anti-American sentiment in Mexico.
The most interesting aspect of this story is Germany’s involvement in it. The German government had been worried about American entry into WWI and were desperate for any avenue to prevent or delay it. When the official Mexican government refused an offer of alliance from Germany, they looked to Villa as a potential partner. They supported anti-American forces in Mexico and purportedly circulated anti-Mexican sentiment on the U.S. side of the border. They wanted a conflict between the U.S. and Mexico to be complicated, costly, bloody, and drawn out.
I think there’s a cautionary tale for Americans here: to be wary of a foreign adversary manipulating animosity on both sides of the Southern Border with the express purpose of weakening the United States.
Throughout the 1910s, Mexico was embroiled in a multi-factional civil war called the Mexican Revolution. One of the most charismatic figures to emerge from this war was a man named Pancho Villa, an eccentric bandit turned Governor and military General who idolized early Hollywood and genuinely admired the United States, but whose leadership methods were questionable at best and whose grasp on power was always tenuous.
For this reason, the U.S. eventually backed the Presidency of Venustiano Carranza, whom American leaders generally regarded as being a more stable option for leadership in Mexico. Woodrow Wilson and other American political leaders were far more concerned with WWI than with the war in Mexico, and American business leaders wanted a President who wouldn’t engage in radical land reform.
Villa interpreted the American refusal to back him as a personal betrayal, and this led to several raids across the U.S. border, such as the Battle of Columbus— partially executed out of practical necessity, as Villa was losing his war against Carranza and desperately needed funds and supplies, which he was willing to seize at any cost.
The raids sparked American outrage and led to retaliation, both in the form of mob justice which stoked ethnic tensions in the Southwest, and in the form of an official military expedition into Mexico led by General John Pershing, which yielded mixed results: substantially weakening the Villistas, but failing to capture Villa himself and fueling anti-American sentiment in Mexico.
The most interesting aspect of this story is Germany’s involvement in it. The German government had been worried about American entry into WWI and were desperate for any avenue to prevent or delay it. When the official Mexican government refused an offer of alliance from Germany, they looked to Villa as a potential partner. They supported anti-American forces in Mexico and purportedly circulated anti-Mexican sentiment on the U.S. side of the border. They wanted a conflict between the U.S. and Mexico to be complicated, costly, bloody, and drawn out.
I think there’s a cautionary tale for Americans here: to be wary of a foreign adversary manipulating animosity on both sides of the Southern Border with the express purpose of weakening the United States.
June 25, 2024
"Panco Villa crossed the border in the year of aught sixteen
The people of Columbus still hear him riding through their dreams
He killed seventeen civilians you could hear the women scream
Blackjack Pershing on a dancing horse was waiting in the wings"
- Tom Russell, Tonight We Ride
On March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and raided the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, looting the business sector and setting a number of buildings on fire. Ultimately, in response, the United States sent General John J. Pershing across the border with with 4,800 troops in what was then called the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army" to capture Pancho Villa and end the treat of the Villistas. The expedition lasted just over 10 months and did not succeed in capturing Villa. I knew that much going in, and not just from Tom Russell's song. But there was a lot of background, some of which I did not know.
Journalist and popular history author Jeff Guinn gives us an overview of the Villa Expedition along with the background necessary to understand why it happened and why it turned out the way it did. That background involves a lot of the history of the diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico, the Mexican Revolution, the history of raids over the border (from both sides) and the build-up to the entry of the U.S. in to World War I. It's a whole lot of stuff and, honestly, almost every chapter in the book could be its own monograph, along with biographies of Villa, Venustiano Carranza, and most of the major participants in the Mexican Revolution that raged from 1910-1920. If you're well versed in the Mexican Revolution, the unofficial Border War between the U.S. and Mexico that went on for most of that time (including the involvement of the Texas Rangers and the "Bandit Wars") then this is probably not the book for you. But if you're looking for a primer that can lead to more in depth looks...this is a pretty decent place to start. For those of us who were already familiar with the Zimmerman Telegram, there's a lot more context of the fairly long-term German efforts to stoke the border disputes between the U.S. and Mexico in hopes of igniting a war that would keep the U.S. out of the war in Europe.
Well worth a read and definitely a nice place to start on a part of American history that is seldom looked at in depth.
