Sources: Mexico at War: From the Struggle for Independence to 21st Century Drug Wars

Mexico at War: From the Struggle for Independence to 21st Century Drug Wars. By David F. Marley. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2014. 615 p. Acid free, $100.00 (ISBN 978-1-61069-427-8). E-Book (978-1-61069-428-5) available, call for pricing.

This title is the latest in a series of one-volume encyclopedias from ABC-CLIO concerning the military history of various nations, others being Japan at War (2013) and China at War (2012). In this vein, the 275 alphabetically arranged entries cover important personalities (“Villa, Pancho [1878–1923]”; “Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez de [1794–1876]”), battles (“Alamo, Siege of the [1836]”; “Mexican-American War [1846–1848]”), weapons (“Madsen Light Machine Gun”), articles of clothing worn by Mexican troops over the years (“Blusas,” a blouse or tunic, for example), and paramilitary operations (“Drug War [1980’s–Present]”).

Author David Marley does a fine job of detailing both well-known and obscure facets of Mexican military life and history. His writing style is clear and concise, while the liberal use of quotations from contemporary sources adds punch and clarity to the discussion. The volume is well illustrated with maps, prints, and black and white photographs. Special features include a topical guide to entries by era, an introductory essay giving an overview of Mexican military history, a section of primary documents, chronology, bibliography, and a glossary of terms, many of which, understandably, are in the Spanish language.

Marley is well suited for a project of this nature. Having lived in Mexico City for over thirty years, he carried out research and teaching at the Colegio de Mexico and the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia. Among his many published works with a concentration on military and naval history are Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present (ABC-Clio, 1998) and Historic Cities of the Americas: An Illustrated Encyclopedia (ABC-Clio, 2005).

Overall, this volume is an excellent tool for research into Mexican military history, but beyond that, it is also a browser’s delight. One learns of the innovative methods employed by those in desperate circumstances, to wit: “During the Mexican Revolution, lightly armed irregulars would sometimes commandeer a train, fill it with explosives and combustibles, then unleash it to careen unmanned down a track and smash into an oncoming enemy train or plunge destructively into a crowded railyard or siding” (under the entry for “maquina loca,” 206). This volume is recommended for purchase by all public and academic libraries and highly recommended for purchase by those of the latter that support curricula in Hispanic or military studies.—Michael F. Bemis, Independent Reference Book Reviewer