Fire and Blood

A History of Mexico

By: T. R. Fehrenbach

Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon

There have been many Mexicos: the country of varied terrain, of Amerindian heritage, of the Spanish Conquest, of the Revolution, and of the modern era of elections and the rule of bankers. Mexico was forged in the fires of successive civilizations, and baptized with the blood of millions, all of whom added tragic dimensions to the modern Mexican identity. 

T. R. Fehrenbach brilliantly delineates the contrasts and conflicts between them, unraveling the history while weaving a fascinating tapestry of beauty and brutality: the Amerindians, who wrought from the vulnerable land a great indigenous Meso-American civilization by the first millennium BC; the successive reigns of Olmec, Maya, Toltec, and Mexic masters, who ruled through an admirably efficient bureaucracy and the power of the priests, propitiating the capricious gods with human sacrifices; the Spanish conquistadors, who used smallpox, technology, and their own ruthless individualism to erect a new tyranny over the ruins of the old; the agony of independent Mexico, struggling with the weight of its overwhelming past and tremendous potential. 

Throughout the narrative the author resurrects the great personalities of Mexican history, such as Motecuhzoma, Cortes, Santa Anna, Juárez, Maximilian, Diaz, Pancho Villa, and Zapata. Fehrenbach, who has updated this edition to include recent events, has created a work of scholarly perspective and gripping prose.

©1973 T. R. Fehrenbach; new material copyright 1995 by T. R. Fehrenbach (P)2018 Tantor

Informative

I really appreciated the information. The mix of American English accent for some words and some words pronounced with Spanish accent was a bit strange at times. I most benefited from the "middle half" of the book about Independence and Revolution.

Absolutely fantastic!

If you love history or Mexico, heck even Texas you need to read this book.

Amazing #1

This book is great. It’s the best history of Mexico iv ever found. Number. 1

Long, detailed, comprehensive history of Mexico

After a grueling 35 hours, the good news is that the author managed to convey Mexico's extensive history, with all its ups and downs, from the beginning. The only thing that I didn't like was the author's frequent lapses into sociological commentary and opinion. Nonetheless, it was worth the read!

Full of Detail, Data and Drama

The initial part regarding the migration history of the bloodline is a little out dated but that cannot be blamed on the author. It was a bit confusing to follow the tribal names and there locations in an audio format. I am amazed at the level of information that even exists about the Spanish conquest and what really went down. It is interesting to hear the intricacies of how things played out and then comparing to the sparce tales I have heard in my past. The later more modern times are informative and I found it strongly tied to breaking free from the class divided Spanish way. I feel more understanding of a culture that went down a far different path than the United States did but yet are working hard and making progress.