Book Review

The terse entry under Pancho Villa in the Concise Columbia Encyclopedia (1994) concludes with the statement "at times a rebel against injustice, but always an undirected destructive force, Villa became a national hero." Such a sweeping statement combines myth, subjectivity, and bafflement. How it is that an "always destructive force" became a Mexican national hero is the question that lies at the core of Friedrich Katz's study. Moreover, as the 1934 film Viva Villa! starring Wallace Beery demonstrated, Pancho Villa had worldwide appeal, perhaps even a following. He remains a popular symbol, as even a brief visit to a pseudo-Mexican cantina in the United States will demonstrate.	1
How Americans remember Villa differs considerably from Mexican recollections and understandably revolves around the 1916 raid on Columbus, New Mexico, and the punitive expedition of Gen. John J. Pershing, which fruitlessly attempted to snare the elusive raider. Part of his continuing appeal undoubtedly stemmed from his role as an underdog who avoided capture by a relentless foe. While Mexicans celebrated the exploits of the wily fugitive, President Woodrow Wilson's reaction brought the two countries close to war. Thus, Pancho Villa the destructive bandit is foremost in our historical and collective memory. The reality is much more complex and interesting. Unfortunately, the real Villa rests under layer upon layer of myth fabricated by those who hated him and the many who idolized him.	2
Friedrich Katz, over the course of a long and productive career, has pondered the man and just how to explain his place within the history of the Mexican Revolution. In order to do so the author reviews the myths in their numerous variations and eliminates many, but not all. In the process he sifts through a mass of interesting, entertaining, and often wildly inaccurate information.	. . .