List of books and articles about mexico city history. At its height, tenochtitlan had enormous temples and palaces, a huge ceremonial center, residences of political. Maxson 1920, a practical handbook with useful information regarding mexico city and vicinity, mexico city. It resulted in the deaths of around 5,000 people leaving around 90,000 people homeless. One of the best books on mexican culture, this is a veritable bible of collected texts my roommate literally treasures her copy. T he alluring landscapes, intriguing history, and rich and varied culture of mexico have inspired writers from d. Nuns and beatas in mexico city, 15311601 c2002, by jacqueline zuzann holler illustrated html and pdf with commentary at.
The city now known as mexico city was founded as mexico tenochtitlan in 24 and a century later became the dominant city state of the aztec triple alliance, formed in 1430 and composed of tenochtitlan, texcoco, and tlacopan. In recent memory before 25, the area was actually covered by a lake, lake texcoco. The 11 coolest things to do in mexico city mustvisit. The main action of mexico takes place in mexico over a threeday period in the fictional city of toledo in 1961. Revamped public spaces are springing back to life, the culinary scene is exploding and a cultural renaissance is flourishing. It borders on the united states in the north, on the gulf of mexico including its arm, the bay of campeche and the caribbean sea in the east, on belize and guatemala in the southeast, and. The culture in mexico city is a result of its rich history and the tremendous transformations that the city has undergone in recent times. This tour combines six of the areas top sites over a twoday trip, all seen with the expertise of a local guide. On top of all that, by largely managing to distance itself from the.
These essays celebrate mexico city as a centre of cultural creativity, diversity and dynamism, trace its history from the founding of the aztec city of tenochtitlan to the present day, and explore how the varied experiences of its inhabitants. It was jfks third state visit to latin america, as he built support for his panhemispheric social and economic cooperation plan, the. Glossy paper, soft cover, 64 pages, text in spanish. It gave me an insight and understanding into that enigma of a city that i couldnt have gotten anywhere else. Its a page turner, reads like a novel but imparts a profound sense of history. These essays celebrate mexico city as a centre of cultural creativity, diversity and dynamism, trace its history from the founding of the aztec city of tenochtitlan to the present day, and explore how the varied experiences of its inhabitants have been represented in poetry, film, and photography. Mexico is an ancient land that, long before the arrival of the europeans, had already seen the rise and fall of great indian empires. This is an amazing account of mexico city, stretching from the aztecs to modern times. Books on mexico s history the labyrinth of solitude. Cortes had more ambitious plans, however, and after landing on the coast of veracruz, in 1521, made his way to tenochtitlantoday, ruins of the templo mayor archaeology site in the center of mexico citythe then center of power of the aztec empire, which was built in the middle of a lake.
Book your tickets online for the top things to do in mexico city, mexico on tripadvisor. Utilizing his many years of research and teaching as well as his personal experience in mexico, the author incorporates recent archaeological evidence, posits fresh interpretations, and analyzes such current problems as foreign debt, dependency on petroleum exports, and providing. A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The city has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, first by the aztecs, making it one of the oldest civilizations in the world. But the strains of rapid growth were beginning to show. Mexico is divided into 31 states and the federal district, which includes most of the countrys capital and largest city, mexico city. The aztecs, or mexica mehsheekah, arrived a century after the toltecs demise. Tzintzuntzan, archaeological capital of the tarasco lordship. Written by the chilean author roberto bolano, the novel won the romulo gallegos international novel prize and is counted among his most successful novels, along with the posthumously published 2666. Former mexican boxer julio cesar chavez poses during the. Living in mexico book by chloe perkins tom woolley. Situated on the mexican plateau at an elevation of about 6,100 feet 1,860 metres above sea level, it is some miles 210 km northwest of mexico city. At the dawn of the jet age, in 1962, president john f. Nov 14, 20 fuentess grand project encompasses mexico s political upheavals, its union movement, the spanish civil war, the holocaust, mccarthyism and the massacre of students in mexico city on the eve of.
