Mexican Wars

[abhorsen950]

Might be in the wrong place but I'm currently playing Red Dead Redemption and there's lots of Forts from the Mexican wars, so does anybody no where I can get hold of some books or information on line on the Mexican wars?

Thanks in advance

Steve

[elysium64]

A good website: http://www.dmwv.org/mexwar/mexwar1.htm

One of the best books I have read is "My Confessions; Recollections of a Rogue" ~Samuel Chamberlain, cheapest copies found here: http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/4531764/used/My%20confession. The journals of US Dragoon, reads just like a Boy's Own adventure.
The best hisroical account which is very easy to read is "The Mexican War, 1846-1848" ~K. Jack Bauer, again cheap copies found here:http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/4334891/used/The%20Mexican%20War%2C%201846-1848.

A very interesting period I have often been tempted using the 1st Corps range :http://www.kingmakerminiatures.net/online_shop/index.php?cPath=184_185&osCsid=2a6c398a27b62acf86715e39c4f7cf5d

[abhorsen950]

many many thanks, its appreciated and such a speedy response.
Ill purchase the books at a later date and check out the weblink now.

Cheers

[Armchair]

I'd also recommend Anton Adam's "The War In Mexico" - Best single book for gaming the period I know with uniform details, battle descriptions, tactial information and an excellent annotated bibliography.

http://www.amazon.com/War-Mexico-Anton-Adams/dp/1883476089%3FSubscriptionId%3D1NNRF7QZ418V218YP1R2%26tag%3Dbf-dt-home-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1883476089

[Conquistador]

Predecessor forts are in Osprey's Spanish Colonial Fortifications in North America 1565-1822.  Fortress 94.  May be of some help...

Gracias,

Glenn

[Centaur_Seducer]

The war in Red Dead Redemption is the Mexican Civil War

[abhorsen950]

Cheers for the books and thanks for that piece of info about Red Dead, I didn't actually know 

Many thanks guys you've been a great help.

Steve

[Plynkes]

A bunch of Mexican wars for you, courtesy of Wikipedia. Some of the other posters assumed you meant the Mexican-American War for some reason, but there is much more to Mexican military history than that. Should get you started, and give you some idea of what was going on:

Mexican War of Independence (1810–1821)

Texan Revolution (1835–1836)

Pastry War (1838–1839)

Mexican-American War (1846–1848)

Caste War of Yucatan (1847–1901)

Reform War (1857–1861)

The Maximilian Adventure (French Intervention) (1861–1867)

Mexican Revolution (1910–1920ish and beyond)

Red Dead Redemption is set in 1911-14, so during the last of these, albeit a fictionalised version of the Mexican Revolution. The forts however would seem to date from an earlier time. The big one on the cliffs is an old Colonial-era Presidio, either built by the Spanish or by a young, newly independent Mexico. Despite its name, Fort Mercer would also appear to be an old Spanish or Mexican fort, dating back to the time when the land it was built on was not part of the USA.

[Conquistador]

LOL, not familiar with Red Redemption.  I just knew it was vaguely "Western" and, IIRC, a computer game.

Yes, growing up in Los Angeles, USA, you would be acculturated (is that a verb?)  to think:

1) The Spanish were the Mexicans.  My Tía (who is Mexican) and I (whose heritage is Spanish) got a lot of humor out of that.

OR

2) Mexico had no history before the MAW

OR

3) If you were lucky, people knew there had been (or was, depending on your politics  ) a Mexican Revolution.

Thanks for the great listing, Plynikes.     So much gaming potential!   

My main interest is from Alta California days (up to around 1820's - small skirmishes,)  Old West in California, New Mexico, etc., before the MAW (say Mexican War of Independence time frame,) and Zorro (would that be "Historical based Fantasy?) although I do have gringoes in some of my games.

Gracias,

Glenn

P. S.
Points I futilely keep correcting - Cinco de Mayo is not 16 de Septiembre (Whoo Hoo, Bicentennial time!) and all 20 plus "Hispanic" countries do not share one culture.  [Insert here all the usual Evil Wikipedia caveats - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic#Spanish-speaking_countries_and_regions]

[commissarmoody]

I know Conquistador, I am a gringo and and I think its pretty funny when I have to explain mexico's history to the kids of Mexican decent there history...but at the same time I have to do the same to all the other gringo kids. 
I am amazed that we still have a "public" school system the. Kids obviously are not learning any thing.