Synopses & Reviews
Modern Mexico, founded after Independence from Spain in 1821, was created out of a long and disparate historical inheritance that has constantly influenced its evolution. Tackling the complex and colorful history of Mexico is a formidable task. Brian Hamnett undertakes this challenge in his Concise History, beginning with a brief examination of contemporary issues, while the book as a whole--ranging from the Olmecs to the present day--combines a chronological and thematic approach while highlighting long-term issues and controversies. Author Hamnett takes account of that past and pays attention to the pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial influence. Mexico's economic problems are given special treatment together with political analysis and attention to social and cultural factors. His prime objective is to make the book accessible to general readers, including those interested in gaining a broad knowledge of the country and those across the professions anxious to secure a rapid but secure understanding of a subject where there are few starting points.
Review
"...a survey of Mexican history which makes for a perfect introduction for either general or high school readers." Reviewer's Bookwatch"A superior, accessible history of Mexico that does full justice to the origins of the country's complex multiethnic and multicultural texture." Kenneth Maxwell, Foreign Affairs
Synopsis
Updated edition of an accessible and richly illustrated study of Mexico.
Synopsis
An illustrated introduction to Mexico for the general reader. Combines a thematic and chronological approach to give a clear account of the country's historical and contemporary issues, problems and events, from the Olmecs to the present day.
Synopsis
An illustrated introduction to Mexico's historical and contemporary issues, problems and events.
Synopsis
The 2006 second edition of this accessible study of Mexico includes two new features, an examination of cultural developments since Independence from Spain in 1821 and a discussion of contemporary issues up to the time of publication. Several new plates with captions expand the thematic coverage in the book. The updated edition examines the administration of Vicente Fox, who came to power with the elections of 2000. The new sections reinforce the importance of Mexico's long and disparate history, from the Precolumbian era onwards, in shaping the country as it is today. This Concise History looks at Mexico from political, economic and cultural perspectives, and tackles controversial themes such as the impact of the Spanish Conquest and the struggle to establish an independent Mexico. A broad range of readers interested in the modern-day Americas should find here a helpful introduction to this vibrant and dynamic North-American society.
About the Author
Brian Hamnett is a Research Professor in History at the University of Essex. He has researched and travelled widely in the Iberian peninsula and Latin America, and written extensively on Mexico. His recent publications deal with the late Spanish colonial period, the struggles for independence, and nineteenth-century Mexican history.
Table of Contents
Chronology; Preface; 1 Mexico in perspective; 2. The pre-Columbian era; 3. The European incursion, 1519-1620; 4. New Spain, 1620-1770: Spanish colonialism and American society; 5. Destabilisation and fragmentation, 1770-1867; 6. Reconstruction, 1867-1940; 7. The monopoly party, 1940-2000; 8. The Fox administration, 2000-2006; 9. Cultural developments since Independence; Final comments; Bibliography.