Triumphs and Tragedy A History of the Mexican People [Paperback]

Winner of a Commonwealth gold medal for Nonfiction and lauded as one of the five best history books of the year by theMay very likely become the most accessible and comprehensive introduction in English to Mexico's past and present. . . . A triumph.Hard-hitting without being doctrinaire, this vastly illuminating people's history gives value to the collective trauma of a nation decimated by Spanish colonial rule, betrayed by corrupt politicos and incompetent army chiefs, then manipulated into servile dependence on its neighbor to the north.An excellent book that will set a new standard for general histories of Mexico. . . . Well written, pithy, and thought-provoking. It is a sweeping, magisterial study that goes far beyond the usual pallid tone of most general histories of Mexico on either side of the border. As a student of Mexico, Ruiz has few peers, and this work will establish a new standard.A narrative study of Mexico's tumultuous origin and development--from its Olmec, Aztec and Mayan heritage to its present-day incarnation as an independent, but struggling, modern country.