Synopses & Reviews
A gripping first-person account, by one of the most distinguished and prolific Mexican writers of all time, 68 tells of the Tlatelolco massacre of student protestors in Mexico City in the fall of 1968. Taibo’s work here is to salvage the truth of what happened on the night of October 2 and in the preceding months, drawing on notes he made at the time, and on memory. At least two hundred students were shot dead by government troops, and many more were detained. Then the bodies were trucked out, the cobblestones were washed clean, the murder "disappeared." With provocative, anecdotal, and analytical prose, Taibo claims for history "one more of the many unredeemed and sleepless ghosts that live in our lands."
Paco Taibo’s numerous literary honors include two Dashiell Hammett prizes, one Planeta prize, and The Bancarella Prize for his biography of Che Guevera.
Also available in Spanish: 1-58322-600-1
Synopsis
68 is a gripping first-person account of the Tlatelolco massacre of student protestors in Mexico City in the fall of 1968. At least 200 students were shot dead; then the bodies were trucked out, the cobblestones washed clean, the murder "disappeared." Taibo's work here is to salvage the truth, drawing on memory and on notes he made at the time.
Synopsis
On the night of October 2, 1968, there occurred a bloody showdown between student demonstrators and the Mexican government in Tlatelolco Square. At least two hundred students were shot dead and many more were detained. Then the bodies were trucked out, the cobblestones were washed clean. Detainees were held without recourse until 1971.
Official denial of the killing continues even today: In the first week of February 2003, Mexico's Education Secretary Reyes Tamiz ordered a new history textbook that mentions the massacre-Claudia Sierra's History of Mexico: An Analytical Approach-removed from shelves and classrooms. (Public outcry led Tamiz to reverse his decision days later.) No one has yet been held accountable for the official acts of savagery.
With provocative, anecdotal, and analytical prose, Taibo claims for history "one more of the many unredeemed and sleepless ghosts that live in our lands."
Synopsis
A famed writer turns his pen to an infamous episode of "disappeared" Mexican history.
Synopsis
Born in Gijón, Spain, PACO IGNACIO TAIBO II has lived in Mexico City since 1958, when his family fled Spanish fascism. His numerous literary honors include two Dashiell Hammett prizes, one Planeta prize for the best historical novel, and the Bancarella Prize for his biography of Che Guevara.
About the Author
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