The people of Columbus still hear him riding through their dreams
He killed seventeen civilians you could hear the women scream
Blackjack Pershing on a dancing horse was waiting in the wings"
- Tom Russell, Tonight We Ride
On March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and raided the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, looting the business sector and setting a number of buildings on fire. Ultimately, in response, the United States sent General John J. Pershing across the border with with 4,800 troops in what was then called the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army" to capture Pancho Villa and end the treat of the Villistas. The expedition lasted just over 10 months and did not succeed in capturing Villa. I knew that much going in, and not just from Tom Russell's song. But there was a lot of background, some of which I did not know.
Journalist and popular history author Jeff Guinn gives us an overview of the Villa Expedition along with the background necessary to understand why it happened and why it turned out the way it did. That background involves a lot of the history of the diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico, the Mexican Revolution, the history of raids over the border (from both sides) and the build-up to the entry of the U.S. in to World War I. It's a whole lot of stuff and, honestly, almost every chapter in the book could be its own monograph, along with biographies of Villa, Venustiano Carranza, and most of the major participants in the Mexican Revolution that raged from 1910-1920. If you're well versed in the Mexican Revolution, the unofficial Border War between the U.S. and Mexico that went on for most of that time (including the involvement of the Texas Rangers and the "Bandit Wars") then this is probably not the book for you. But if you're looking for a primer that can lead to more in depth looks...this is a pretty decent place to start. For those of us who were already familiar with the Zimmerman Telegram, there's a lot more context of the fairly long-term German efforts to stoke the border disputes between the U.S. and Mexico in hopes of igniting a war that would keep the U.S. out of the war in Europe.
Well worth a read and definitely a nice place to start on a part of American history that is seldom looked at in depth.
March 23, 2024
This was a good book that suitably informed me about Pancho Villa and the border troubles between texas and Mexico during the early 1900s. Everyone has heard the name of Pancho Villa, but somehow no one knows who he actually is. It turns out that he was a grassroots populist activist who grew support by attacking the federal government in his own country (not figuratively, he literally leads men in cavalry charges against entrenched positions) and slaughtering gringos across the Rio Grande to grow his own popularity.
Guinn does a good job infusing each person involved with enough character to make them interesting, while refusing to take many detours and sticking with the action. President Wilson’s balancing act between American interests in Mexico and the outbreak of World War I was particularly interesting, as were the atrocities and attitudes surrounding the Texas Rangers of the time.
I’ve given this three stars, with the possibility of an upgrade to four, because the writing just didn’t capture me. We got the events, the people, a bit of character, and that was it. Enjoyable, but not outstanding. Guinn doesn’t infuse the romanticism of Fehrenbach or the thoughtful character exploration of SC Gwynne, but I came away informed and pleased with the book.
The only part that took away from the book was Guinn’s one sided treatment of ethnic hatred. He points out the discrimination of Anglos against Tejanos, and Villa against Chinese colonists, and then totally leaves out mention of Mexican hatred of Anglos. Sure, he says that Villa hates Americans, but he leaves out the broader ethnicity based dislike when compared to his other descriptions. In fact, one darkly humorous moment caused me to chuckle out loud: Clavin chides the Anglo residents of a border town for being suspicious of Mexicans, only to see their suspicions confirmed a few pages later when 20 of them are slaughtered by a Mexican raid across the Rio Grande.
Racial turmoil was a critical part of the border struggles, and especially in the development of the entire history of Texas, and deserves a fuller treatment that seeks to understand it on a deeper level.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book as an enjoyable detour into the history of Mexican-American relations, and the cast of major figures in the early 1900s.
Guinn does a good job infusing each person involved with enough character to make them interesting, while refusing to take many detours and sticking with the action. President Wilson’s balancing act between American interests in Mexico and the outbreak of World War I was particularly interesting, as were the atrocities and attitudes surrounding the Texas Rangers of the time.
I’ve given this three stars, with the possibility of an upgrade to four, because the writing just didn’t capture me. We got the events, the people, a bit of character, and that was it. Enjoyable, but not outstanding. Guinn doesn’t infuse the romanticism of Fehrenbach or the thoughtful character exploration of SC Gwynne, but I came away informed and pleased with the book.
The only part that took away from the book was Guinn’s one sided treatment of ethnic hatred. He points out the discrimination of Anglos against Tejanos, and Villa against Chinese colonists, and then totally leaves out mention of Mexican hatred of Anglos. Sure, he says that Villa hates Americans, but he leaves out the broader ethnicity based dislike when compared to his other descriptions. In fact, one darkly humorous moment caused me to chuckle out loud: Clavin chides the Anglo residents of a border town for being suspicious of Mexicans, only to see their suspicions confirmed a few pages later when 20 of them are slaughtered by a Mexican raid across the Rio Grande.
