Mexico: A Brief History. By Alicia Hernández Chávez. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. Pp.xxiii, 388. Illustrations. Maps. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $60.00 cloth; $24.95 paper.
Both its subtitle ("Modern History for Modern Languages") and the Spanish-language primary source excerpts suggest that this book is intended to serve as a background text for language students. Instructors of history courses who rely heavily on articles, monographs, novels and primary documents, but who want a concise text that lays out general themes and provides a basic chronology, may also find this book an attractive option.