Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution
Two peasant armies, two very different revolutionaries, and the decade of chaos that made modern Mexico.
Frank McLynn tells the Mexican Revolution through its two most famous figures: Pancho Villa, the northern bandit turned general, and Emiliano Zapata, the southern villager who wanted the land returned to the people working it. Neither man wanted to rule the country, which is part of why the revolution consumed them both. McLynn is unusually clear about the shifting alliances and betrayals, and about how little control the central government has ever really held over Mexico.
Recommended by 1 Person
Tyler Cowen
Frank McLynn, Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution. The best book on its topic, and one of the best books on Mexican history flat out. Everything is explained with remarkable clarity. By the way, the central government never really has controlled the entire country, or not for very long anyway.
Source · March 2026
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