Why read Habsburgs on the Rio Grande?

Book cover of Habsburgs on the Rio Grande: The Rise and Fall of the Second Mexican Empire

Book description

The story of how nineteenth-century European rulers conspired with Mexican conservatives in an outlandish plan to contain the rising US colossus by establishing Old World empire on its doorstep.

The outbreak of the US Civil War provided an unexpected opportunity for political conservatives across continents. On one side were European…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Habsburgs on the Rio Grande as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Peter Francis Guardino

Author

I have long been fascinated by the epic failure of France’s effort to be a power player in the New World, and I have never been terribly satisfied by books that leave out the Mexican side of that story.

I love that Jonas did great research in Europe and Mexico. He also knows how to tell a great story as a story. This book is full of tragedy, but many of the shady characters involved in this doomed effort give it a significant comic touch.

From Peter's list on The best books about North America’s 19th century international wars.