Insurgent Mexico

Rating:
Summary: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Review: In this account of his adventures in the advance to Mexico City with Pancho Villa's armies, John Reed gives an excellent account of what it was like to have been there. Luckily enough for him, historians, and adventure lovers alike, he was on the winning side and survived to tell his tale. His tale is his aspect of the venture among the soldiers who fought the battles, rode the trains, suffred the hardships of civil war, and tasted the glow of victories won on the way to the capitol city. It's gritty, putrid, rough and tumble and the food isn't great but at the end you get a heck of a kick from surviving it all.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Work on its Era
Review: This book has been notorious since its publication in 1914. The author was a reporter for the American radical press, but rather than go to Mexico in relative comfort with the press train which accompanied the Constitutionalist General Francisco "Pancho" Villa's Division del Norte on its successful campaign southward against the Federalista forces of the usurper General Victoriano Huerta, who had murdered president Madero and his vice president, and taken over power in Mexico City, Reed, instead, in keeping with his common man leaning, lived among the "grunts", the Mexican campesinos who made up the bulk of Villa's forces. There are incisive pen portraits of the Constitutionalist leaders, descriptions of the wretched living conditions of the people, and observations on the siege of Torréon, N.L.. and Gomez Palacio, neighboring key strategic cities on the railroad south from Juarez to Mexico City. This is not history or reporting but a collection of impressionistic and justifiably biased essays. Still very valuable for the feel of the times and has been translated into many languages. The author later went to Russia and wrote "Ten Days That Shook the World." (c.f.)

Rating:
Summary: John Reed's writing style is great
Review: This book was written over 80 years ago, so as military journalism it is quite dated. However, the author's portraits of people and places are so vivid that the characters and events seem to come alive. The author displays a novelist's talent for description. It is a very sympathetic portrait of Pancho Villa. I don't know how historically accurate it is, but it is certainly interesting reading.

Rating:
Summary: John Reed's writing style is great
Review: This book was written over 80 years ago, so as military journalism it is quite dated. However, the author's portraits of people and places are so vivid that the characters and events seem to come alive. The author displays a novelist's talent for description. It is a very sympathetic portrait of Pancho Villa. I don't know how historically accurate it is, but it is certainly interesting reading.

Rating:
Summary: Revolución or muerte
Review: This short book is one of the wonders of journalism of all times. John Reed takes us into a journey of Revolutionary Mexico and we end up enjoying every minute of it. The description of the "hombres" is touching and Pancho Villa is great. Very recommended! But when you buy it, be sure you will have time to read it, because you won't be able to put it down.