Ernest Gruening: Mexico and Its Heritage. New York: Century. 1928
The most scholarly modern book on Mexico, with detailed accounts of phases
of the revolution, a definitive chapter on health, and probably the
fullest bibliography since Bancroft.
Robert Redfield: Tepoztlan, A Mexican Village. University of Chicago.
1930
A trained anthropologist's detailed study, excellently written, of the
way of life of a free Aztec village, based on residence in the village
from November, 1926 to July, 1927. The source of much of the concrete
evidence in this book.
Carleton Beals : Mexico, An Interpretation. New York Huebsch. 1923
A newspaper correspondent who has been in and out of Mexico for thirteen
years interprets the revolution with profound understanding of its political
intricacies, and a somewhat dogmatic radicalism.
Carleton Beals : Mexican Maze. Philadelphia: Lippincott. 1931
A more impressionistic and disillusioned book than the above, full of
good stories and highly colored descriptions. Large collection of
Rivera's sketches.
Hubert C. Herring and Katharine Terrill, editors: The Genius o f Mexico.
New York : Committee on Cul
tural Relations with Latin America. 1931
Lectures delivered before the annual summer seminar which Mr. Herring
conducts in Mexico. Contributions by Moises Saenz, Manuel Gamio, Mary
Austin, Chester Lloyd Jones, Paul U. Kellogg, Samuel Guy Inman, Rene
d'Harnoncourt, and many others.
T. Philip Terry: Guide to Mexico. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. New edition
1930
Except for such details as the dimensions of the ruins at Chichen Itza,
the importance of those at Monte Alban, and the author's warnings against
venomous reptiles and drafts, I believe that this enormous mass of information
is substantially correct. Especially good is the treatment of Latin-American
Spanish, on which the same author has written an excellent textbook. Allow
for his admiration of Porfirio Diaz.
Frank Tannenbaum: The Mexican Agrarian Revolution. New York: Macmillan.
1929
An American radical sociologist studied the intent and execution of the
revolutionary land reforms, with many statistics, when these reforms gave
promise of being more fundamental than they have since turned out to be.
When revolutionary emphasis shifted to rural education he made a field
study of that subject, and wrote a book on it, soon to be published.
La Mendicidad en Mexico. Mexico : Public Charities. 1931
As a background for this case study of city beggars are studies of Mexican
labour, public health, living costs, etc. Prepared with the assistance
of Dr. Eyler N. Simpson.
Manuel Gamio : La Poblacion del Yalle de Teotihuacan. Mexico: Department
of Anthropology. 1922. 3 volumes
A study similar to Redfield's, and even more complete, of a less typical
town-the site of probably the greatest pre-Aztec city on the plateau,
which had degenerated into hacienda villages. Written by the archeologist
who restored the ruins and reorganized the community. The introduction
in English summarizes the material.
Manuel Gamio : Forjando Patria. Mexico : Porrua Hermanos. 1916
A Mexican leader's ideal for his own people.
Jose Vasconcelos and Manuel Gamio : Aspects o f Mexican Civilization.
University of Chicago. 1926 Discusses international relations and attempts
to refute Mexican racial inferiority.
Joaquin Isquierdo y Croselles: Geografia de Mexico. Granada: Edition
Urania. Undated, probably 1929
Natural resources and other data for the country as a whole and state
by state. Photographs, occasional good stories, and most original typography.
Anita Brenner : Idols behind Altars. New York : Payson and Clarke. 1929
Dramatic evidence of pagan practices, excellent summary of the art
renaissance stimulated by the revolution, and considerable scattered
material on history, sociology, colonial art, and personalities.
Susan Smith: Made in Mexico. New York: Knopf. 1930 An excellent book for
children about Mexican handicrafts and popular arts.
Ruben M. Campos : El Folklore Literario de Mexico. Mexico: Secretariat
of Education. 1929
Collection of legends, stories, songs, extending from 1525 to 1925.
Charles Macomb Flandrau: Viva Mexico! New York: Appleton. 1908
A book by the literary brother of a coffee hacendado, which, slight and
impressionistic as it is, has become a classic for the humour and truth
of its picture. Inimitable description of the bourgeois Mexican.
Madame Calderon de la Barca: Life in Mexico. New York: E. P. Dutton
(Everyman's Library). Out of
print
Letters from the Scotch-American wife of the first Spanish ambassador
to the republic of Mexico, from 1839 to 1842, full of humour, indiscretion,
and acute observation. Many items of the description are still valid,
and the rest are history.
