Guy Weddington McCreary

Interesting but weak book following the Mexican Revolution from the perspective of José María Maytorena, Maderist Governor of Sonora. Unlike most of the other revolutionary figures, Maytorena started the revolution as a wealthy land owner, and ended poor and forgotten. This book will be of interest to students of the Revolution, but I found it unscholarly and disappointing. Maytorena and his followers are all noble and stand for everything that is good about the Revolution, while his opponents and detractors are all evil shallow men who betrayed the people of Mexico for their own personal advancement.

Still, the book provides interesting insights on the power politics between Maytorena and Carranza, Obregón and Calles. Most interesting is the situation in October 1913, when Carranza moves his government to Sonora. Present then and united in their goal to overthrow the Huerta government, are Carranza, Maytorena, Ángeles, Obregón and Calles. When Carranza leaves Sonora the following February, the rebel forces had begun their schism into two camps, with Maytorena, Villa and Ángeles in one camp, and Carranza, Obregón and Calles in the other.… (mehr)