Some observers have fixated on the citys dangers, horrors, and tragediesviews that were reinforced by the mexican novelist carlos fuentes when he called the city the capital of underdevelopment. Lawrence to laura esquivel for centuries, and as a result, there is a wealth of great books that can deepen any travelers mexican experience. When most people think about traveling to mexico we think about tacos and tequila, mariachi and margaritas, about the beautiful beaches cancun, playa del carmen, cabo san lucas, mazatlan, puerto vallarta, etc or the colonial towns of oaxaca and san cristobal, or the stunning ruins and pyramids in mexico, but there are also plenty of. Her debut novel, book of clouds, has been published in eight languages and won the prix du premier roman. The conquest of new spain by bernal diaz del castillo, the lacuna by barbara kingsolver, a wicked war. Mexican book with history and stories about old cantinas and pulquerias in mexico city. History the city has been the metropolis of mexico since before new spain was created. Some observers have fixated on the city s dangers, horrors, and tragediesviews that were reinforced by the mexican novelist carlos fuentes when he called the city the capital of underdevelopment. History of mexico city facts about mexico city aztec history. If youre looking for a general history of mexico, i have two recommendations.
During the colonial period mexico city served as the capital of the viceroyalty of new spain and was for a time the cultural and social center of north and south. By far the oldest book on this list, the conquest of new spain was written in the 1570s by bernal diaz, a conquistador who had been one of hernan cortes footsoldiers during the conquest of mexico. Main plaza or zocalo in mexico city circa 1800 with. The occasion is the annual bullfighting festival, at which two matadors one an acclaimed hero of the sport, the other a scrapping contender are prepared to fight to. From its geological conception till the down fall in the 80s when corruption was king. Leftleaning antiestablishment politician and former mayor of mexico city 200005 andres manuel lopez obrador, from the national regeneration movement morena, became president in december 2018. It is believed that central mexico has been inhabited for thousands of years, but mexico city history really begins in 25ad. Mexico city mexico history yntemoca yntlacamecayo, yn tlahtoque yn teteuhctin yn ompa tlaca ypan altepetl culhuacan yhuan nican tlahtoque teteuhctin yn ipan in tlaca huey altepetl mexico tenochtitlan. Mexico city the visitworthy destination, and about time too.
Mexico city is overflowing with bookstores, whether they are run by editorial houses, are independent or are used bookstores. Mexico city is, and has always been, the sun in the mexican solar system. Mexico city became one of the centers of architectural modernism in the americas in the first half of the twentieth century. Chloe aridjis is a mexicanamerican writer who was born in new york and grew up in the netherlands and mexico. Though muchmaligned in the past, these days the city is cleaning up its act. The biography of mexico city by jonathan kandell one of the only nonfiction entries on this list comes from the incomparable journalist and writer elena poniatowska, with her social history of the devastating earthquake that flattened many parts of mexico city. It borders on the united states in the north, on the gulf of mexico including its arm, the bay of campeche and the caribbean sea in the east, on belize and guatemala in the southeast, and on the pacific. A wandering tribe that claimed to have come from aztlan, a mythical region in northwest mexico, they initially acted as mercenary fighters for the tepanecas, who resided on the lakes southern shore, and they were allowed to settle upon the inhospitable terrain of chapultepec. Mexico city through history and culture by linda a newson.
The olmec were the first, followed by the maya, toltec, zapotec, mixtec, and the maya again. Leyenaar, ulama, the survivial of the mesoamerican ballgame ullamaliztli, kiva 58, no. I describe the local dogs in mexico city, where my narrator lives. The history of mexico history lists history youtube. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. The best books on mexico five books expert recommendations. By 1930, mexico city had grown to one million and continued to prosper after world war ii 193945. Dig into the citys european history with sites like the metropolitan cathedral, the shaping of modern mexico through the murals of diego rivera, or the bohemian life of frida kahloall are integral to. List of books and articles about mexican history online. From its days as the center of the aztec empire to the sprawling modern metropolis it is today, mexico city is a maze of history.
