Mexico : the colonial era /

Knight (Oxford Univ.), best known for his works on revolutionary and modern Mexico (The Mexican Revolution, 1986, 1990; U.S.-Mexican Relations, 1910-1940, 1987), has written a general history of Mexico that synthesizes a rich (mostly English-language) base of published sources. This book, which focuses on the period of Spanish domination from the fall of Tenochtitlan to independence in 1821, is the second of three volumes (vol. 1, Mexico: From the Beginning to the Spanish Conquest, CH, Jun'03). The author envisions this work not as a survey text but a "grand survey" in the spirit and scale of the 19th-century national histories. These "scientific" histories combined analytical and narrative history. In his introduction, Knight admits, "I have ... stitched this story together from fairly traditional material, not the latest fashionable fabrics, however eye-catching." His focus is on labor and the economy, armed conflicts, political structures, and social and economic class tensions, rather than cultural issues. The volume is well footnoted, which will make it useful as a reference work. Summing Up: Recommended. For libraries serving advanced undergraduates and above. V. H. Cummins Austin College