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The Oxford History of Mexico
Mexico is a country of fascinating contrasts--glorious history and tumultuous politics, extraordinary culture and desperate poverty, ancient traditions and rapid modernization. Yet despite the growing curiosity about Mexico due to increased trade and commerce, mostly resulting from NAFTA, as well as increased tourism and immigration, there is presently no up-to-date, accessible history of Mexico for general readers. The Oxford History of Mexico, edited by Michael Meyer and William Beezley is a comprehensive, lucidly written, and fully current narrative history by twenty of the most esteemed historians of Mexico writing today. Drawing on radical changes in scholarship on Mexico over the past 15 years,TheOxford History of Mexicocovers all aspects of the rich history of Mexico from precolonial times to the present. Exploring politics, religion, technology, modernization, ethnicity, colonialism, ecology, the arts, mass media, and popular culture, The Oxford History of Mexico provides a wealth of information for all readers interested in this remarkable country. Fully illustrated, with black-and-white photos throughout and a sixteen page color insert, suggestions for future reading, an index, and a glossary, this is the fullest and most engaging history of Mexico available today.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
736 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2000
87 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
Michael C. Meyer
19 books1 followerA specialist in the history of Mexico, Michael Carl Meyer, was Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Arizona, where he taught from 1973 until his retirement in 1996. He earned his Ph.D. in 1963 from the University of New Mexico, and taught at the University of Nebraska, from 1963 until he took up his post at the University of Arizona.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 12, 2018
As someone who has been traveling to Mexico for several years, I bought this book seeking a greater understanding of the colonial and post colonial history.
Some reviewers have commented on the lack of narrative flow and I agree with that. It is inevitable in a collaborative work such as this.
Generally, I was very happy with the book. I made the mistake of reading it on my kindle where generally I like to read non-fiction in book form because of access to the Index and notes.
The various sections were a bit uneven. I was very disappointed in the section covering the separation from Spain - it was very dry and even with my superficial knowledge of Mexican history, appeared to be incomplete. The section covering the period 1920 to 1946 was fascinating. It did a great deal for my understanding of Mexican society.
I also liked the section covering the pre Hispanic period and the colonisation of Mexico.
Overall, I would say this is a very good introduction to understanding this wonderful society.
Some reviewers have commented on the lack of narrative flow and I agree with that. It is inevitable in a collaborative work such as this.
Generally, I was very happy with the book. I made the mistake of reading it on my kindle where generally I like to read non-fiction in book form because of access to the Index and notes.
The various sections were a bit uneven. I was very disappointed in the section covering the separation from Spain - it was very dry and even with my superficial knowledge of Mexican history, appeared to be incomplete. The section covering the period 1920 to 1946 was fascinating. It did a great deal for my understanding of Mexican society.
I also liked the section covering the pre Hispanic period and the colonisation of Mexico.
Overall, I would say this is a very good introduction to understanding this wonderful society.
July 21, 2015
An excellent and fairly comprehensive account for anyone wanting to know more about the often overlooked history of Mexico. It could, however, do with more about the non-white experience in the later years and something about gay history. The last two articles are the weakest and often read like general articles on neo-liberalism and pop culture, into which have been sprinkled a few Mexican examples.
A minor irritation is that, despite being an Oxford History, many of the writers are American (presumably because they study Mexico more, due to its proximity) which leads to some oddities. My favourite being the guy who explains that a "metro" is a "subway". Surely anyone who is capable of reading and academic text and would be interested in this work, doesn't need telling that.
A minor irritation is that, despite being an Oxford History, many of the writers are American (presumably because they study Mexico more, due to its proximity) which leads to some oddities. My favourite being the guy who explains that a "metro" is a "subway". Surely anyone who is capable of reading and academic text and would be interested in this work, doesn't need telling that.
May 10, 2025
Was assigned this for my History of Mexico class and it turned out surprisingly super interesting. There were some boring chapters/essays but for the most part I really enjoyed reading it. I don’t know if it would have been as interesting if I wasn’t also taking a class on it though. There is so much information; it was really helpful having certain part emphasized/summarized by a professor. I feel like this is a good book for people who already know a bit about the history of Mexico and want to go a bit deeper, but it could be a lot if a person is just going in without a ton of background.