Mexico citys vibrancy extends across arts and culture, cuisine, and history. Land and people most of mexico is highland or mountainous and less than 15% of the land is arable. I first read it years ago when i was traveling to mexico city regularly. Our top 11 book recommendations featuring mexico city. The history of mexico city is a fascinating one, and it sheds light on the heritage that can still be glimpsed in the archaeological ruins in the historic center of the city, as well as the neighboring ancient town of teotihuacan pictured, an hours drive outside the city. The best mexico city bookstores for books in english. A country rich in history, tradition and culture, mexico is made up of 31 states and one federal district. Weve rounded up the ten best and most beautiful bookstores for you to check out next time youre in the mexican capital and the reading bug bites you. This book is a skillful synthesis of mexico s complex and colorful history from precolumbian times to the present. Their abundance led charles joseph latrobe, a man of high standing in australia, to name mexico city the city of palaces in his book the rambler in mexico. Mexico city educational trip around the world youtube. If you want to get the most from your downtown mexico city visit, staying in one of these vintage hotels will elevate your time spent in this historic region. Diaz, a battered old war veteran, was not a very good writer, but what his tale is lacking in style it makes up for in keen observations and firsthand drama.
Kandell, former latin american correspondent for the new york times and a native of mexico city, has written a magnificent 700year history of the first big city of the new world, today its largest. Mexico city was the host for the olympic games in 1968 and fifa world cup in 1970. Mexico is a wonderful setting for drama, starcrossed love, and more. The following 14 books, each focusing on a different region of the country, are the perfect companions to accompany your. During the colonial period mexico city served as the capital of the viceroyalty of new spain and was for a time the cultural and social center of north and south america. The global financial crisis in late 2008 caused a massive economic downturn in mexico the following year, although growth returned quickly in 2010. List of books and articles about mexico city history online.
Dig into the city s european history with sites like the metropolitan cathedral, the shaping of modern mexico through the murals of diego rivera, or the bohemian life of frida kahloall are integral to understanding the contemporary mexican. Mexico city through history and culture book, 2009. But an incredible transformation was about to take place, launching mexico city history in a way few would have. The indian civilizations made important breakthroughs in agriculture and science. Mexico s gastronomic repertoire is as diverse as the countrys people and topography. Malinche by laura esquivel, translated by ernesto mestrereed. Dive into ancient history at teotihuacan and tlatelolco, learn explore the guadalupe shrine, visit xochimilco, learn about art in coyoacan, and tour. It is built on the ruins of the aztec city of tenochtitlan, which was begun by the aztecs c. These tribes were related to the toltecas, who established tula in. It is the third largest country in latin america and has one of the largest populations. The best mexico city bookstores for books in english donceles street in centro.
In 1968, mexico city hosted the summer olympic games and two years later the soccer world cup. Invigorated by insights drawn from the first published histories of mexican colonial architecture, which suggested that mexico possessed a distinctive architecture and culture, beginning in the 1920s a new generation of architects created. Nobelwinning author octavio paz explores the mexican psyche in beautiful, poetic essays that first appeared in the 1950s. Mexico city mexico history include extended shelves. I would have read this one in mexico city if i could have found it on the shelves of my local bookstore in time. Early history mexico city is located in a valley that was inhabited by several indigenous groups from 100 to 900 a. Mexico city s vibrancy extends across arts and culture, cuisine, and history. History of mexico city lonely planet travel information. Mexico city is a metropolis of contrasts, a monument to a proud and industrious country also faced with many problems. The modern city mexico city forms the core of the federal district and is the commercial, industrial, financial, political, and cultural center of the nation. Of these, 64 senators two for each state and two for mexico city are elected by plurality vote in pairs. Each drop of water that passes through the mexican capital tells a heroic, tragic, unfinished story of urban growth and human. The 15 best things to do in mexico city 2020 with photos.
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