Hubert Howe Bancroft: History of Mexico. New York: The Bancroft Company.
1914
A revision and condensation of his history published in 1888. See also
volumes 9 through 14 of his complete works. The revision exhibits a strong
Diaz reflex.
Alexander von Humboldt: Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain.
New York: John Black. 1811.
2 volumes
Humboldt's observations on the geology, flora and fauna, natural resources
of Mexico remain at many points unsuperseded. Competent scientists ought
to check and amplify his work.
W. H. Prescott: The Conquest of Mexico. New York: E. P. Dutton (Everyman's
Library). 2 volumes
Remains the best critical and comparative history of the conquest, although
it was completed in 1843, by a
historian who had never visited Mexico and was hampered in his documentary
studies by failing eyesight.
Bernal Diaz del Castillo : The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, translated
by A. P. Maudslay. New
York: Harper. 1928
The best eye-witness's account of the conquest, in a new translation from
the original manuscript. The account in its censored form was heavily
used by Prescott.
Bernardino de Sahagun: Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva Espana.
Mexico: A. Valdes. 1829.
3 volumes
By one of the early missionaries, who wrote it in Aztec, transliterated
into Roman characters, giving invaluable material about life and customs
before the conquest.
A. Hyatt Verrill: Old Civilizations in the New World. Indianapolis: Bobbs
Merrill. 1929
Popular volume by a representative of the Museum of the American Indian,
which brings into focus the whole picture of prehistoric migrations over
the two Americas, and which may suffer in accuracy as a result of
its wide scope.
Eduard Seler: Gesammelte Abhandlungen zur Amerikanischen Sprach-
and Alterthumskunde. Berlin A. Asher. 1902-8. 5 volumes
Valuable for its illustrations and for reference on specific ruins, by
an indefatigable scholar who made both
documentary researches and lengthy expeditions.
Herbert J. Spinden: Ancient Civilizations of Mexico and Central America.
New York: American Museum of Natural History. 1917
A short summary by one of the leading authorities on Maya archeology.
Herbert J. Spinden : Maya Art. Cambridge : Peabody Museum. 1913
A semi-technical work, beautifully illustrated.
Ignacio Marquina : Estado Actual de los Principales Edificios Arqueologicos
de Mexico. Mexico: Secretariat of Education. 1928
This and other volumes in the same series contain admirable photographs,
elevations, and descriptions of various ruins unearthed in Mexico.
Tulane University Expedition: Tribes and Temples.New Orleans : Tulane
University. 1926. 2 volumes
Report of expedition into Maya territory in 1925 by the archeologist,
Franz Blom, with the sociologist and novelist, Oliver LaFarge.
Carl Lumholtz : Unknown Mexico. New York: Scribner. 1902. 2 volumes
Explorations in the country of the Tarahumares, Yaquis, Apaches-the Mexican
northwest.
Gregory Mason: Silver Cities of Yucatan New York: Putnam. 1927
Journalistic account of expedition to scout out new ruins. Valuable introduction
by Herbert J. Spinden.
Magazine and pamphlet material:
Frank Tannenbaum, editor: Mexico-,4 Promise. Survey Graphic, May, 1924
Articles by Calles, Carrillo, Gamio, Rivera, Carleton Beals, and others.
Published at a period of greater revolutionary optimism than the present.
Carlos Contreras : National Planning Project for the Republic o f Mexico.
City Planning, July, 1925
First draft of the national plan now being executed officially.
Walter Lippmann : Church and State in Mexico. Foreign Affairs, January,
1930
A clear statement of the American part in the Church controversy of 1926
and its settlement.
Paul S. Taylor: Mexican Labor in the United States. University of California.
1929
Migration records for the period from 1920 to 1928, with errors in both
Mexican and U. S. official figures pointed out and corrected.
T. T. Waterman : Bandelier's Contribution to the Study of Ancient Mexican
Social Organization. Univer
sity of California. 1917
Careful proof of the democratic nature of the Aztec government.
Herbert J. Spinden: Maya Dates and What They Reveal. Brooklyn Museum.
1930
Theory that the Maya calendar was worked out with reference to lunar and
solar eclipses. Rather technical.
See also files of the monthly official publication of the Mexican department
of statistics: Estadistica Nacional, and the quarterly Mexican Folkways,
edited in Mexico City by Frances Toor, with the cooperation of the
secretariat of education.
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