INDEPENDENCE AND REVOLUTION IN MEXICO

Authoritative, balanced, concise, insightful, witty—even readers who are usually bored by history will be drawn into this lively account of the formation of modern Mexico. The events themselves are dramatic: wild swings between liberal democrats and authoritarian military rulers; waves of revolutionary fervor sweeping the countryside, then degenerating into banditry; the rise and fall of such colorful figures as Santa Anna. Stefoff's explanatory power is based on her insight into the social and economic class divisions that have always riven Mexico; she explains why certain leaders appealed to certain classes and how they set patterns of renewal and corruption that began with the first attempts to declare independence from Spain. In addition to essential background information on the origins of Mexico's social classes in colonial New Spain and a final chapter on social progress since 1940, she provides cultural information—on artists, writers, and architecture—effectively illustrating the social trends she describes. Chronology; glossary; annotated bibliography. Index not seen. A fine contribution on an important topic. (Nonfiction. 12+)