Mexico

A 500-Year History

By: Paul Gillingham

Narrated by: Ben Cura

From acclaimed and prize-winning historian Paul Gillingham, a rich and vibrant history of one of the world’s most diverse, politically ground-breaking, and influential of countries.

At the beginning of his masterful work of scholarship and narration, Paul Gillingham writes, from its outset “Mexico was more profoundly, globally hybrid than anywhere else in the prior history of the world.” Over the ensuing five centuries, Mexicans have prefigured and shaped the course of human lives across the globe.

Gillingham begins in 1511 with the dramatic shipwreck of two Spanish sailors in the far south of Mexico. Ten years later Hernán Cortés led an army of European adventurers and indigenous rebels to seize the legendary island city of Tenochtitlán, the center of Montezuma’s empire, the largest in the Americas. The capture of the future Mexico City was, more than an extraordinary military event, the collision of two long-separated worlds, radically different in everything from biota to urban planning. Spaniards discovered tomatoes, chocolate, and a city larger and more sophisticated than anything they had ever seen. Mexicans discovered horses, wheels, and lethal germs, sparking a cataclysmic century of disease that wiped out a majority of the pre-existing population and led to a unique recombination of European and indigenous cultures. The industrial mining of Mexico’s silver transformed the wealth and trade of the world. Mexico’s independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821 led to a calamitous mid-century war with the United States and one of the first great social revolutions that brought peace for Mexicans throughout many of the global horrors of the 20th century, before the country itself collapsed into the violence of the cartels and a refugee crisis in the 2000s.

The history of Mexico has been, Gillingham shows, one of suffering empire but also of overcoming. Through it all the country set new standards for inclusivity, for progressive social policies, for artistic expression, for adroitly balancing dictatorship and democracy. While racial divides endured, so too did indigenous peoples, who enjoyed rights unthinkable in the United States. Mexico was among the first countries to abolish slavery in 1829, and Mexicans elected North America’s first Black president, Vicente Guerrero, its only indigenous president, Benito Juárez, and its only woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

As elegantly written as it is powerful in scope, rich in character and anecdote, Mexico uses the latest research to dazzling effect, showing how often Mexico has been a dynamic and vital shaper of world affairs.

An Approachable Introduction To Mexico’s History

Mexico: A 500-Year History is a fantastic read for a wide audience, whether you’re interested in Mexico and its history, if you’re studying the region, or if you’re from the U.S. and would like to stop being ignorant on our southern neighbor. This book gives a great introductory summary of Mexican history, starting from just before the Spanish conquest and going up to current day and age. In this book, you’ll hear story of the “Many Mexicos”, the exceptionally diverse and wide ranging history, how the country has been pushed and pulled by the U.S. and other countries, and how it has responded. Mexico was arguably one of the first diverse globalized nations and has always been a major player in every chapter of history. You’ll learn about all of them, and more, in this book.

Engrossing history and captivating performance!

This sweeping epic of Mexican history covers so much, connects threads over 500 years, and provides an enlightening take on a country that doesn’t always get the respect it deserves from American academics. The scope is ambitious and it delivers. I learned so much and it challenges preconceptions I had about Mexico and Mexican history. Ben Cura’s performance is incredible and just so easy to listen to. Will certainly listen to it again!

Widely researched, narrow story telling

Regarding this Audible format, a couple brief comments. I listened to the whole title and I enjoyed the full history of Mexico and learned a lot. What quickly became evident was the author's personal and economic beliefs strongly colored his take on events and key players. I like it better when historians leave judgements to readers instead of mounting pulpits.

As an English only speaker, the narrator's Spanish fluency worked against me as I struggling to "hear" and remember names and places. A Spanish speaker with an slight English accent would have been helpful. I didn't listen to the book to learn Spanish but to learn history. Also, it seems that the names of political organizations only used their Spanish names vs English translations. Again, if you write the book in English, write it for English speakers and listeners (Audible).