Of all the books that i have read on mexico, this book is probably the best,singlevolume history of mexico from prespanish conquest through mondern day. The conquest of new spain by bernal diaz del castillo, the lacuna by barbara kingsolver, a wicked war. The olmec were the first, followed by the maya, toltec, zapotec, mixtec, and the maya again. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Fehrenbach, a native texan, is the author of several books, including fire and blood. A captivating guide to mexican history, starting from the rise of tenochtitlan through maximilians empire to the mexican revolution and the zapatista indigenous uprising. Fuentess epic novel uses one womans life and loves to sweep through 100. It is the third largest country in latin america and has one of the largest populations. Utilizing his many years of research and teaching as well as his personal experience in mexico, the author incorporates recent archaeological evidence, posits fresh interpretations, and analyzes such current problems as foreign debt, dependency on petroleum exports, and providing. Mexico s population has greatly increased since world war ii, but the distribution of wealth remains. The best books on mexico five books expert recommendations.
I went to a couple of lectures but realized i didn. This book is a skillful synthesis of mexicos complex and colorful history from precolumbian times to the present. He sees that its history is not as simple as noble indians and brutal europeans and thinks mexicans should celebrate their postcolumbian inheritance as much. His insights into history and culture incorporate the sense of solitude, love and compassion that define the mexican character. Written by san antonian tr fehrenbach, with whom i shared a 40year friendship, the book sympathetically explains mexican history, culture, character and personalities. A history of mexico, published in 1973, is still the best history of mexico and the mexicans available. The olmecs, mexico s first known society, settled on the gulf coast near what is now veracruz. My second full reading of this book occurred in the summer of 2002, just after i returned to california after a. Mexican history, latin american history, books barnes.