A Concise History of MEXICO (HAMNETT, Brian)

Mexico's fascinating complexities are difficult to approach. This illustrated Concise History begins with a brief examination of contemporary issues. The book as a whole ranges from the Olmecs to the present day, and combines a chronological and thematic approach while highlighting long-term issues and controversies over interpretation.

Modern Mexico, founded after independence from Spain in 1821, was a state created out of a long and disparate historical inheritance, which has constantly influenced its evolution. This book takes account of that past and pays attention to the pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial influence, bearing in mind that Mexico today is not necessarily either culturally or territorially identical to those past societies. Mexico's economic problems are given historical treatment together with political analysis and attention to social developments and cultural factors. The book stresses several prevailing themes: the tension between constitutional and personal or group power, the debate over federalism and the expansion of central power, the opposition between liberalism and the Catholic inheritance, nationalism and Mexico's global position, indigenous autonomy and national integration, and the problems of legitimising and transferring political power. The overriding issue of Mexico's relationship to the United States also emerges as a central theme.

The book's prime objective is accessibility to a range of readers, including those interested in gaining a broad general knowledge of the country and those across the professions anxious to secure a rapid but clear understanding of a subject where there are few starting points.