A Traveller's History of Mexico

by Kenneth Pearce, John Hoste (Illustrator), Denis Judd

A Traveller’s History of Mexico offers a complete and expert history of the country from the earliest times right through to the present. It will be welcomed by all those who visit Mexico to see its stunning Aztec and other pre-conquest remains as well as by students studying the Spanish conquest and its effects.Kenneth Pearce begins with life before the major civilizations of the area took hold then shows the growth of the first elite groups of the Olmecs and Mayans; their culture was finally subsumed into the mighty Aztec Empire which, in its turn, was tragically ended by the arrival of Cortes and might of Spain. The crushing burden of colonial rule driven by greed and oppression leads to further unrest for many centuries. The nineteenth-century War of Independence finally leads to the founding of the Mexican Republic. The author ends his survey with a portrait of the country facing the new millennium with a rising population and problems with drugs and corruption. This is a rich and colorful story of a nation full of life and vigor with a many-layered cultural heritage. Illustrated with maps and line drawings, this handy paperback is fully indexed with a chronology of major events and a gazetteer cross-referenced to the main text.

Genres: Travel, History, Historical

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jamaica Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a good book for reviewing and brushing up on the history of mexico, but not reccommended for a new learner, although it is short and sweet. the editing, however, leaves quite a lot to be desired... i distinctly remember the phrase "palatial palace" ... red pen anyone?? ;) but it was fun to go though the ancients to modern day in a few weeks.

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not really sure what to expect with this book. At first I thought it was meant for people looking to plan a trip but the book offers a decent collection of history and knowledge of the earliest account of Mexico's people. I guess this makes sense as a sort of introductory into Mexican history. Maybe a college text book or supplemental literature. Being of Mexican decent I was still able to learn information I wasnt aware of and reading this book would place me at interest to follow-up with other topics of history. I will say the military history and politics of the 1800's-1900's are definitely interesting and covered well here.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up 20 years ago and reread it after a trip to Mexico. A solid, if stolid, overview of Mexican history, especially the messy 19th and early 20th centuries. Poorly edited and repetitive at times, but perhaps that's fitting for a tale filled with so many recurring characters and themes.

[Paul Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative. Need more Mexican history. Biggest take away is Mexico has just one political party. How did I make it to 51 years without even knowing that? My wife is from Mexico and I still didn't know that! Biggest conclusion at this point is never trust your government to just one political party!!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first introduction to the 'Traveller's History" series. A great introduction to Mexico's history, culture and politics.

[Sarah Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent - clear, concise, easy to read, informative. This book read like a novel with a page-turning story. I'm only sorry that it only went up to the 90s! What a blood-thirsty history!

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little sloppy with the editing in parts but a good quick introduction.