Nearly all of the Civil War’s greatest soldiers—Grant, Lee, Sherman, Davis, and Jackson—were forged in the heat of the Mexican War. This is their story.
The Mexican War has faded from our national memory, but it was a struggle of enormous significance. It was the first US war waged on foreign soil, and it nearly doubled the size of our nation. At this fascinating juncture of American history, a group of young men came together to fight as friends, only years later to fight as enemies.
Full of dramatic battles, daring rescues, secret missions, soaring triumphs, and tragic losses, The Training Ground is history at its finest.
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"One of the best books I've read. Always look for books that detail the early contact of career generals. This book was fascinating as it detailed interactions between the major generals in the Civil War early on in their careers during the Mexican War. Can't recommend this book highly enough. " — Danny (5 out of 5 stars)
"One of the best books I've read. Always look for books that detail the early contact of career generals. This book was fascinating as it detailed interactions between the major generals in the Civil War early on in their careers during the Mexican War. Can't recommend this book highly enough. "
“A fast-paced, colloquially written account…Dugard’s spirited narrative animates a group of men whose force of character, professional skill, and ability to think outside conventional limits revitalized the sclerotic army.”
“It is prescient to see how Robert E. Lee’s contributions and experiences in Mexico refined his later brilliance as a Confederate general. The story adapts well to audio; the narrator, Robertson Dean, makes it enjoyable and easy to understand with his deep voice and articulate diction. His skillful treatment of the little asides and details, such as the battle with the sand fleas at Veracruz, adds to the impact for the listener.”
“The author describes the carnage in a grim, realistic manner and discusses how the future generals distinguished themselves…Dean’s narration is serious and generally even-toned, and he brings the text to life. Sometimes he is narrating; sometimes describing; sometimes reporting. He alters his voice just enough to change the mood.”
" Surprise. This covers much of the same ground and says much the same thing that Jeff Shara's book does. This concentrates more on Grant than Lee, though. Not sure how much of this is new information because I haven't read that much about the Mexican War. "
" Nice light read on a forgotten period of American history. "
" An entertaining read, as long as you already know enough about the subject matter to ignore the errors & mistakes the author made throughout the book. "
" One of the best books I've read. Always look for books that detail the early contact of career generals. This book was fascinating as it detailed interactions between the major generals in the Civil War early on in their careers during the Mexican War. Can't recommend this book highly enough. "
" What a great book!!! I really enjoyed reading about the great men of the Civil War, but when they were young and fighting for the Union Army in the Mexican American War. "
" Great background on Grant, Lee, Davis in Mexican War "
" I wrote a whole bunch of nice things about the book, but it didn't save, and I don't have the time. Bottom line is the book is great, especially if you like history and are interested in learning about the Civil War. "
" The Training Ground doesn't delve into the battles as much as I would like, but the book is a good basic introduction to the war. The mini-biographies are also valuable as well. "
Martin Dugard is the New York Times bestselling author of several books of history. His book Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone was adapted into a History Channel special. He lives in southern California with his wife and sons.
Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating.
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