Mexico: A History

This is the history of a country at the center of the world, from the precarious beginnings of colonialism to the violent throes of democracy. Gillingham has written a one-of-a-kind book, populated by large and small characters, spanning five hundred years of conflict and resilience, all in a masterful prose and a sharp, intelligent dialogue with the reader. The universality and uniqueness of this story makes us all Mexican

<b>Pablo Piccato, author of <i>A Brief History of Violence in Mexico</i> and Professor of History, Columbia University</b>

A rollicking and stereotype-busting tour through five centuries of Mexican history. As Gillingham demonstrates, it's Mexico — not the United States — that merits the title of the world's earliest and greatest melting pot. Sweeping from the Sonoran copper mines to the rainforests of Chiapas to Mexico City’s mansions, Gillingham dissects the country's politics, ideas, and contradictions with flair. The rare book that is as entertaining as it is learned and ingeniously argued

<b>Deborah Cohen, author of <i> Last Call at the Hotel Imperial </i> and Director of the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs</b>

The result of a long and erudite engagement with what Mexico has meant historically, Paul Gillingham’s book offers a unique and enlightening view of the five centuries that made Mexico. The local, the national, and the global meet, blending the big with the minute. Wonderful storytelling, one of those rare happenstances of informing, explaining, and delighting

<b>Mauricio Tenorio-Trillo, author of <i>Latin America: The Allure and Power of an Idea</i> and Professor of History, University of Chicago</b>

In taking on half a millennium of Mexican history, Gillingham deftly maneuvers to convey both its ironies and complexities. It is a wild ride

<b>Erika Pani, author of <i>Torn Asunder: Republican Crises and Civil Wars in the United States and Mexico, 1848-1867</i> and Professor of History, El Colegio de México</b>

Magisterial... This fine account does well to remind that the best history is about fact, not fiction

Peter Frankopan, The Telegraph

Lively, engaging... [Gillingham] shows that the country has thrived for centuries because of its diversity, not in spite of it

New York Times, 'Six Books We Loved This Week'

A breathtaking new book . . . every one of [its] pages is worth reading . . . Gillingham writes with sparkling verve, and reveals Mexican history in all its kaleidoscopic complexity

Camilla Townsend, Washington Post

An engrossing read... Enormous but enjoyable... On page after page, [Gillingham's] narrative remains grounded in the smaller-scale experience of the communities that persisted under a power that has always been more spectacular than strong... At times, as Gillingham makes clear, democracy of the Mexican variety has outshined the American kind

Álvaro Enrigue, New York Times Book Review

Magisterial… full of rich detail… has set a new standard

Literary Review

One of the best recent area studies of Mexico, covering half a millennium, from Aztec domination via three centuries of Spanish imperialism to revolution and independence. Paul Gillingham writes as engagingly as the celebrated Mexican columnist Armando Fuentes Aguirre (‘Catón’), but with the rigour of Hugh Thomas' Cuba or John Lynch's Bolívar

Mark Lawrence, History Today

A masterful account of one of the world's most complex and storied nations

Mathew Lyons, The Spectator

Gillingham offers a vibrant and thought-provoking account ... Gillingham offers valuable historical context on Mexican immigration to the U.S.

Gerard Helferich, The Wall Street Journal

Vivid ... With an eye for revealing details and a rejection of tired bromides, Gillingham describes a cultural melting pot that, despite hindrances, has succeeded better than some more powerful nations in living up to its ideals

Brendan Driscoll, Booklist

Superb ... Essential, lively reading for anyone wishing to understand Mexico and contemporary geopolitics alike

Kirkus Reviews