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The Wind That Swept Mexico: The History of the Mexican Revolution, 1910-1942 (Texas Pan American Series) Hardcover – January 1, 1971

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 55 ratings
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". . . here is the history of the revolution in 184 of the best photographs of the time. The whole disintegration and painful reintegration of a society is marvellously set before the eyes . . ." --Times Literary Supplement ". . . a classic and sympathetic statement of the first of the great twentieth century revolutions--its words and pictures command our attention and our respect." --Military History "Only 100 pages of text and 184 historical news photographs, yet this is the Mexican Revolution in its drama, its complexity, its incompleteness! One could not have seen it more closely and fully had one taken part in it . . ." --Bertram D. Wolfe The Mexican Revolution began in 1910 with the overthrow of dictator Porfirio Díaz. The Wind That Swept Mexico, originally published in 1943, was the first book to present a broad account of that revolution in its several different phases. In concise but moving words and in memorable photographs, this classic sweeps the reader along from the false peace and plenty of the Díaz era through the doomed administration of Madero, the chaotic years of Villa and Zapata, Carranza and Obregón, to the peaceful social revolution of Cárdenas and Mexico's entry into World War II. The photographs were assembled from many sources by George R. Leighton with the assistance of Anita Brenner and others. Many of the prints were cleaned and rephotographed by the distinguished photographer Walker Evans. Anita Brenner, author of Idols behind Altars and a number of children's books, was born in Mexico and lived there for many years. During the Spanish Civil War she wrote dispatches from Spain for the New York Times and the Nation and for many years she edited the magazine Mexico This Month.
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  1. Print length
    310 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Texas Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1971
  5. ISBN-10
    0292701063
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0292701069
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Texas Press; new edition (January 1, 1971)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 310 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0292701063
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0292701069
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 55 ratings

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Anita Brenner

Anita Brenner

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
55 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Critical Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to a Sweeping History
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2013
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This book is a revelation in how it managed to condense decades of political unrest and revolution that took place in Mexico and it accomplished it always with cinematic prose. My paternal grandfather crossed into the U.S. as a child refugee during this time of upheaval and the memory of the hardship endured haunted him throughout his entire life. But every American needs to know this history regardless of their individual heritage. The last half of the book is composed of historic photographs that compliment the narrative perfectly. This is the perfect introduction to 20th Century Mexican history. I eagerly await the release of the DVD.
3 people found this helpful
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R. M. Peterson
4.0 out of 5 stars A distinctive, whirlwind history
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2013
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Despite being published in 1943, and despite the heavy-handed political orientation of its author (socialist/populist), THE WIND THAT SWEPT MEXICO remains a book worth reading. Its subject is the Mexican Revolution that started in 1910 (the centenary year of the beginning of the first Mexican Revolution) and whose ultimate outcome seemed still uncertain as of the time of the book's publication. (Some might contend that the period of political uncertainty and instability continued well beyond 1943, perhaps even to this day.)

One reason to commend the book is the text, which is one of the most distinctive historical narratives I have encountered. In whirlwind fashion Anita Brenner covers thirty-plus years of Mexican history in about one hundred pages. Her account is short on historical detail and analysis, and it certainly is opinionated, but it is so spirited, and the prose so scintillating, that it is a pleasure to read. Plus, the reader can't help but gain at least some historical impressions that I am confident are valid.

Here is Brenner on the mad and crazy years of 1912 to 1914, when numerous armies under assorted warlords crisscrossed Mexico along the railroad lines that were the venues for the major battles: "When these armies moved it was like a mass migration. They carried families, three layers deep: some inside the boxcars, some on top, and others, mostly the boys and young men, in hammocks slung between the wheels. Tortillas were ground and baked on fires in oil cans along the whole top of the train, and dogs and babies accommodated themselves in the warmest corners inside. The age span for soldiering was from about seven to seventy. * * * The women, though their job was foraging, cooking, and looking after the wounded, pitched in and fought if they felt like it. If a woman's husband was killed, she could either attach herself to some other man or take over his uniform and gun herself."

