The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1940 (Dialogos Series, 12)

Rating:
Summary: Solid background, but Revolution seems overdetermined
Review: Gonzales' mastery of details is excellent. He puts the Revolution in historical context, outlining both the longterm trends leading up the Revolution and the momentum of the revolutionary project even after the bloodshed had subsided. However, the weakness of Gonzales' account is his interpretation of the Revolution as inevtiable. Relying on a traditional method of examining key historical events, Gonzales depicts a near linear progression towards a Revolution. Seemingly every fault of the Porfiriato is added to the mountain of evidence that suggested a violent social upheaval was the only possible outcome in turn-of-the-century Mexico. Gonzales does not consider the possibility that there were fluctuations in pressure in the years leading up the Revolution, and that only a confluence of several factors made the event possible. The Diaz regime was not as universally 'bad' as Gonzales makes it out to be: there was not such a precipitous decline in the conditions of the poor. While the conditions of the masses did deteriorate during the liberal dictatorship, it was the coming together of a recession and a devastating drought, and the failure of Diaz to provide an adequate response, that led to the revolutionary explosion of 1910.

Rating:
Summary: Not a Bad Read at All
Review: I recently found myself in the situation of having to give myself a crash course in the Mexican Revolution for a presentation. I rushed to the library and scanned the shelves for a fairly detailed analysis of the Revolution that wouldn't be a dense read. This fit the bill and basically saved my hide.

Gonzales really has a fine prose style. The read isn't dense, but at the same time it is detailed and accurate. You get a really thorough overview without just being bogged down. And of course, the Revolution itself adds enough narrative power to keep up the interest for the somewhat casual reader such as myself. The only problem I had with the work, as compared with others I consulted is that Zapata seems too distant and unimportant in this account. This isn't a biography, though. This is a survey of the Revolution's basic happening and a fairly brief analysis of their couases and effect. And as such a survey, the work succeeds. I would definitely recommend this for the casual history reader or for the student needing an introduction to a fascinating and important period.

Rating:
Summary: A recommended, basic library pick
Review: This history of Mexico's revolutionary era is a recommended, basic library pick for any high school or college-level library with resources on Mexican history and culture. Gonzales considers not only the events but the foundations of the revolution where were laid back in 1911 when the Diaz dictatorship prompted resentment and restlessness. His interpretation is meant to embrace different experiences and interests and provides a well-rounded and clear portrait of Mexican revolutionary events.