The American War Of 1844-48 - 1217 Words

A once young Ulysses S. Grant once said, â€Å"I do not think there was ever a more wicked war than that waged by the United States on Mexico† (274). The Mexican-American War of 1844-48 was both a controversial and significant part of United States history, yet it’s forgotten by most Americans today. Events such as, the American-Civil War and Spanish-American war overshadows the memory of the Mexican-American War. However without the consequences of the American conflict with Mexico, American history would look significantly different. That is why some historians record and write works to great lengths to keep the war alive for generations. Amy S. Greenberg is one of those people. Her book, A Wicked War, tells the epic tale of complex 19th†¦show more content†¦A Wicked War successfully answers the who, what, when, where, and why in a 368 page book. Greenberg, a Professor of History, has decades of familiarity with American history and her research comes from countless reliable sources. As for me, a high school student who willingly spent countless hours reading her book, A Wicked War is successful as a narrative on the Mexican-American War. Amy S. Greenberg successfully achieves the goal of writing a true â€Å"narrative history of the war† (xiii), by structuring her content in an effective unbiased manner. Page xiii focuses on introducing the book to the reader. Greenberg points out and tells what her intentions of writing the book are and gives significant context to the reader. She points out what message she wants to convey; discussing what she will and not talk about in her book. Quoted, â€Å"This is not a comprehensive history of the U.S.-Mexican War...tactics, minor battles†¦ will receive limited coverage†, thus she makes it very clear that she is trying to convey that it is, â€Å"instead is a narrative history of the war†. As a result, this gives the reader a brief informative idea when reading the book just before providing some brief context. Pages xiv-xix successfully gives a brief insight into many significant figures in enough detail. She does this by giving a brief summary p aragraph discussing the basic history of Henry Clay, James K. Polk, Abraham