And here is Brenner on the three alternatives for economic organization that vied for ascendancy in Mexico during the period covered by the book. "There are three doctrines: complete socialization, middle ground through co-operatives, and capitalist organization. The cycle of official doctrine goes from the first to the third, depending on which set of pressures--those from Washington or those exerted by the unappeased eighty per cent [of the Mexican masses]--is most immediately ominous. Politicians shift to meet each pressure, and when the pressure becomes a danger, administrations shift--or appear to. There is a recurring pattern, often marked at the shifting point with explosive violence. Administrations with strong left-wing direction give way to 'pacifiers,' and these in turn usher in business booms, appease foreign capital, and are then, as a rule, ousted by threatened revolt."

The second notable feature about the book is its photographs: 184 photographs, most of which were taken by photographers for various newspapers. There are photographs of all the major players, of the grand life of the few rich and the squalor of the many poor, of snipers, and of corpses. They are of equal value with the text in communicating a sense of this second Mexican Revolution.

I can't recommend THE WIND THAT SWEPT MEXICO as one's foundation text for this period of Mexican history. But I am certain that after reading a more conventional history, the book would greatly enhance one's basic understanding.
8 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer Nelson Weller
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read in gathering a knowledge of Mexico
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2019
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A quick history of the violent nature of Mexico from 1908 until 1942 when the country joined the U.S as an allie in WW2. Photos are a valued contribution. Five presidents were assassinated. Two died in office. It is amazing that the country held together. Nelson Weller
.
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perrin
5.0 out of 5 stars The book was in excellent condition
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2020
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The book is in excellent condition. Well written. The text explains the people and conditions at the time. The photos show
everything we read about.
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Cx30
3.0 out of 5 stars An overview
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2008
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This 1943 book offers a brief view of the Mexican Revolution. It serves those who want an overview, and it provides guidance for those who want to know where to look for more detailed reading. Half the book is photos, and that collection also is good. For those who already know the subject, look to another book for depth. This book is good for what it is, a readable introduction to the subject.
12 people found this helpful
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raymond huerta
5.0 out of 5 stars and the photos lead to the wonderful narrative. This work was referenced to me as ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2018
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An outstanding historical work, and the photos lead to the wonderful narrative. This work was referenced to me as a Mexican history major back in 1964 at UC Berkeley!
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Marco Antonio Abarca
4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Account of the Mexican Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2008
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Anita Brenner first published "The Wind That Swept Mexico" in 1943 and it is still in print 65 years later. This book has introduced more Americans to the Mexican Revolution than any other book ever published. The reason for this is the 184 pages of photographs assembled by George Leighton with the assistance of Walker Evans.

Anita Brenner is best known for the articles she wrote during the Spanish Civil War for the New York Times and The Nation. The first 106 pages of the book are her account of the causes of the Mexican Revolution and the struggle that continued for the next thirty. Brenner wrote well but our understanding of the Mexican Revolution is very different today than it was in 1943 when the book was first published. If you are looking for a history of the Mexican Revolution, there are better books that been published in the last twenty years.

What makes this book are the photos. During the chaos of the Revolution, daring news photographers could travel the country at their own risk taking photos of whatever pleased them. There were no press limits. Everything was fair game. George Leighton with the assistance of Anita Brenner and the great photographer Walker Evans put together a collection of some of the most compelling news photographs of the era. The Mexican Revolution was a dramatic event and the photos they assembled are equal to the times.

We are approaching the hundreth anniversary of the Mexican Revolution and I hope someone will put together a new photo collection. One can only hope that a new edition of the "Historia Grafica de la Revolucion Mexicana" by Gustavo Casasola will be republished. Published in 1976, "Historia Grafica" is the gold standard by which to judge all photo collections of the Mexican Revolution.
13 people found this helpful
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Dr. Mu
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful photographs of the beginnings of the Mexican Revolution
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2018
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Wonderful photographs of the beginnings of the Mexican Revolution. An interesting perspective in the 1940's of the relationship between U.S. and Mexico.
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Luis Vazquez Leon
5.0 out of 5 stars El viento que sopló en México
Reviewed in Mexico on May 9, 2019
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Leer a Anita Brenner siempre es gratificante. Hoy está un tanto relegada, pero su historia como crítica de arte, historiadora, antropóloga, periodista en la Guerra Civil de España, entre otras facetas, vale la pena releerla y recordarla.
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