John Ross, the venerable veterano of US expatriate writers in Mexico City has written a very readable history of Mexico City -- "El Monstruo" -- from the pre-Columbian era to the present day. Ross himself has lived in El Centro -- the heart of the city -- since the earthquake of 1985 and in the past quarter-century has been an eyewitness to some very remarkable events. Among these have been two stolen presidential elections, a devastating earthquake, the awakening of civil society among the masses and other major and minor upheavals in the political sphere. He has witnessed the day-to-day struggle of the average person in the city and surrounding areas, knows them well and can discuss their situations with passion and empathy -- and with good humor all at once.
Some other reviewers have noted slight inaccuracies, but all told, and while I agree they exist and that his editor should have caught them, I don't think they take much away from this book. In his words, Ross takes you there -- whether it's in the midst of the Revolution of 1810, or the revolutionary chaos of first quarter of the 20th Century, to the immense protests in the Zocalo subsequent to the election fraud of the 2006 presidential election. He almost seems to have been an eyewitness to these events and it makes for page-turning reading.
One thing that Ross's book shows is the incredible, unrelenting violence in the city -- and the country at large -- resulting from extreme class inequalities and the corruption that these inequities have fomented. I find it remarkable that the Mexican people continue to persevere -- even when they know from bitter, first-hand experience that the deck is stacked against them. You gotta have a sense of humor to live in that giant city -- and a whole lotta soul, too.
And speaking of corruption? People in the US, who think that the government is broken and can't get anything done? That think our politicians are crooks will have their eyes opened wide to what corruption and injustice really look like. Ross gets into this aspect in great detail.
Also, Ross discusses the extreme environmental situation in the Mexico City metro area. This is a city that's probably the most dangerous to your health in the world in terms of environmental degradation. And there's the distinct possibility that this immense metro area of 30 million-plus people could actually run out of water -- adds to the living on the environmental edge aspects of this place.
I'd love to see a documentary film or PBS-type television series based on this book. A project such as this would really help folks on the US side to better understand how and why Mexico is what it is.
For all the above reasons and more, I recommend this book for anyone to read who wants/needs a basic, but never boring, background on the history and people of Mexico City. Use it as a point of departure for further research into the details of this amazing city. Five stars.
