Traveller's History of Mexico

Mexico has a long and colorful history with a many-layered cultural heritage. In this definitive book the author offers an expert account of the country from its earliest civilizations right up to the present day. A Traveller's History of Mexico begins with life before the first elite groups of the Olmecs and Mayans emerged. Their culture was finally subsumed into the mighty Aztec Empire. There is a full and vivid account of life under the Aztecs - a civilization that in its turn was tragically ended by the arrival of the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes. The crushing burden of colonial rule driven by the forces of greed and oppression led to centuries of unrest. In the nineteenth century, the War of Independence led to the founding of the Mexican Republic. The next two hundred years of Mexico's story are peopled with larger than life characters such as the Emperor Maximilian and his tragic wife, Carlota, General Anna, Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. The author ends his survey with a portrait of a country under a new president facing the problems of a rising population, drugs, corruption and a disenchanted Indian population. There is a Historical Gazetteer cross-referenced to the main text that features all the places that will appear on every tourist's itinerary. Book jacket.Pearce, Kenneth is the author of 'Traveller's History of Mexico', published 2003 under ISBN 9781566565233 and ISBN 1566565235.