Sons of the Mexican Revolution - (Diálogos) by Ryan M Alexander

About the Book

Using a wide array of new archival sources, Alexander demonstrates that the transformative political decisions made by civilian government officials, after the 1946 election, represented both their collective values as a generation and their effort to adapt those values to the realities of the Cold War.

Book Synopsis

The 1946 Mexican presidential election signaled the ascent of a new generation of cosmopolitan civilian government officials, led by the magnetic lawyer Miguel Alemán. Supporters hailed them as modernizing visionaries whose policies laid the foundation for unprecedented economic growth, while critics decried the administration's toleration of rampant corruption, hostility to organized labor, and indifference to the rural poor. Setting aside these extremes of opinion in favor of a more balanced analysis, Sons of the Mexican Revolution traces the socialization of this ruling generation's members, from their earliest education through their rise to national prominence. Using a wide array of new archival sources, the author demonstrates that the transformative political decisions made by these men represented both their collective values as a generation and their effort to adapt those values to the realities of the Cold War.

Review Quotes

"Alexander ably organizes a narrative that maps the road Alemán and his circle of associates traveled. . . . An informed interpretation on the ways a regime underwent development in midcentury and its importance to the United States."