The Mexican Revolution

[B0LSHEVIK]

From reading several books, including mexican government issued textbooks, I've pieced together the Mexican revolution. It comes in stages, and ultimately, the dates of when it ended differ.

Though aside from John Reed's 'insurgent Mexico' and a few of Trotsky's writings on the conflict, I have never read a detailed account of the revolution.

Are there any good books any comrades here can recommend that cover the general revolutionary period(s) between 1910 and 1930?

I tend to think also that studying the PRI and Cardenas is a separate matter. IMO.

[x359594]

The Mexican Revolution (English language edition 2005) by Adolfo Gilly and Revolutionary Mexico (1989) by John Mason Hart are the best up to date histories in my opinion. Read both starting with Hart since he provides a bit more about the antecedents to the revolution.

Also outstanding is Zapata and the Mexican Revolution (1970) by John Womack.

[Ostrinski]

Villa and Zapata by Frank McLynn

[x359594]

Villa and Zapata by Frank McLynn

I found this book flawed by the bourgeois assumptions of its author. It's a good read, but Womack is definitely better on Zapata, and Frederich Katz's monumental The Life and Times of Pancho Villa supersedes anything found in McLynn's book.

[S.Artesian]

The "seminal" work is considered to by the 2 volume study by Alan Knight: The Mexican Revolution.

Gilly is OK, but IMO he makes Villa out to be much more political than he was. Zapata too, but Zapata is still way ahead of Villa.

I can recommend, for background information, besides Womack's book:

[I]Industry and Underdevelopment: The Industrialization of Mexico 1890-1940 by Stephen Haber

Peace By Revolution, Frank Tannenbaum

The Mexican Revolution and the Limits of Agrarian Reform, Dana Markiewicz

Growth Against Development, The Economic Impact of Railroads in Porfirian Mexico, John H. Coatsworth

The Land Systems of Mexico, George McBride

Agrarian Revolt in a Mexican Village, Paul Friedrich

[Summerspeaker]

Solid suggestions here. As far as grand narratives go, Knight and Hart receive the most professional respect in my experience. My own scholarly (and personal) interest centers on the (eventually) anarchist Partido Liberal Mexicano.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Villa and Zapata by Frank McLynn

Reading this right now. It's interesting, I know some stuff about the revolution already but its a little more in depth. If I find time soon, I might read Katz's book that the other poster recommended. Zapata is an interesting figure from a class warfare point of view.

Are there any good views on Zapata from a Marxist perspective?

[S.Artesian]

Womack's book Zapata and the Mexican Revolution is still the best IMO.

[B0LSHEVIK]

Also, are there any known photographs of Reed with Pancho Villa's troops? A simple google search came up empty handed and Im wondering if anyone has ever come across any pictures of this.

Anyone?

[x359594]

...My own scholarly (and personal) interest centers on the (eventually) anarchist Partido Liberal Mexicano.

Along those lines (and you may have read all these already, but for others who haven't) there's Anarchism and the Mexican Revolution by Colin MacLachlin, Anarchism and the Mexican Working Class by Hart, Always a Rebel and To Die on Your Feet by Ward Albro, Land & Liberty by Ricardo Flores Magon (with a long introductory essay by Dave Poole.)

Here in Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross offers a tour of all the places associated with the Magon brothers and the other supporters and plotters of the Mexican Revolution.

[x359594]

...Are there any good views on Zapata from a Marxist perspective?

Gilly's book (referenced above) is written from a Marxist perspective and spends a hundred or so pages discussing Zapata.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Gilly's book (referenced above) is written from a Marxist perspective and spends a hundred or so pages discussing Zapata.

I should take a look at it, it looks interesting. It would be good to get some in-depth studies of Zapatismo, especially from a Marxist perspective.

there seem to be many parallels to today in the Arab world too, for instance, I see some similarities between President Huerta and Gaddafi in their rhetoric and tactics, or Diaz and all these leaders in terms of the depth of their power and how the plutocracy views them, and how they use the plutocracy to push their own agendas

[Magón]

I should take a look at it, it looks interesting. It would be good to get some in-depth studies of Zapatismo, especially from a Marxist perspective.

there seem to be many parallels to today in the Arab world too, for instance, I see some similarities between President Huerta and Gaddafi in their rhetoric and tactics, or Diaz and all these leaders in terms of the depth of their power and how the plutocracy views them, and how they use the plutocracy to push their own agendas

History always finds a way to repeat itself.