Mexican Icarus - (Pitt Latin American) by Peter B Soland (Hardcover)

About the Book

An Interdisciplinary History of Aviation and Aviation Symbolism in Postrevolutionary Mexico

Book Synopsis

The development of aviation in Mexico reflected more than a pragmatic response to the material challenges brought on by the 1910 Revolution. It was also an effective symbol for promoting the aspirations of the new elite who attained prominence during the war and who fixated on technology as a measure of national progress. The politicians, industrialists, and cultural influencers in the media who made up this group molded the aviator into an avatar of modern citizenship. The figure of the pilot as a model citizen proved an adept vessel for disseminating the values championed by the official party of the Revolution and validating the technological determinism that underpinned its philosophy of development. At the same time, the archetype of the aviator camouflaged problematic aspects of the government's unification and development plans that displaced and exploited poor and Indigenous communities.

Review Quotes

Mexican Icarus is a book that historians and students of twentieth-century Mexico will find an important addition to their collections. It fills a gap in the historiography of an important but understudied topic.-- "Technology and Culture"

Mexican Icarus is . . . a must-read for anyone interested in the global history of aviation and for scholars of twentieth-century Mexico. It ably navigates the complexities of Mexico's political and social history while compellingly arguing for the importance of aviation to the articulation of a modern Mexican identity.-- "H-Net Reviews"

A must-read for historians of technology and modern Mexico.-- "Hispanic American Historical Review"

Soland deftly weaves together the theme of aviation with several major strands of Mexican history, including political and economic development, popular culture, and technological modernization. He makes a persuasive case that the rise of modern aviation helped to invest common citizens and political leaders alike in the broader effort to refashion Mexico's national identity in the twentieth century.--Ryan Alexander, SUNY Plattsburgh

Soland provides an engaging analysis of the history of aviation in Mexico from the beginning of government regulation of the industry in the mid-to-late 1920s through the postwar period. He explores the interface between Mexican identity and the development of the aviation industry. This important book is highly recommended.--Barbara Ganson, Florida Atlantic University

About the Author

Peter B. Soland is assistant professor of history specializing in Latin America at the University of Houston-Downtown.