The General and the Jaguar

April 10, 2006
In the early morning of March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa launched an attack on Columbus, N.Mex., that cost the lives of 18 American civilians and soldiers. The American government responded by dispatching troops, led by Gen. John Pershing, into Mexico in pursuit of Villa, while tensions continued to escalate between the two countries, bringing them to the point of war. Despite its title, this book is more concerned with the Columbus attack itself—as well as its root causes and general aftermath—than it is with Pershing's hunt for the perpetrator. A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, Welsome approaches her subject with a novelistic eye for character and minutiae, devoting as much care to describing Villa's eyes as she does to his military philosophy. These digressive flourishes lend a raw humanism to her account of the attack, which plays as a series of horrifying vignettes and serves as the book's centerpiece. In the pages that follow, Welsome's anecdotal style occasionally saps the text's momentum. Overall, the vivid attention to detail compensates for whatever the narrative lacks in focus or efficiency.

May 15, 2006
On March 9, 1916, a band of Mexican guerrillas led by Pancho Villa crossed the border and raided Columbus, NM, killing several U.S. soldiers and civilians. Pulitzer Prize -winning journalist Welsome ("The Plutonium Files: America's Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War") provides a detailed account of that raid and its aftermath, explaining that it originated in the vicissitudes of the Mexican Revolution and describing how the response -the so-called Punitive Expedition, led by General John J. Pershing -achieved its objective in spite of missed opportunities, miscalculations, faulty intelligence, and the failure to capture Villa. She neatly contrasts the military view held by Pershing and his officers -Pershing had previously met and admired Villa -with the geopolitical view held by politicians in Washington, showing how each contributed to a worsening of U.S. -Mexican relations. She also follows the fate of the raiders who were captured, showing how the raid itself and the subsequent trial contributed to a backlash in the United States against those of Mexican origin. This well-written account is soundly based on archival sources and interviews with descendants of those involved. Recommended for public and academic libraries." -Stephen H. Peters, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2006
One of the most compelling (but not necessarily admirable) figures of the Mexican Revolution was Pancho Villa. He was a violent, hot-tempered man who was absolutely ruthless in destroying perceived enemies; he was also brave, loyal, and devoted to the interests of the long-ignored campesinos. On March 9, 1916, Villa led a raid against the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, presumably to punish the U.S. government for opposing his faction as Mexico descended into civil war. In response, General John Pershing led an expedition into Mexico in a futile effort to track down Villa and his band. Welsome, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, tells the story of this obscure but fascinating episode with a fast-moving and engrossing narrative. At times, she seems to be drawing parallels with American involvement in Iraq, which bogs down the saga. But when she stays focused on the evolving story, she provides a highly readable and informative account, which also offers interesting portraits of some key figures in the Mexican Revolution.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)