November 5, 2025
I learned a lot as it’s written by people smarter than me with Sections 1,4 and Chapters 10,11 being excellent. That’s really all you need though. The independent authors writing (often) repetitive chapters make continuity and structure difficult and a slog to read. It’s also bizarre to completely leave out the illegal drug trade. Take my review with a grain of salt though as this book was written by experts and published by Oxford University Press and I barely graduated middle school.
January 7, 2013
Reading this quickly became more chore than pleasure. Very dry.
Rather than the work of a single author, this book's chapters were written by different scholars with expertise in different areas of Mexican history. I had a couple of problems with this. First, it made for a disjointed narrative, which failed to develop overarching themes within that country's history. Second, most of the authors chose to narrowly focus their chapters on fairly specific aspects of the time periods they covered, which left out a lot.
Rather than the work of a single author, this book's chapters were written by different scholars with expertise in different areas of Mexican history. I had a couple of problems with this. First, it made for a disjointed narrative, which failed to develop overarching themes within that country's history. Second, most of the authors chose to narrowly focus their chapters on fairly specific aspects of the time periods they covered, which left out a lot.
February 22, 2019
Okay, I confess, I haven't read the whole book. In fact, I was only interested in the chapter on the Porfirio Diaz era, aka The Porfiriato, which went from 1878 to 1910. I want to use the other chapters as reference when I need to check up on certain facts and interpretations.
This book enlists experts in different eras of Mexican history to provide authoritative chapters on those date ranges, so the quality of the writing is obviously going to vary. The chapter on The Porfiriato is clearly academic in tone, authoritative about the important events, but also with the typical tied-in-knots prose of the college professor. Actually, there are two professor authors, Robert Buffington and William E. French.
I got the important concepts, because these authors are strong on sweeping concepts, from Order and Progress to Men of (Political) Science (los cientificos) to Porfirian modernity and beyond. However, I so longed for the prose to be leavened with simple declarative sentences with details and anecdotes. I wanted it to be more vivid. Obviously, these professors know a lot, know how Mexico got from Point R to Point S, but I wish they had not been subjected to the collegiate pressure to intellectualize everything.
That said, I flagged a number of great and illuminating details. It explains a lot when the authors quote one commentator, who writes, "The country was a wreck...[but] seldom in history has there been a people with a more unanimous, more anguished, more determined aspiration" for peace. In 1878, of course, the country had gone through nearly 70 years of war, and were a decimated country screaming out for the trains to run on time. It is useful to know the achievements of the era, including the fact that the country grew at an 8% rate of growth from 1884 to 1900, which is phenomenal. And it is useful, as well, to hear the French ambassador reflect that bandit gangs were the only Mexican institution that functioned "with perfect regularity." In fact, the authors inform us, Mexico City in 1897 had a murder rate higher than that of Calcutta (1 in 1,000).
The educational achievements were impressive, as well, although certainly nowhere near those of its northern neighbor. During the era, literacy rates went from 15 to 20%, and the number of teachers nearly doubled. (Sadly, other sources have informed me that it was difficult for good teachers to achieve an adequate salary, and most teachers had to take a second job just to survive.)
The big achievement of the era was the infrastructure, especially the railroad system, which grew by 12,000 miles. Modern new ports and harbors were built. At the same time, however, "the railroads helped usher in concentrated landholding into fewer and fewer hands, leaving the great majority landless," according to the authors. Monopolies abounded. "Agricultural laborers," the authors write, worked in a "slave mode of production." Many major industries were foreign owned, meaning that outsiders were skimming the cream off the top of the milk. Factories displaced village artisans. Reading over these paragraphs, once again, I long for simple language, if only sporadically, and specifics.
This era is a happy story in some ways and sad in others.
"Increasingly, in the mines, textile mills, and factories a new type of worker was needed: one not so intelligent and self-reliant, perhaps, but more obedient, industrious, and attuned to the new rhythms of work."
