Robert E. Quirk (1918–2009)

Written in 1961 it is a little dated, but still a concise account of the American invasion of Veracruz, Mexico in 1914. The author is not a fan of Woodrow Wilson, for sure, whom he depicts as disinterested, impulsive, and blinded by hostility towards Mexico and its president. The invasion led to a pointless loss of life, destabilized Mexico, and left a lasting legacy of bitterness towards the United States. I found it interesting how the Germans and British cooperated in Mexico just months before World War I broke out. In the preface (written in 1962) Quirk ties together the 1914 Veracruz invasion and the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion as emanating from the same domineering and imperialist attitudes and assumptions.… (más)

A fairly concise account of the 1914 occupation of Veracruz. This is told, of course, from the American point of view. However, I don't feel that the author was too terribly biased.

The literary style was rather bland. Although it kept my interest, I think that was due more to the fact that it was less than 200 pages. I found myself not caring about any of the characters in the book. If anything, I came away with a less than favorable opinion of Woodrow Wilson. This is good for a quick overview of the Veracruz occupation and the troubles in Tampico that proceeded it, but don't expect a long drawn out story.… (más)