William Walker's Wars: How One Man's Private American Army Tried to Conquer Mexico, Nicaragua, and Honduras [Hardcover]

In the decade before the onset of the Civil War, groups of Americans engaged in a series of longshot—and illegal—forays into Mexico, Central America, Cuba, and other countries, in hopes of taking them over. Known as military filibusters, the goal was to seize territory to create new independent fiefdoms, which would ultimately be annexed by the still-growing United States. Most failed miserably. William Walker was the outlier. Short, slender, and soft-spoken with no military background—he trained as a doctor before becoming a lawyer and then a newspaper editor—Walker was an unlikely leader of rough-hewn men and adventurers. But in 1856 he managed to install himself as president of Nicaragua.William Walker’s Warsis a story of greedy dreams and ambitions, the fate of nations and personal fortunes, and the dark side of Manifest Destiny. This little-remembered story from US history is a cautionary tale of all who dream of empire.

“Scott Martelle has written a marvelous book that uncovers a little-known and dark corner of American history, when men like William Walker invaded sovereign countries to grab land and expand slavery. In this well-researched tale, Martelle exposes the deep roots of American imperialism and how one arrogant man, convinced of his superiority and bluster, wreaked havoc on Central America.”—Frances Dinkelspiel, author ofTowers of GoldandTangled Vines

“William Walker was the ultimate illegal immigrant: a US citizen who wanted to be emperor of Latin America—and actually seized control of Nicaragua, causing an international crisis. Scott Martelle’s page-turning account draws on thorough research to tell the story of William Walker as it has never been told before.”—T. J. Stiles, winner of the Pulitzer Prize forThe First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius VanderbiltandCuster’s Trials: A Life on the FrlӬ