Racial turmoil was a critical part of the border struggles, and especially in the development of the entire history of Texas, and deserves a fuller treatment that seeks to understand it on a deeper level.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book as an enjoyable detour into the history of Mexican-American relations, and the cast of major figures in the early 1900s.
November 30, 2021
The story of Pancho Villa and the role of Black Jack Pershing in Mexico is a complex one. After the 1910 revolution in Mexico things were not settled quickly. Porfirio Diaz left after almost 40 years and immediately the country was thrown into disorder. There were lots of contending forces (there were the three sources - Madero, Zapata (from the South) and Pancho Villa (from the North) - but even those were soon moving places. Madero was assassinated (he was a naive idealist) - Oddly in Parque Revolución in Guadalajara statues of Madero and Carranza stand opposite each other even though Carranza is generally credited with the plot on Madero.
But Guinn also covers the larger stories - the role of the Texas rangers (who are described correctly as a lot less orderly than stories I heard growing up) and the incursions across both borders. No one comes out well in these pictures.
But Guinn also covers the larger stories - the role of the Texas rangers (who are described correctly as a lot less orderly than stories I heard growing up) and the incursions across both borders. No one comes out well in these pictures.
November 10, 2021
A riveting overview of the limited war between the U.S. and Mexico in the early 19th century, and the turmoil of the Mexican Civil Wars (yes, there were multiple). It is really hard to find a good book that covers the Mexican Civil War in English, but this book does pretty well for that. Of course the focus is mainly on the tensions between the US and Mexico, but it does go slightly in depth into the Civil War, fortunately. You have to use backstory to understand the context of Mexican History when writing a book such as this. Guinn used nearly 300 sources compiling this book, about one per page, from various scholarly sources. It read rivetingly like a novel, but non-fiction. And, perhaps most importantly, Guinn is careful not to villianize either side. He delicately balances the struggle by showing both country's side.
March 2, 2023
This is an excellent book. Well written. The author writes in a style that is engaging and makes history riveting. He also calls it the way he sees it with no beating around the bush. I look forward to reading more by this author.
October 6, 2024
Interesting topic, but the writing and the larger narrative is a bit unfocused at times. The key takeaway - today’s boarder tentions evolved from the boarder war a century ago.
December 5, 2024
Solid no-frills history
February 19, 2025
Jeff Guinn, like many dutiful Pancho Villa chroniclers, stands in the imposing shadow of Freidrich Katz's fat and voluminous biography of the man, but, by focusing on the showdown between Pershing and Villa, he does offer us a way of framing the American response to Villa's revolutionary antics (which included shooting American train passengers in cold blood) that provides some additional textures and presages Pershing's involvement in World War I not long after this. You're not going to find a lot of historical rigor here, but you will find a decent synthesis of events that led Pancho Villa to be admired and feared.
February 20, 2021
I enjoy histories written by non-historians (Guinn is a journalist) like this one. A good non-historian writing history has a reverence for accuracy and a desire for readability, but is not bogged down by the need to address whatever topics and buzzwords are big with the academic crowd at the time of writing. For example, at no point in this book is the word “other” used as a verb or a noun.
Although he does not engage in the rhetoric now deemed appropriate for oppressed groups, Guinn is very aware that the Mexicans and Tejanos of the World War I-era were often treated extremely badly by arrogant Anglos, especially in the form of the paramilitary Texas Rangers. But he also knows and writes about the cruelty that Mexicans inflicted on themselves and the Americans, whether they were US soldiers wandering cluelessly around a hostile north Mexico landscape in a semi-authorized foreign invasion, or US civilians who felt (wrongly) that they were safe on the north side of the Rio Grande.
All of the above has very loud reverberations in our own time.
Being an East Coast born-and-bred history nerd myself, I was surprised because US history of this era, as I was taught it long ago, was marvelously uncontaminated by the violence and mayhem portrayed in this book. All of this stuff in Mexico didn't even merit a mention. As I remember it, we were taught that it happened like this: the US very reasonably held itself away from Europe's self-immolation for as long as it could, and then the Zimmerman telegram came along, and well then we just had to march in and show them they couldn't mess with US vital interests.
You know, it's too late to correct the boring pedagogy of the past, but I can't help wondering if border violence and mayhem may have held the attention of teenaged boys more closely than memorizing Wilson's 14 points. Now that I think about it, the violence and mayhem in this book might even grab the attention of today's teenaged history nerd (if people like that still exist) – especially if he or she lives in the US southwest.
