Book Analysis: The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution
The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade, 1910-1920.
By Charles H. Harris III and Louis R. Sadler (Albuquerque: Univ. of New Mexico, 2007. Print.)
This is the most comprehensive collection of The Texas Rangers during the Mexican revolution that has been published. Charles Harris III and Louis Sadler share the details behind this unstable period by uncovering the views and actions of the Rangers during the highest point of border violence up until that time. The Rangers remain as one of the most recognized law enforcement agencies in the United States. In the ten year span of 1910-1920, Texas was involved in a lot of turmoil around the border of The United States and Mexico. These were the years of the Mexican revolution and the increasing racial tensions between Anglos and Hispanics often resulted in bloodshed. They played important roles at various battles and established a fearsome reputation. The Texas Rangers are often portrayed as the last stand of defense between the good and the bad; rugged men with enough ice water in their veins to fuel their souls. After reading this book, one’s perspective of the Texas Rangers, and the myths that surround them, may soon change. Rangers were also cold-hearted angry law men who seemed to have a serious grudge against Hispanics and Mexicans who resided in Texas. They appeared to possess a “what are you going to do about it” mentality. Harris and Sadler are faithful to history and attempt to stick to the facts by being informative as they review the disorder and terror of the Mexican revolution. They suggest that men who joined the Rangers did not change as a whole, but the public’s perception of them did.
The Texas Rangers were first called into service as the governor’s personal bodyguards and would remain answerable to the head of the state. The relationship between the two entities resulted in a history infused with politics. Every new administration would lead to a shift in
By Charles H. Harris III and Louis R. Sadler (Albuquerque: Univ. of New Mexico, 2007. Print.)
This is the most comprehensive collection of The Texas Rangers during the Mexican revolution that has been published. Charles Harris III and Louis Sadler share the details behind this unstable period by uncovering the views and actions of the Rangers during the highest point of border violence up until that time. The Rangers remain as one of the most recognized law enforcement agencies in the United States. In the ten year span of 1910-1920, Texas was involved in a lot of turmoil around the border of The United States and Mexico. These were the years of the Mexican revolution and the increasing racial tensions between Anglos and Hispanics often resulted in bloodshed. They played important roles at various battles and established a fearsome reputation. The Texas Rangers are often portrayed as the last stand of defense between the good and the bad; rugged men with enough ice water in their veins to fuel their souls. After reading this book, one’s perspective of the Texas Rangers, and the myths that surround them, may soon change. Rangers were also cold-hearted angry law men who seemed to have a serious grudge against Hispanics and Mexicans who resided in Texas. They appeared to possess a “what are you going to do about it” mentality. Harris and Sadler are faithful to history and attempt to stick to the facts by being informative as they review the disorder and terror of the Mexican revolution. They suggest that men who joined the Rangers did not change as a whole, but the public’s perception of them did.
The Texas Rangers were first called into service as the governor’s personal bodyguards and would remain answerable to the head of the state. The relationship between the two entities resulted in a history infused with politics. Every new administration would lead to a shift in
Cited: Harris, Charles Houston., and Louis R. Sadler. The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: the Bloodiest Decade, 1910 - 1920. Albuquerque: Univ. of New Mexico, 2007. Print.