This is a biography of General Pascual Orozco, who was a prominent player in the early years of the Mexican Revolution. It traces the course of the 1910 revolution in the state of Chihuahua. Orozco’s contributions to the conception and growth of the revolutionary phenomenon were multiple, but his chief importance is found in his rapprochement with the masses in northern Mexico—the people who would comprise the rank and file of the revolutionary army and eventually implement its success—and in the military leadership which he provided during the early years of the revolution.

Meyer’s also tries to unravel the maze of revolts and counter revolts that often render incomprehensible the first five years of the Mexican upheaval.

Orozco is often dismissed as a traitor to the revolution, but this book presents a much more complex character with strengths and short-comings. ( )