I enjoyed reading this book because it told me about a place and time that I don't know enough about, in a way which actually stands a chance of sticking in my brain.
I received a free advance electronic copy of this book for review. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for their generosity.
Although he does not engage in the rhetoric now deemed appropriate for oppressed groups, Guinn is very aware that the Mexicans and Tejanos of the World War I-era were often treated extremely badly by arrogant Anglos, especially in the form of the paramilitary Texas Rangers. But he also knows and writes about the cruelty that Mexicans inflicted on themselves and the Americans, whether they were US soldiers wandering cluelessly around a hostile north Mexico landscape in a semi-authorized foreign invasion, or US civilians who felt (wrongly) that they were safe on the north side of the Rio Grande.
All of the above has very loud reverberations in our own time.
Being an East Coast born-and-bred history nerd myself, I was surprised because US history of this era, as I was taught it long ago, was marvelously uncontaminated by the violence and mayhem portrayed in this book. All of this stuff in Mexico didn't even merit a mention. As I remember it, we were taught that it happened like this: the US very reasonably held itself away from Europe's self-immolation for as long as it could, and then the Zimmerman telegram came along, and well then we just had to march in and show them they couldn't mess with US vital interests.
You know, it's too late to correct the boring pedagogy of the past, but I can't help wondering if border violence and mayhem may have held the attention of teenaged boys more closely than memorizing Wilson's 14 points. Now that I think about it, the violence and mayhem in this book might even grab the attention of today's teenaged history nerd (if people like that still exist) – especially if he or she lives in the US southwest.
I enjoyed reading this book because it told me about a place and time that I don't know enough about, in a way which actually stands a chance of sticking in my brain.
I received a free advance electronic copy of this book for review. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for their generosity.
May 2, 2021
Though it looks like this is about Pershing chasing Villa for attacking American ranches and towns in Texas it a lot more than that. There are two parts to this story, the first being how the 'Punitive Expedition' grew into an American invasion of Northern Mexico, and almost led to a shooting war between the US and Mexico. The second part of the story is a very detailed discussion of the political problems of Mexico at the turn of the century.
The approval for the Punitive Expedition came after multiple incursions over the border by Villa and other groups of bandits. Villa would come over the border, robe small towns, steal cattle and pretty much anything that wasn't tied down. But after he murdered all the men in a small Texas town the Texas Rangers were sent in. The Rangers turned out to be worse than the Villaistas who murdered any Tejan/Mexican they encountered whether they were insurgents or not.
Pershing was sent in with the vaunted Buffalo Soldiers and other Cavalry in the last major deployment of the US Cavalry. They also used cars, trucks and airplanes in their search for Villa. The constant incursions into Mexico when looking for Villa caused multiple problems for President Wilson as he decided whether to join the Allies in "The Great War". Eventually Pershing and the troops were pulled out without capturing Villa, but did kill a lot of his followers.
After 1911 when dictator Porfirio Diaz was overthrown after thirty-five years, turn of the century Mexico was in constant civil war with Villa in the North and Zapata in the South, and Carranza in Mexico City. It wasn't until 1920 that things settled down and the elected President was able to serve a complete term. But over those nine years, governments in Mexico City was like a revolving door with some leaders serving for months and multiple governments in the same year.
The approval for the Punitive Expedition came after multiple incursions over the border by Villa and other groups of bandits. Villa would come over the border, robe small towns, steal cattle and pretty much anything that wasn't tied down. But after he murdered all the men in a small Texas town the Texas Rangers were sent in. The Rangers turned out to be worse than the Villaistas who murdered any Tejan/Mexican they encountered whether they were insurgents or not.
Pershing was sent in with the vaunted Buffalo Soldiers and other Cavalry in the last major deployment of the US Cavalry. They also used cars, trucks and airplanes in their search for Villa. The constant incursions into Mexico when looking for Villa caused multiple problems for President Wilson as he decided whether to join the Allies in "The Great War". Eventually Pershing and the troops were pulled out without capturing Villa, but did kill a lot of his followers.
After 1911 when dictator Porfirio Diaz was overthrown after thirty-five years, turn of the century Mexico was in constant civil war with Villa in the North and Zapata in the South, and Carranza in Mexico City. It wasn't until 1920 that things settled down and the elected President was able to serve a complete term. But over those nine years, governments in Mexico City was like a revolving door with some leaders serving for months and multiple governments in the same year.
