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Mexican rulers from the Aztec Empire to the current president are profiled in this new dictionary. The work is organized into four chapters: "The Aztecs, 1325^-1524"; "Encounter, Conquest and the Colonial Period, 1525^-1821"; "From the War of Independence to the Diaz Dictatorship, 1810^-1910"; and "Revolution and Modern Mexico, 1910^-1997." Some of the chapters are further divided into smaller time periods, and each time period is introduced with a few paragraphs or (in the case of the Aztecs) a few pages of general history.

The 185 entries summarize the lives and contributions of the various leaders, beginning with Tenoch, the legendary Aztec Cacique or founder, and his successors; continuing with the Spanish kings and the governors, viceroys, and audencias that represented them; and ending with the two emperors, revolutionaries, military dictators, and presidents of post-Spanish Mexico. This is a record of the men who held, shared (as in the case of the audencias), or claimed (as in the many cases of contested leadership), the chief executive authority in Mexico even if for less than an hour. Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa are included because of their influence on Mexican history, though neither was titular head of the nation.

Arrangement is as chronological as possible, given the periods of group administration such as the audencias, the periods of contested control, and the rises, falls, and restorations of some leaders. Articles are short; many are only a few lines and none are more than two pages in length. Each entry gives, when known, the places of birth and death, parentage, education, and marriage(s) of each leader as well as their roads to power and their contributions. The author states that she had a lot of difficulty researching the personal information, as this side of the history of Mexican leaders is not widely published.

The text is readable, but the arrangement does not lend itself to an easy flow of reading. The book is better for reference or as enrichment for one already knowledgeable about Mexican history. Perhaps the book's greatest value lies in the aftermatter--a glossary; a chronological listing of plans, treaties, conspiracies, and constitutions; Mexican political parties; acronyms; a chronology of the rulers; and an alphabetical index of rulers. There is a bibliography with titles in both Spanish and English, and an index. Forematter includes a preface and a table of contents.

A number of these rulers are covered in greater depth in Encyclopedia of Mexico, also reviewed in this issue. However, Dictionary of Mexican Rulers, 1325^-1997 includes many rulers who do not have separate entries in the encyclopedia. It is recommended for undergraduate libraries and for high-school and public libraries where the interest in Mexican history is high.

Review

“This unique dictionary brings together a wealth of information about the rulers of Mexico.... Given the scarcity of information about some of the political figures or the short term of their service, some entries are quite brief, but much of the information was impossible to find before the publication of this book.”–Choice

“[This] is an extraordinarily useful book for those who seek the biographical data or the relevant deeds of the rule of those who have governed Mexico. This book has been reviewed by the Secretariat of Public Education in Mexico, which found its content a true rendition of Mexican history. Those who study Mexican history will find in this book a valuable source.”–Jose Angel Pescador Consul General of Mexico Former Secretary of Education