If you want a more vivid account of this period, read The City of Mexico in the Age of Diaz, which I have read twice in the past two years, or Many Mexicos, which I have also read twice. This chapter of this larger book is helpful, but not as sophisticated as those other two fine, even lovely works. I smile just thinking of them.
This book enlists experts in different eras of Mexican history to provide authoritative chapters on those date ranges, so the quality of the writing is obviously going to vary. The chapter on The Porfiriato is clearly academic in tone, authoritative about the important events, but also with the typical tied-in-knots prose of the college professor. Actually, there are two professor authors, Robert Buffington and William E. French.
I got the important concepts, because these authors are strong on sweeping concepts, from Order and Progress to Men of (Political) Science (los cientificos) to Porfirian modernity and beyond. However, I so longed for the prose to be leavened with simple declarative sentences with details and anecdotes. I wanted it to be more vivid. Obviously, these professors know a lot, know how Mexico got from Point R to Point S, but I wish they had not been subjected to the collegiate pressure to intellectualize everything.
That said, I flagged a number of great and illuminating details. It explains a lot when the authors quote one commentator, who writes, "The country was a wreck...[but] seldom in history has there been a people with a more unanimous, more anguished, more determined aspiration" for peace. In 1878, of course, the country had gone through nearly 70 years of war, and were a decimated country screaming out for the trains to run on time. It is useful to know the achievements of the era, including the fact that the country grew at an 8% rate of growth from 1884 to 1900, which is phenomenal. And it is useful, as well, to hear the French ambassador reflect that bandit gangs were the only Mexican institution that functioned "with perfect regularity." In fact, the authors inform us, Mexico City in 1897 had a murder rate higher than that of Calcutta (1 in 1,000).
The educational achievements were impressive, as well, although certainly nowhere near those of its northern neighbor. During the era, literacy rates went from 15 to 20%, and the number of teachers nearly doubled. (Sadly, other sources have informed me that it was difficult for good teachers to achieve an adequate salary, and most teachers had to take a second job just to survive.)
The big achievement of the era was the infrastructure, especially the railroad system, which grew by 12,000 miles. Modern new ports and harbors were built. At the same time, however, "the railroads helped usher in concentrated landholding into fewer and fewer hands, leaving the great majority landless," according to the authors. Monopolies abounded. "Agricultural laborers," the authors write, worked in a "slave mode of production." Many major industries were foreign owned, meaning that outsiders were skimming the cream off the top of the milk. Factories displaced village artisans. Reading over these paragraphs, once again, I long for simple language, if only sporadically, and specifics.
This era is a happy story in some ways and sad in others.
"Increasingly, in the mines, textile mills, and factories a new type of worker was needed: one not so intelligent and self-reliant, perhaps, but more obedient, industrious, and attuned to the new rhythms of work."
If you want a more vivid account of this period, read The City of Mexico in the Age of Diaz, which I have read twice in the past two years, or Many Mexicos, which I have also read twice. This chapter of this larger book is helpful, but not as sophisticated as those other two fine, even lovely works. I smile just thinking of them.
March 27, 2019
The incredible, revolutionary history of the peoples of Mexico has been hidden from US America by the xenophobic, racist propaganda constructed by generations of colonizer intellectuals. This book gives you a glimpse over the wall, even though it's not a specifically Marxist work. The various chapters are written by specialists, so the histories are rich with detail. I didn't know, for example, that anarchists, unions and leftists united with the Constitutionalists against Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, who were fighting to seize land from the rich and give it to the poor. There are many lessons for progressives and radical organizers in the breathtaking political struggles of Mexican organizers - struggles that continue to this day. Next, I've told to read "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" by Eduardo Galeano (1971).
November 17, 2025
This is an engaging compilation of essays describing Mexican history. You will discover in the journey similarities and differences to our own United States historical path. Its reading certainly undercuts the Latin xenophobia that inhabits our current national conversation. Mexico confronted, and confronts today the same cultural, economic and political issues the we face. This book certainly helps to fill a void in my historical consciousness. Because the book is a series of contributed essays it is not footnoted. The extensive bibliography indicates the sources of the many generalizations and observations of the contributing authors.
