Jaime Suchlicki

This is a history of Cuba from its discovery up until the mid-90s, with about half the book focusing on the twentieth century. It contains an annotated bibliography of suggested readings. I read this book fairly quickly, though near the end I just skimmed. Though there is a lot of interesting information, I can't recommend this book for someone interested in the history of this nation. The writing is dry and the approach to Cuba's history is straightforward and unemotional as if written by Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet fame ("Just the facts, ma'am.") This book is more of a detailed outline of Cuban political history, than the engrossing saga of a beautiful, but unfortunate country that I was hoping for. I could see this used as a basic background reference for a class on Cuban political history--a glorified timeline, but it doesn't inspire one with a sense of understanding about what has happened there. A couple of things I found annoying: Spanish terms or names for groups are thrown in at times, but never translated or explained, even when they are significant. The photographs in the middle of the book are pointless. They were all of Castro and his cohorts--it would have been nice to see some pictures of other political figures important to Cuban history such as Jose Marti, even Batista. I bought this book (paperback) for $1.50 at a Library Used Book Store. It looked brand new, the spine showed no signs of having been opened. The original price sticker (probably bought in a University Bookstore for a class) was still on it: $24.99 (!!) I can't believe anyone would pay that much for this book, unless they had to for a college course.… (más)

In nineteen short chapters, each about ten pages long, Jaime Suchlicki explains Mexico. "The Age of Santa Anna", "The U.S.-Mexican War", "Prelude to Revolution: La Reforma", "Maximilian and Foreign Intervention" and fifteen others condense Mexican history into a dense, but highly readable interpretation of the major players, events and contexts that make Mexico the nation it is today.

This is the third edition of this book -- the second was published in 2001 -- and it begins with a preface that describes the intervening seven years. This includes the administration of Vicente Fox, the rise of Asian competition, the experience with NAFTA and the election of Filipe Calderón.

What I like most about this book is that, while the narration is about people and events, they are all placed in a broad comprehensive context that emphasizes their effects on current-day Mexico. Chapter 1 presents the themes that recur as Suchlicki leads readers through 500 years. "Attraction to and rejection of the United States and its influence", "the Catholic Church verses the political system", "liberal and conservative swings in an autocratic political system" come up again and again as Suchlicki explains key periods such as the emergence of Mexico as a Spanish colony, the Mexican Revolution and the rise of the PAN.

Two final chapters add an additional layer of understanding. "Mexicans and Mexican Americans" covers the deep relationships and resulting cultural impacts that Mexico has on the U.S. "Mexico's Future, Mexico's Past" looks back at the major events and themes and projects them forward.

This book is not a glossy history. Corruption, racism, narco-traffic, poverty and conflict appear repeatedly as the author explains how Mexico evolved politically and economically to the democracy it is today.

It's also not detailed -- the battle of Chapultapec Castle is described in three sentences -- but the detail would obscure the broad themes and perspectives that are succinctly presented. Once you have the big picture, there are nearly 250 books and articles in the "Suggested Readings" that will enable you to fill in the details for months to come.

There are other books of comparable length that cover Mexican history. A Concise History of Mexico by Brian R. Hamnett is more detailed and less thematic. Mexico: A Brief History by Alicia Hernández Chávez and Andy Klatt interprets many events as evidence of stability and political collaboration. A Brief History of Mexico by Lynn V. Foster breaks history into segments that can be consulted as stand-alone descriptions of key events and periods. Suchlicki's stands out for me. His themes not only help to understand the events and people he covers, but also provide a comprehensive grounding for reading more detailed works, interpreting current events, traveling and experiencing the cultures of Mexico.… (más)