This is, as the name would indicate, a history of Mexico. What, you may ask, does that have to do with the horse, or anything military? Consider the following:
1. Mexico has possessed a genuine horse culture, contemporaneous with that of the Western US, indeed longer than it and influencing our own riding culture enormously.
2. Mexico's military has played a large role in its history, as has, unfortunately, civil war, revolution, and coups.
3. Mexico's wars have, not surprisingly, featured cavalry. Indeed the Mexican Revolution spectacularly featured cavalry.
4. The United States' last major cavalry action was in Mexico. Mexico has been the scene of mounted combat more recently than the U.S. Indeed the Mexican Army either did until recently, or perhaps still does, have cavalry.
So there.
Seriously, this interesting book, while not on the cavalry itself, nor Mexican military history, should be of interest to anyone with a general historical interest in Mexico, including its wars.
In crafting this book Krauze was faced with a dilemma, but one which produces a highly readable book. The "great man" view of history has largely been discredited as a modern historical approach. Yet Mexico's history has truely scene its share of "great men". In the end, while acknowledging that the great man approach is not ideal, it is partially used here to examine the history of Mexico through the lives of its various rulers, politicians, and military men.
Starting off with Mexico's independance from Spain, Krauze examines the long years of war and coups that followed Mexico's nationhood. He discusses the various characters well known to Americans, but from a different viewpoint.
While the entire book is interesting, I particularly found the discussions on Francisco Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and Francisco Madero to be particularly fascinating. Anyone with an interest in horsemen will probably find Zapata, at least, to be a compelling figure, given his enormous talents as a rider, and natural military skill.
Krauze, of course, wrote this book in Spanish. The translation is well done. Krauze has also written a book on Emiliano Zapata and it can only be hoped that it is also subject to a similar translation.
Pat
Pat