The Wind that Swept Mexico: The History of the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1942

". . . here is the history of the revolution in 184 of the best photographs of the time. The whole disintegration and painful reintegration of a society is marvellously set before the eyes . . ." --Times Literary Supplement ". . . a classic and sympathetic statement of the first of the great twentieth century revolutions--its words and pictures command our attention and our respect." --Military History "Only 100 pages of text and 184 historical news photographs, yet this is the Mexican Revolution in its drama, its complexity, its incompleteness! One could not have seen it more closely and fully had one taken part in it . . ." --Bertram D. Wolfe The Mexican Revolution began in 1910 with the overthrow of dictator Porfirio Díaz. The Wind That Swept Mexico, originally published in 1943, was the first book to present a broad account of that revolution in its several different phases. In concise but moving words and in memorable photographs, this classic sweeps the reader along from the false peace and plenty of the Díaz era through the doomed administration of Madero, the chaotic years of Villa and Zapata, Carranza and Obregón, to the peaceful social revolution of Cárdenas and Mexico's entry into World War II. The photographs were assembled from many sources by George R. Leighton with the assistance of Anita Brenner and others. Many of the prints were cleaned and rephotographed by the distinguished photographer Walker Evans. Anita Brenner, author of Idols behind Altars and a number of children's books, was born in Mexico and lived there for many years. During the Spanish Civil War she wrote dispatches from Spain for the New York Times and the Nation and for many years she edited the magazine Mexico This Month.

After 6 weeks I have not recieved the book , nor have I been able to make contact with the seller. My credit card was billed and I have paid the credit card company. I am very unhappy as the book was a birthday gift for a friend on Feb 23. I hope somehow this can be resolved. I either want the book or my money back. Thank You

Bettsy Greenstein

This 1943 book offers a brief view of the Mexican Revolution. It serves those who want an overview, and it provides guidance for those who want to know where to look for more detailed reading. Half the book is photos, and that collection also is good. For those who already know the subject, look to another book for depth. This book is good for what it is, a readable introduction to the subject.

Anita Brenner first published "The Wind That Swept Mexico" in 1943 and it is still in print 65 years later. This book has introduced more Americans to the Mexican Revolution than any other book ever published. The reason for this is the 184 pages of photographs assembled by George Leighton with the assistance of Walker Evans.

Anita Brenner is best known for the articles she wrote during the Spanish Civil War for the New York Times and The Nation. The first 106 pages of the book are her account of the causes of the Mexican Revolution and the struggle that continued for the next thirty. Brenner wrote well but our understanding of the Mexican Revolution is very different today than it was in 1943 when the book was first published. If you are looking for a history of the Mexican Revolution, there are better books that been published in the last twenty years.

What makes this book are the photos. During the chaos of the Revolution, daring news photographers could travel the country at their own risk taking photos of whatever pleased them. There were no press limits. Everything was fair game. George Leighton with the assistance of Anita Brenner and the great photographer Walker Evans put together a collection of some of the most compelling news photographs of the era. The Mexican Revolution was a dramatic event and the photos they assembled are equal to the times.

We are approaching the hundreth anniversary of the Mexican Revolution and I hope someone will put together a new photo collection. One can only hope that a new edition of the "Historia Grafica de la Revolucion Mexicana" by Gustavo Casasola will be republished. Published in 1976, "Historia Grafica" is the gold standard by which to judge all photo collections of the Mexican Revolution.

This is a beguiling look both visually and a somewhat tongue in cheek look at the Mexican Revolutionary Struggle 1911-1922. The somewhat dated account is told in newsreel fashion and backed by a wonderful collage of photos whose captions sound as though they were written by an Economist Photo Editor. John Reed would have enjoyed this account and for a general introductory overview I would strongly reccomend it. Having begun a personal exploration of the Mexican Revolution I found this initial read did much to prime my further interest. Some of the views expressed are perhaps overly enthusiastic in their assumption of what Mexico's future would hold, yet this a quick and interesting primer on the subject.

All of the players in the drama that was the Mexican Revolution are seen here. Even a rare glimpse of Rudolfo Fierro, Fransisco [Pancho] Villa's right hand assassin. A must for any library of The Revolution, large or small. Seeing these photographs helps to sort out the intertwining labyrinthine series of events of that tumultous era.