Antonio López de Santa Anna

Antonio López de Santa Anna was a Mexican soldier and politician who dominated national politics intermittently from the 1820s to the 1850s. He served repeatedly as president while shifting between federalist and centralist positions and using military prestige to sustain his influence.

Santa Anna commanded Mexican forces during the Texas Revolution, including at the Alamo, before his defeat and capture at San Jacinto in 1836. He later returned to power several times and commanded again during the Mexican–American War, but territorial loss and political instability badly damaged his reputation.

Manolo Palomares’ The Texas War follows Mexican operations around Béxar and the assault on the Alamo while providing a contrasting perspective on Antonio López de Santa Anna, William B. Travis, James Bowie and Davy Crockett. In Jeff Shaara’s Gone for Soldiers, Captain Robert E. Lee serves as an engineer and reconnaissance officer, discovering routes that allow Scott to outflank stronger Mexican positions. Antonio López de Santa Anna attempts to defend the capital while political instability and inadequate resources weaken the Mexican war effort. Further fictional perspectives on Antonio López de Santa Anna can be found in Lucia St. Clair Robson’s Fearless.