The Course of Mexican History [Paperback]

Michael C. Meyer (Author), William L. Sherman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0195089804 | ISBN-13: 978-0195089806 | Edition: 5

This text draws on both classic and recent sources to provide a comprehensive survey of Mexican history from the pre-Columbian period to the present. Covering Mexico's history from a broad range of perspectives - political, economic, social, and cultural - this fully revised fifth edition brings the story up-to-date with reappraisals based on new information and recent issues such as NAFTA.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[T]he text used most for introductory survey courses on Mexican history..."--Latin American Research Review

"An excellent text!"--Winston Sarafian, Oxnard College

"The best text treatment of Mexican history currently available!"--G. Micheal Riley, Ohio State University

"Meyer and Sherman have created and most importantly constantly updated an excellent text for a history of Mexico course."--Russell Magnaghi, Northern Michigan University

"An excellent text!"--Gregory Crider, Drake University

"...[I]t goes without saying that this is still the top survey text in its field."--Hubert Miller, University of Texas-Pan American

"...Meyer and Sherman's text is still the best, most comprehensive, reliable, and up-to-date work on Mexican history in the past and present."--Oakah Jones, Purdue University

"An easily read overview of Mexico's history, this book is a favorite of students."--Elaine Lacy, University of North Carolina at Aiken

"I have used the book since its first edition--it just keeps getting better and better."--Donald Castro, California State University at Fullerton

"A great text for a graduate school History course!"--Rahut Gorman, Lewis Clarke State College

About the Author

Michael C. Meyer, Professor of History, University of Arizona. William L. Sherman, Professor of History, University of Nebraska.

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 5 edition (February 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195089804
• ISBN-13: 978-0195089806
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,988,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Textbook on the Subject Available, September 28, 1999

By 

E. Gartman (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Course of Mexican History (Hardcover)

Meyer and Sherman's classic work is the best starting point for understanding Mexico's rich history. It is easy to read with many illustrations, yet sophisticated and complete. The authors take us from Mexico's early Indian civilizations through the Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest. The Colonial period recieves somewhat brief treatment, but the revolution and early independence period do not. The Porfiriato and Revolution of 1910 are carefully examined,as is the post-1940 era. The authors treat their material with great reverance and are careful with their moral judgements of the many controversial actors.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview, a little light on details, October 11, 2002

By 

Monica Wanat "ua1vm" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Course of Mexican History (Paperback)

Overall, this was a good survey of Mexican history. The writing style was easy to read--not as dense as most history text books-- and was informative on more than just facts. This books covers pre-Colombian history, the Conquest, the fight for independence from Spain, and the evolution (and revolutions) that occured after independence. Also, this book goes into more than just historical fact by expressing ideas that spread through the country, cultural changes, and political trends. This is a great place to start learning about Mexico and, with the recommended reading lists at the end of each chapter, a good reference if a person wants more details on a specific subject covered in the book.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Single Volume History, August 1, 2000

By 

John C. Mckee "cmckee6" (Spring TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Course of Mexican History (Hardcover)

This is perhaps the best comprehensive history of Mexico written in English that exists. The authors have been painstaking in their research and provide many, many sources and citations but do not litter the work with a cumbersome academic citation apparatus. Best of all, the provide an annotated bibliography of works in Spanish for the Mexican scholar.

The history of Mexico is astonishingly rich and complex, riven with conflict, religious strife, and fundamental disagreements about constitutionalism, liberalism (small L) and foreign entanglments. It is also a sad story with near constant violence and upheaval. The redeeming feature of the history, and what pulls the story along and saves it from the maudalin, is the stoic character of the mexican people.

This is comprehensive work that deals in turn with society, culture, economics, religion and politics. Being a single volume work, it certainly gives brief treatments of many topics. As a prior reviewer notes, the colonial period is not treated as deeply as others. But then again, it was three hundered years of economic explotation and social subjugation, what is left to say?

This is an excellent work for the Mexican enthusiast, for serious historians as well as for Americans of all persuasions.