The Mexican Revolution 1910-20

For a entry level work into the Mexican Revolution, I was impressed by this Osprey offering. As usual the art work is superb, but the text gives a great overview of the 10yr long struggle. The different sections are divided by the leader that lead this faction or the other (ie Zapatistas, Pancho Villa's group, etc) and also gives a disposition of government forces. You won't get an in depth insight into the mind of the Revolutionary leaders here, but you do get a good feel for the forces that they had and the tactics that they used.

The Mexican Revolution was the first of the great revolutionary struggles that were to remake the Twentieth Century. The Revolution last over ten years and would claim over a million victims. It is a very complex story with colorful characters, numerous bloody uprisings and too many political twists and turns to be easily understood. Jowett and de Quesada have a too large a story to tell in only sixty four pages. But within the confines of the Osprey format, they do an admirable job of describing the major contours of the conflict. It is the type of primer that will wet the appetite for further study. The real strength of the book is in the photos and illustrations. The Mexican Revolution was one of the most photographed conflicts of the early Twentieth Century. Like most Osprey publications, this book is mainly interested in the material culture of the conflict. The authors take great pride in naming and documenting the material of warfare. I have other photographic histories of the Mexican Revolution and this volume is the perfect reference to help me better understand and interpret those other book's photos. Finally, for anyone whose appetite for the study of the Mexican Revolution has been wetted by this book, I recommend Anita Brenner's, "The Wind that Swept Mexico." It is one of the best photographic histories of the Revolution.

Jowett and de Quesada bring the Mexican Revolution to life through their text. Stephen Walsh illustrated this Osprey Elite book. The Mexican Revolution was overshadowed by the Great War, even though the Revolution lasted longer. The authors note that the Mexican Revolution was really a series of conflicts between many different factions--including the United States government. Much of the Revolution would be classified as terrorism or war crimes today. I learned quite a bit from this small book. The color plates surprised me--American Navy shore party personnel dyed their tropical whites? Makes sense, but I'd have hated to be aboard teh battleship Florida when the crew had to replace their white uniforms! The role of the machine gun in Mexico surprised me, given the chronic ammunition shortages--though the artillery poverty was expected. Money is required, cash in advance, before those "merchants of death" will transfer their wares. The book contains a comprehensive chronology of the Revolution, plus descriptions of the major combatants. The color plates show representatives of the biggest factions, rounded out by period photographs. Unlike most Osprey books, there is no bibliography to cross-reference. I miss that. Mexico's Revolution was regarded with fear in Washington at the time. There was suspicion of Imperial German instigation--much like the current War on Terror, the evidence was flimsy or provably false, but there was some German interest in exploiting unrest in Mexico. I think that the Mexican Revolution is still simmering, that it was never concluded. But what do I know?