"Between the loss of Texas (1836) and the beginning of a French-Austrian-supported monarchy (1861), Mexico’s history seems an unnarratable messy story. Hamnett. . . manages to tell the story without simplifying the many moving parts. Here are the actual global parameters of actions of the young republic seeking to restore something close to a State, as well as the import of ideas, economics, leaders and factions—and all that seen functioning at various local levels. A succinctness and a comprehensiveness that seemed unreachable, here the reader has it."
 

Mauricio Tenorio, Samuel N. Harper Professor of History, The University of Chicago

"This volume is sweeping in scope, analyzing decades of political and social conflict in many Mexican regions, yet is also the product of exhaustive research in national and local archives, and the author’s thorough reading of the historiography. It provides a unique and compelling view of national politics in the period."
 

Peter Guardino, Provost Professor, Department of History, Indiana University

"This is a truly outstanding work that succeeds in combining an analysis of both local and global trends in an incredibly sophisticated and nuanced interpretation of Mexico’s mid-century economic and financial difficulties. It brings to the fore how the popular movements of the 1840s and early-1850s engaged with the Liberal Reform Party and the major issues of the day. . . veritable tour de force."
 

Professor Will Fowler, School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews

"The middle decades of the nineteenth century were among the most complex periods of Mexican history. Hamnett’s new book offers a magisterial analysis of the main issues and processes that defined this era, from the crisis of republican government to the religious conflict and the international challenges of the new nation. It is an essential reading for any historian of Mexico."
 

Pablo Mijangos, Chair of History, Centro de Investigación y Docencias Económicas A.C.