Radio in Revolution: Wireless Technology and State Power in Mexico, 1897–1938 by J. Justin Castro (review)
Historians have largely ignored the role of technology and communications during the Mexican Revolution. The author provides significant insights into radio’s impact during this era. Further, he explores the impact of radio in unifying the nation after 1920, and the ability of Mexico’s leadership under the National Revolutionary Party (PNR) to reinforce its control throughout the 1930s. Castro accomplishes this task through meticulous research, complemented by telling illustrations and photographs that capture the development of radio equipment and broadcast stations. As he argues early in the book, “the most significant consequence of the Revolution on radio development was that military concerns shaped how government leaders, mostly military men themselves, perceived the medium” (13).