Eric Van Young is recognized as one of the most astute historians of Mexico in the late colonial and early national period. In a number of previous works, he has charted the story of late colonial New Spain and early independence, roughly 1750 to 1850. In Stormy Passage, which he describes as an extended interpretive essay, not a survey, Van Young encapsulates and distills fifty years of his research in the field. Frequent references to secondary works in both English and Spanish provide the reader with a starting point for further investigation.
Interpretation is, in fact, the determining characteristic of this book. It would serve as an excellent text for courses on Mexican history. Focusing on continuity and change with an emphasis on decolonization and modernization, it is filled with thoughtful and judicious judgments on the more pressing conundrums of the century. Not only are Van Young’s assessments thoroughly...
University of California Press