September 21, 2018
This book is a very impressive volume of essays about the entire history of Mexico. The Table of Contents makes very clear the times when Mexican history enters different periods of civilization, as well as the problems that come along with the progression of persons and the events with which they work.
One of the impressive facts about the authors of these essays is that they seem generally not to come from conventionally prestigious schools, indicating perhaps that they reveal perspectives that would not usually come to be published in books comparable to this one.
One of the impressive facts about the authors of these essays is that they seem generally not to come from conventionally prestigious schools, indicating perhaps that they reveal perspectives that would not usually come to be published in books comparable to this one.
February 13, 2025
This was exactly what I was looking for: an in-depth history of Mexico from inception to today. (Rather, this book stops at the new millenium.) The author did a good job of covering the politics, events, and culture across each period and how they intertwine with each other. It doesn't shy away from bad things but also portrays the indigenous groups as individual groups that have their own agency.
It's definitely a long book, but it is packed full of eras and details. I don't think there's anything that I'd want to remove.
It's definitely a long book, but it is packed full of eras and details. I don't think there's anything that I'd want to remove.
November 15, 2018
Not quite sure this book is really meant to be read from cover to cover, which is how I read it, but it’s nothing if not comprehensive. Some chapters are really phenomenal — Linda Curcio-Nagy’s piece on the blending of Catholicism and Mesoamerican religions in the early post-Conquest period was fascinating — and other chapters are a bit of a bore.
December 19, 2023
This book is not a single author book. Instead, it gathers experts from different aspects of Mexican history. Generally I found the book insightful and helpful when preparing to travel to Mexico City. I’d recommend it to anyone who wanted to know the history of Mexico from Spanish conquest to the 1990s.
October 9, 2024
The Oxford history of Mexico is a mixed bag, in terms of quality and style. Each chapter is written by a different author and is a more or less self contained essay on a particular aspect of a particular period. Overall I found it to be a decent introduction or overview of a very big topic (~500+ yrs of Mexican history), but a few chapter were, perhaps inevitably, a bit of a slog.
December 14, 2025
A picture can be worth a thousand words but a few more maps and diagrams would have been worth an order of magnitude more.
Some of the authors sure know a lot but are garbage at communicating that I formation, just pure acronym salad. Some great essays as well, a special shout out to the last essay on the role of media in the post WW2 to present era, there is some amazing cultural insight there.
Some of the authors sure know a lot but are garbage at communicating that I formation, just pure acronym salad. Some great essays as well, a special shout out to the last essay on the role of media in the post WW2 to present era, there is some amazing cultural insight there.
July 30, 2020
A very readable comprehensive history of Mexico and Mexican society though certainly not a light summer read.
Not surprisingly with a collection of different authors some chapters are more compelling than others but for the most part the structure works and the chapter transitions are not too abrupt.
I enjoyed the frequent discussions on Mexican culture, society and economy - too often works of this nature focus narrowly on politics and politicians.
What was most missing for me were maps which would have greatly improved the narrative of many chapters.
Not surprisingly with a collection of different authors some chapters are more compelling than others but for the most part the structure works and the chapter transitions are not too abrupt.
I enjoyed the frequent discussions on Mexican culture, society and economy - too often works of this nature focus narrowly on politics and politicians.
What was most missing for me were maps which would have greatly improved the narrative of many chapters.
October 24, 2020
A beautiful collection of essays.
August 5, 2025
It’s a collection of a bunch of essays I liked some and found some to be really boring
January 29, 2019
The Oxford History of Mexico is a good comprehensive single volume history of Mexico up to the turn of the millennium. Each chapter is written by a different scholar, which at times offers some repetition of material as well as some noticeable variations in writing style. The volume covers not only the political, but also the cultural history of Mexico as well, giving a well-rounded picture of the Mexican people. This is a great resource both for those who wish to have a summary of a particular period of the history of the Mexican people, as well as those who wish to have a better understanding of the history and culture of the United States' southern neighbor.
February 24, 2016
A good and detailed account of the often troublesome and yet very interesting history of Mexico, starting at the times just before the Spaniards arrived. The book is very readable and there are no distracting footnotes.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews