EMILIANO ZAPATA Y EL AGRARISMO EN MEXICO: Tomo I [and] Tomo II

Magaña, General Gildardo (1891-1939)

Mexico City: Partido Nacional Revolucionario, Secretaria de Prensa y Propaganda, 1934 and 1937. Hardcover. The first volume is inscribed by General Magaña to Sergio Bribiesca Elvira, later the State Director of Tourism for Sonora. The second volume is signed and accompanied by a secretarial inscription, with a holographic letter from Norberto Treviño Zapata, Ambassador of Mexico to Italy, to Sergio Bribiesca Elvira laid in. Octavo, two volumes: 330 p. and 424 p., respectively, with textual illustrations. Text in Spanish. Plain maroon cloth-covered boards over red leather spines, with gilt titles. Typical mild toning to the contents, with a bit of light edgewear to the boards; otherwise very good.

Memoirs of Magaña, a Mexican general, politician, and revolutionary who is said to have taught Pancho Villa to read and was appointed chief of staff to Emiliano Zapata in 1916 as he was the only one who was able to make unruly sub-commanders of the Zapatista movement cooperate instead of quarrel. When Zapata was killed in 1919, Magaña was elected his successor with 18 votes against 11 for Jesús Capistrán. As commander-in-chief, he made it his mission to achieve a durable piece. To this end, he cultivated various possible allies, in vain until Álvaro Obregón revolted in 1920. Magaña immediately declared his support and provided Obregón with the army with which he conquested Mexico. In return, Magaña was rewarded with the Ministry of Agriculture, the realm of social reform that was of special significance to the Zapatists movement. He went on to found the Confederación Nacional Agraria and between the publication of these two volumes, he was elected governor of his native state of Michoacán in 1936. More volumes were published later, but these are the only two to have appeared during Magaña’s lifetime. Very good. Item #74623

Price: $1,500.00