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Description
This accessible, sweeping survey of Mexican history, from pre-Columbian times to the present, introduces critical political and economic processes that have defined the country.
With ample maps and illustrations, along with historiographical inserts, this book is a guide from the earliest beginnings of a great nation down to the present day.
This second edition includes the following changes:
- Two additional chapters that cover the period of 2000 to 2025
- New content that thoroughly addresses cartels, criminal organizations, and drug war
- The latest pre-Columbian archaeological discoveries
- 10 new illustrations and 10 new inserts
To understand this complex and diverse land is to study the splendor of its pre-Columbian cultures, learn the legacies of a violent conquest, and appreciate the fluorescence of three centuries of viceregal Spanish rule. It does not shirk from addressing the darker side of history. Examining the corruption of presidents and the PRI party, it candidly identifies the roots of cartel-related violence. It introduces all of the major players: from Sor Juana to Benito Juárez, Moctezuma to AMLO, Cuauhtémoc to Lázaro Cárdenas, and Alemán to Zedillo. It answers the puzzling question: why is Mexico so poor when its powerful northern neighbor is so rich?
John W. Sherman delivers the essentials to understanding the country. The book's brevity and approach allow for instructors to match it up, unhindered, with their favorite social history books and material, and its easy-to-read and well-paced chapters will engage students. Readers come away with a rooted understanding of where Mexico has been and of contemporary Mexico as it really is.
Table of Contents
Note about the Cover Image
Part I: Ancient Civilizations
1. Great Pyramids in the Highlands
2. The Maya of Yucatán
3. Olmecs, Téenek, Aztecs
4. Conquests
Part II: Colonial Centuries
5. The Creation of New Spain
6. Mid-Colonial Economics
7. Glimpses of Colonial Society
8. Late Colonial Reform and Revolt
Part III: Independence and Modernity
9. The Insurmountable Divide
10. Showdown with the Americans
11. Juárez, War, and the French
12. Age of the Railroad
Part IV: The Age of Rebellion
13. Twilight of the Porfirians
14. The Season of Rebellions
15. Return of the Strong Arm
16. The Limits of Idealism
Part V: Structures of Power
17. Miguel Alemán – Legacy President
18. PRI-Eminence
19. Bombast, Boom, Bust
20. Crises and Control
Afterword
Suggestions for Further Reading
Index
Product details

Published | 05 Feb 2026 |
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Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
Edition | 2nd |
Extent | 304 |
ISBN | 9798881804626 |
Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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A sweeping narrative that helps readers understand much of Mexico's current situation while recognizing its cultural particularities.
H-Net
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Sherman has composed an exceptional text that explores primarily the economic and political history of Mexico in an accessible way. For teachers who focus on the social and cultural aspects of Mexico, Sherman's work helps fill the gaps in our lectures and teaching emphases. I have struggled in the past explaining the finer concepts of Mexican economic history in the classroom, and this book will be of great benefit to my students and to me as a scholar. Plus, the images throughout the book capture the beauty and essence of Mexico in a novel way.
Michele McArdle Stephens, West Virginia University, USA
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Sherman's fast-paced romp through more than five hundred years of Mexican history is full of insightful, sometimes unexpected twists and turns. Written in a lively prose, this richly illustrated volume will appeal to students, travelers, and specialists looking for a concise approach to a captivating country.
Stephen E. Lewis, California State University, Chico, USA