June 20, 2021
Pancho Villa's attack on Columbus NM in 1916 and the subsequent Punitive Expedition led by John J. Pershing into Mexico is usually dismissed as little more than a footnote. The description of these events usually includes the phrases "the wily Villa" and "eludes capture." The story is far, far more than that.
Guinn places Villa's raid and the Expedition in a far larger context. The first half of the book is devoted to an overview of U.S.-Mexican relations (seldom good) up to that point and the confusing events of the Mexican Revolution. He also provides a convincing rationale for Villa's attack and details Germany's efforts to foment a war between the U.S. and Mexico. I learned that Villa didn't simply elude capture - there were political and policy considerations by both governments that worked to frustrate Pershing and aid Villa. The conflict in Europe was a constant factor in both sides' decision-making. Finally, in his final chapter, Guinn makes it clear that the tensions, distrust and hostility that exist to this very day are part of this larger narrative.
Guinn's narrative straight-forward, workman-like and concise- not given to imaginative embellshment.
His story especially resonated with me. My father-in-law as a young man was in El Paso and witnessed one of the battles fought there between the Villistas and federales. I vividly remember his description of Villa's men taking cover behind a wall to smoke some weed before jumping back out to resume fire. Wish he were still around to question further.
Guinn places Villa's raid and the Expedition in a far larger context. The first half of the book is devoted to an overview of U.S.-Mexican relations (seldom good) up to that point and the confusing events of the Mexican Revolution. He also provides a convincing rationale for Villa's attack and details Germany's efforts to foment a war between the U.S. and Mexico. I learned that Villa didn't simply elude capture - there were political and policy considerations by both governments that worked to frustrate Pershing and aid Villa. The conflict in Europe was a constant factor in both sides' decision-making. Finally, in his final chapter, Guinn makes it clear that the tensions, distrust and hostility that exist to this very day are part of this larger narrative.
Guinn's narrative straight-forward, workman-like and concise- not given to imaginative embellshment.
His story especially resonated with me. My father-in-law as a young man was in El Paso and witnessed one of the battles fought there between the Villistas and federales. I vividly remember his description of Villa's men taking cover behind a wall to smoke some weed before jumping back out to resume fire. Wish he were still around to question further.
June 26, 2021
Pancho Villa: daring revolutionary or barbarous horse thief?
Depends on where your political alliances fell during the tumultuous decade long Mexican Revolution. Peasant born, he dreamed of overthrowing corrupt elites and kicking out American industrialists, who he saw as exploiting Mexico's natural resources. During the revolution and ensuing civil war, Villa eventually came into conflict when he infamously raided Columbus, NM to steal horse, guns and ammo. American public opinion demanded an armed response from Pres. Wilson. Enter Gen. Pershing and the Punitive Expedition.
Author Jeff Guinn provides ample background on early 20th C. Mexican politics and where Villa fit in from the progression of autocrats from Diaz to Huerta to Carranza. This is a well researched account of border raids from both Villistas and Texas Rangers. Guinn illustrates events through his use of documents from both sides of the border: newspapers, army dispatches, and eyewitness accounts. He provides the reader with multiple perspectives on cross-border conflicts; avoiding heavy-handed national biases. He also highlighted that era's newspaper industry's use of sensationalism, as a form of propaganda.
Action, research, style and wit make this an enjoyable nonfiction/history read.
I received a review copy through Goodreads Giveaway program.
This review is my own opinion.
P.S. Watch out for German spies.
Depends on where your political alliances fell during the tumultuous decade long Mexican Revolution. Peasant born, he dreamed of overthrowing corrupt elites and kicking out American industrialists, who he saw as exploiting Mexico's natural resources. During the revolution and ensuing civil war, Villa eventually came into conflict when he infamously raided Columbus, NM to steal horse, guns and ammo. American public opinion demanded an armed response from Pres. Wilson. Enter Gen. Pershing and the Punitive Expedition.
Author Jeff Guinn provides ample background on early 20th C. Mexican politics and where Villa fit in from the progression of autocrats from Diaz to Huerta to Carranza. This is a well researched account of border raids from both Villistas and Texas Rangers. Guinn illustrates events through his use of documents from both sides of the border: newspapers, army dispatches, and eyewitness accounts. He provides the reader with multiple perspectives on cross-border conflicts; avoiding heavy-handed national biases. He also highlighted that era's newspaper industry's use of sensationalism, as a form of propaganda.
Action, research, style and wit make this an enjoyable nonfiction/history read.
I received a review copy through Goodreads Giveaway program.
This review is my own opinion.
P.S. Watch out for German spies.
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