{"product_id":"hugo-oconor-a-shadow-of-ireland-in-new-spain-hardcover","title":"Hugo O'Conor: A Shadow of Ireland in New Spain - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMark Santiago\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHugo O'Conor: A Shadow of Ireland in New Spain\u003c\/i\u003e presents a comprehensive biography of Hugo O'Conor (1734-1779), the first Commandant Inspector of the Interior Provinces of New Spain. Demonstrating the remarkable breadth of O'Conor's life experiences, the narrative moves from his early life in Ireland to a successful career in the Spanish military spanning both sides of the Atlantic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eO'Conor's story reads like an action-packed nail-biter. He grew up on \"the Isle of Slaves,\" as Ireland has been characterized, but had to flee due to the imposition of the anti-Catholic Penal Laws of the eighteenth century. He entered the Hibernia Regiment of the Spanish army and subsequently found himself immured in a rigid military caste system at the age of fifteen. O'Conor went on a wide array of adventures: fighting a brutal--but largely forgotten--war in Portugal; serving as a drill master in Cuba; becoming a spy and then governor in Texas; and implementing the crown's plans of military reform in northern New Spain, becoming feared by Apaches across the Southwest Borderlands. Finally settled after his travels, he became an effective governor of Yucatán during the same period as the American Revolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthor Mark Santiago's \u003ci\u003eHugo O'Conor\u003c\/i\u003e makes its principal contribution to borderlands history by showing how O'Conor played a crucial part in the development of Spanish military power in what is now the American Southwest. Perhaps even more importantly, this work captures the humanity of O'Conor and his times. \u003ci\u003eHugo O'Conor\u003c\/i\u003e is an enticing blend of artistic storytelling and academic rigor that advances our understanding of the military and political landscape of the Spanish Colonial period, especially in the Texas-Mexico borderlands.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMARK SANTIAGO is a freelance writer, historian, and consultant living in Bisbee, Arizona, after retiring as director of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. He authored \u003ci\u003eA Bad Peace and a Good War: Spain and the Mescalero Uprising, 1795-1799\u003c\/i\u003e, winner of the Western History Association's Robert M. Utley Prize.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 376\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.2 x 9.1 x 6.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 24, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48497620091128,"sku":"9781648433443","price":51.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0698\/5629\/7208\/files\/jXsjxAgkMk9781648433443.webp?v=1779450448","url":"https:\/\/barneysbooksellers.com\/products\/hugo-oconor-a-shadow-of-ireland-in-new-spain-hardcover","provider":"Barney's Book Sellers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}