This book should be required reading for anyone looking to understand modern U.S.-Mexico relations, since the topic is so important to understand so many others (violence in Mexico, illegal immigration into the U.S., etc.) and the relationship between the two countries.
Written by a Mexican poet/novelist and her American historian husband, it provides a good walk through of the drug trade from before the Mexican Revolution up to just prior to the latest U.S presidential elections. During the journey, it shows the history of both countries, the shift in drug policy over time, the reasons and their unintended consequences which have led to the current situation in Mexico. I think most readers will be struck by learning of the level of brutality, not just in numbers but in the actions of all the players (which are numerous indeed).
As someone who has lived most of his life in the Juarez/El Paso border area, I especially appreciated a section in chapter 9 that covers how and why the violence got so bad in my hometown starting with the Calderón administration. In a few concise pages, it covered it not only the drug trade factors, but also the macro economic and social ones that came together to cause it. Having lived through it, I can attest to its accuracy.
- Paperback: 258 pages
- Publisher: OR Books; Reprint edition (November 15, 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1944869123
- ISBN-13: 978-1944869120
- Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 7.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 22 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#119,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #40 in Mexico History
- #20 in Arms Control (Books)
- #54 in Caribbean & Latin American Politics
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