Cartel Paperback – October 1, 2013

I really enjoyed reading the personal accounts more than the quantitative aspects. Much of the information was already gained from other sources, so I found myself re-reading facts and statistics already uncovered. I was wondering if we had found the same sources for most of our information, the author and I. I had hoped for the author to have had more of a personal connection to the cartel than really was revealed. However, I did enjoy the book, but too bad I had already uncovered much of the same information. I guess it's like seeing a movie twice! It would have been excellent if otherwise!

The author says it best in her conclusion: "It's important that all Americans fully understand how the drug war in Mexico affects them, their communities, and the rest of their country."I lived in Phoenix, AZ for 8 years and I had no idea how pervasive the Mexican drug cartels are in that area. However, my mind is not much more at ease now that I live 1,000 miles from the border; because as Longmire so thoroughly discusses - it's not only the border states that are infected by the drug trade. This is a national security threat that affects all of us.There were so many times I paused while reading Cartel to tell my husband, "You are not going to believe this..." and then proceeded to read him a fact, statistic, or account from the book. For example, I had no idea Mexican cartels are growing marijuana in our national forests. I think most of the US population is as naïve as I was about the drug war, which is why this book is so important. It's also a must-read for those more versed in the issues, because it presents viable solutions to manage this war.

After all the hype this book received it turned out to be a major disappointment, an insult to anyone at all familiar with Mexican politics. As I read I scribbled notes and scratched my head in disbelief. Longmire makes statements that are more than debatable, they are dead wrong ("Mexico has been a democracy with relatively transparent elections for quite some time.") and absolute nonsense like "Tourism is rebounding..." despite cruise ships refusing to make vacant Acapulco a port of call, and the border towns all but closed down and borded up.It's almost hilarious, but when she writes with admiration about the Mexican government it seems the only adjective she uses is "bold." She never questions the nation's leaders when it comes to honesty, making the president appear to be a mixture of Lincoln, Juarez, and Gandhi. But when it comes to the biggest cause of the violent warfare (supply and demand fueled by the U.S. prohibition of marijuana) she blithely dismisses it as the United States "greedy love of drugs." One can't help but wonder if she is aware that alcohol is a drug, and that Mexico was a source of the banned substance during the bloody turf wars caused by the Volstead Act. Wasn't Capone the head of a nasty cartel?Yes, Longmire got to interview President Calderon and she was apparently overwhelmed (whereas more intelligent people such as Javier Sicilia are underwhelmed) because she gushes ".. he gets a steely look in his eyes and speaks with quiet fire. It quickly becomes obvious that this is a man who is committed...")Her knowledge of Mexican history is a bit lacking, or her interpretations of events strangely warped because she writes off a few "isolated incidents" of human rights abused by the Mexican Army, and the allegations are being "appropriately investigated." Sure, Sylvia they might be quickly "investigated", but only by the accused perpetrators - the Mexican Army! I think groups such as Amnesty International would forcefully disagree with Longmire's public relations project. She goes on to claim that the purpose of the Mexican Army is "...not to be a fighting army but to participate in rescue efforts when a natural disaster strikes the country." Apparently she hasn't spent much time in Mexico or else she would have seen caravans of well-armed, masked soldiers cruising city streets with high-caliber automatic weapons mounted on the back of pickup trucks. They scare the hell out of everyone because they will engage in a firefight regardless where - in school zones, in traffic, neighborhoods - anywhere there appears to be some bad guys.I could go on and on, but one final point about the army: they were the cold-blooded murderers that mowed down hundreds of unarmed college students in the Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968. She must have forgotten about that...This just scratches the surface of a really bad pro drug war book written by what appears to be a narrow-minded, gullible Tea Party admirer, and it has absolutely nothing to offer anyone seriously interested in a balanced, insightful, accurate and unbiased appraisal of an enormously important situation. We have supported our own drug war, a 40-year-old failure that cost hundreds of billions of dollars andcontinues unabated. Our anti-marijuana laws go back to Harry Anslinger, who had even less credibility than Sylvia Longmire.

This is a great book for those individuals looking to familiarize themselves with the growing threat in Mexico. This book is an easy read and provides an in-depth view of the historical foundation of many of the existing organizations. This was an unbiased and professional text that is great for any graduate student looking to dive deeper into border security issues. This book makes you realize that this issue is not only in Mexico, but many of the cities throughout the US. Great text!

Do you want to know the real story behind the the drug gangs/industry feeding drugs into the US through Mexico? Read this, clear, well written with names and dates, with a narrative to tie it all together. Ms Longmire has the background (USAF) experience and talent to tell this story complete accurately and up to date.

Interesting book. I especially enjoyed what I was not aware of. Mexico needs desperately to revamp their laws and become serious about corruption. Otherwise this is headed for Anytown USA.

Easy to read seemingly factual account of the history of the Mexican drug trade that has infiltrated America's very core. Sylvia Longmire brings great insight into the Cartel violence that is creeping across our border and each governments (Mexico and USA) attempts to deal with it. Her work should be required reading for every parent and every person elected to political office. Russell Smith, retired Texas police chief and author of The Gun That Wasn't There.

This is a lazy piece of writing. Despite being described as a security expert, the author brings nothing new to the discussion. I have read all of the information elsewhere, and this is clearly rehashed. There is an element of sensationalism too here. Not a serious book and not, although claimed to be, a serious discussion of the topic.

Good reading.

Sylvia Longmire's account of the drug war along the Mexican border with the US is timely given the excessive levels of homicides linked to fighting between cartels looking to dominate the hugely profitable markets. Her experience on the enforcement side of the agenda unintentionally paints a picture of the futility of the exercise, one which she ultimately fails to explore with any real scrutiny. Whilst the book offers the reader an interesting account of policing the problem Cartel is ultimately a platitude to Longmire's former enforcement colleagues regardless of the effectiveness of US policy.

A very poorly written book - Although the underlying premise is of great geopolitical importance , the author has done a narrative which is a cross between newspaper and telivision reporting - There is nothing new in terms of analysis , background or solutions that is on offer - Complete disappointment

a very good book, very well written (I'm Italian and I didn't went throug super difficoult and unknown words), it gives a very good idea of what is happening in mexico and the consequences for the USA.i suggest it even for plasure reading.