Emiliano Zapata

The Life and Legacy of the Mexican Revolution's Iconic Leader

De: Charles River Editors, Gustavo Vazquez Lozano

Narrado por: Dan Gallagher

A little more than 100 years ago a Mexican peasant named Emiliano Zapata gathered a rural army from the plantations and villages of southern Mexico, seized the lands of the haciendas, and began to distribute them among the peasants of Anenecuilco, his hometown, in the state of Morelos. Outraged and impatient with the ceaseless destitution of the indigenous peoples at the hands of the landowners, he had decided to take justice in his hands. His flag was Liberty and Justice, the exact opposites of the two burdens that had tyrannized the rural population: work in semi-slavery conditions and immense inequality.

Zapata, who in a few years assembled a popular army of 25,000, was a unique case in the history of Mexico. His country's past had consisted of opportunist generals revolting against the government seeking not to make justice, but to seize power. Conversely, Zapata was not interested in politics or power plays, except in their most practical and immediate form: to distribute land among the peasants; to allow them to work in peace; and to defend their gains by force of arms. Thus, it was only inevitable that in his time, he was seen as a menace, someone to get rid of in order to return to peace and order.

Nearly a century after his death, Zapata remains an opaque figure. To call oneself a Zapatista in Mexico can get a person in trouble, yet he led one of the peasant rebellions most studied by scholars. Historians have produced biographies that portray him as a hero, such as John Womack in the 1960s, and that of his successor and closest aide, Gildardo Magaña, who wrote one shortly after Zapata's death.

©2017 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors

Good summary, reader not familiar with Spanish language

Really? I speak Spanish and I had no clue what reader was saying when he attempted reading anything in Spanish. Even worse, the accents he employed when quoting characters was condescending - think, Frito Bandido.
Clearly a professional reader with great skills but he should stick to English. The producers should have more respect for the culture and employ someone with familiarity with the language.
Disappointed...

Good story, bad story telling.

The accents given to the characters are bad. They remind me of speedy Gonzales or an old cartoon.

This book is racist.

The person reading this book impersonates Emiliano Zapata like he's pretending to to be "Cheech." The text also gives a clearly racist physical description of Zapata.