The versatile author of Forrest Gump as well as several military histories such as Vicksburg, 1863, Groom brings to life the events of 1846-47 that transformed northern Mexico into the American Southwest during the Mexican War. He highlights General Stephen Kearny's Army of the West and the taking of New Mexico and California, Captain John Charles Fremont's expedition to California and his administrative battle with Kearny, the Mormon Battalion attached to Kearny's army, Colonel Alexander Doniphan's capture of Chihuahua, and the civilian emigration horror of the Reed-Donner overland wagon train disaster. Groom's narrative of national political scheming and the constant threat of British involvement in the Mexican War creates an intriguing international drama. VERDICT Groom is at his best using personal details culled from original sources to spice his capable narrative of the smaller battles, such as the Taos Pueblo uprising in New Mexico and the Battle of San Pasqual near San Diego, where rebellious Californios who were lancers nearly defeated Kearny's Army of the West. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.-Nathan E. Bender, Albany Cty. P.L., Laramie, WY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Written with novelistic appreciation for character and ambition, Groom's military histories (Vicksburg 1863, 2009) are vibrant, kinetic, and popular. His newest features the expedition ordered by President James Polk to conquer New Mexico and California. Via Groom's nigh-audible prose, readers can easily imagine the cacophony of thousands of animals and men as the force, commanded by Colonel Stephen Kearny, trekked southwest along the Santa Fe Trail. Meanwhile, Polk hedged his bet on California, in case Kearny ran into trouble, by hinting to officers there--John C. Fremont happened to be conveniently exploring the area--to overthrow Mexican rule in the event of war. Completing Groom's historical tableau of the promiscuous commotion of 1846 are the Donner party of pioneers, the Mormon Battalion raised by Brigham Young, and the Missouri Volunteers led by Alexander Doniphan. All set forth westward in Kearny's wake toward, respectively, cannibalism, road building through Arizona, and spectacular battle victories. Noting modern imprecations on the Mexican-American War, Groom sensibly refracts his account through contemporaries' experiences, lending gritty, bloody immediacy to an energetic, enthralling narrative history.--Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2010 Booklist