Description: Industrial workers, not just peasants, played an essential role in the Mexican Revolution. Tracing the introduction of mechanized industry into the Orizaba Valley, Aurora Gómez-Galvarriato argues convincingly that the revolution cannot be understood apart from the Industrial Revolution, and thus provides a fresh perspective on both transformations.
Brief description: Aurora Gómez-Galvarriato is Professor of Economic History at CIDE (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas) and head of the Archivo General de la Nación de México, Mexico's national public records office.
Review Quotes: A new and exciting contribution to our understanding of modern Mexico. Ambitious in scope and compelling in the strength of its analysis and argument, this is a superb economic history of the Mexican textile industry that also addresses the critical issues of politics and workers' welfare. Industry and Revolution will become a must-read for all historians of Mexico.--Edward Beatty, University of Notre Dame