Q&A with Robert Merry Robert Merry talked about his book A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent (Simon & Schuster; November 3, 2009). The 11th president, James Polk was a one-term president, elected in 1844. His mark on history includes the idea of “Manifest Destiny,” expanding the United States from coast to coast. The book also focuses on the two-year war with Mexico.

Robert Merry has been a journalist in Washington for 35 years including president and editor in chief of Congressional Quarterly and a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. His previous books include Sands of Empire: Missionary Zeal, American Foreign Policy, and the Hazards of Global Ambition and Taking on the World: Joseph Alsop--Guardians of the American Century. close