The U.S.-Mexican Border Today: Conflict and Cooperation in Historical Perspective

by Paul Ganster, David E Lorey (With)

Systematically exploring the dynamic interface between Mexico and the United States, this comprehensive survey considers the historical development, current politics and key issues, society, environment, economy, and daily life of the border region. Now fully updated and revised, the book analyzes the region's economic cycles, social movements, and distinctive culture from the 1880s to the globalizing world of the twenty-first century. Richly illustrated with photographs, maps, and tables, this book is an invaluable resource for all those interested in borderlands and U.S.-Mexican relations.
--Linda B. Hall, University of New Mexico "Multicultural Review"

391 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2015

About the author

Paul Ganster is professor of history and director of the Institute for Regional Studies at San Diego State University. David E. Lorey was director of the U.S.DLatin American Relations Program at the Hewlett Foundation from 1997 to 2003.

Reviews

[Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5*
The history of the border should not be told in a dense, textbook-style format. There are better ways to tell the story of the US-Mexico border.

The content is very informative and comprehensive. The downside is in its readability — unless you prefer the textbook approach.

If you want to learn more about the US-Mexico border, check out Rachel St. John’s /Line in the Sand/. It’s a history monograph with very similar information, a clearer argument, and it tells a story. The only downside to St. John’s fantastic monograph is in timespan she covers. The story begins in the early nineteenth century and ends with the Great Depression in the 1930s. I hope one day she — or another historian with a knack for narrative — writes a “part II” that offers the history of the border from World War II through present day. If anyone has any recommendations, send them my way!