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Por mazochoa |

Hello,

I was wondering what books, if any (English or Spanish) do the seasoned veterans of the genealogy pursuit recommend as "must reads" for those wanting to expand knowledge on the history of Mexico, genealogy research, or other relevant/vital topics. I have enjoyed/appreciated the help of so many of you over the months and years and would appreciate any direction to further expand my historical genealogical education.

Thanks in advance,
Monica

Hola,

Qusiera saber cuales libros, en sus opiniones (Inglés o Español) recomiendan como "Debe Lee" para aquellos que quieran ampliar conocimientos sobre la historia de México, la investigación genealógica, u otros temas relevantes/vital. He disfrutado/agradeció la ayuda de muchos de ustedes veteranos de la busqueda genealogíca, en estos meses y años. Agradecería cualquier dirección para seguir ampliando mi formación genealógica histórica.

Gracias de antemano,
Monica

Here are some titles I enjoyed and found useful:

The Encomenderos of New Spain (Robert Himmerich y Valencia 1991, paperback 1996) - ethnohistorial information as well as alphabetized, short biographical info on the encomenderos.

Montezuma's Children, Aztec Royalty Under Spanish Rule 1520 - 1700 (Donald E. Chipman, 2005) - includes genealogies

Spanish Texas 1519 - 1821 revised ed. (Donald E Chipman and Harriet Denise Joseph, 2010)

Conquest, Montezuma, Cortez, and the Fall of Old Mexico (Hugh Thomas, 1993 ((2005))

Andariegos Y Pobladores. Nuevo Espana y Nueva Galicia (Siglo XVI). (Jose Miguel Romero de Solis, 2001) - I have this as an e-book. Again, an alphabetized list with short biographies of individuals, and a prologue by Guillermo Tovar de Teresa.

Soldiers, Indians and Silver, The Northward Advance of New Spain, 1550 - 1600. (Philip Wayne Powell, 1952) - a lot of interesting ethnohistorical info, and found some names from my family tree on this one...

A lot of interesting info is tucked away in the notes section of the books, so do check those! There are plenty of other titles to read, but these are the ones I keep returning to.

On my wish list...(when I have more free time)....Fire and Song: the story of Luis de Carvajal and the Mexican Inquisition. (Anna Lanyon 2011) - this is about the conversos - Spanish of Jewish descent - in Mexico in the late 1500's. Many of the founding families of Monterrey, where my grandmother was born, were converso families. Luis died in prison, and many family members were executed in an auto de fe in Mexico City in 1596.

Regards,
Denise

I don't consider myself a seasoned veteran on genealogy, but I can tell you of some books that really helped me with genealogy and gave me a better understanding of Mexican History.

The first book I read about genealogy was "Finding your Hispanic Roots" by George Ryskamp. It explains all the basics about genealogy and family history as it relates to us researching in Latin America. The edition that I read was years ago, and it may be a little bit outdated concerning online research, but it is still a great tool for your research. I don't know if there have been updated editions.

For Mexican History, there are lots of good books. One that I have found interesting is "Historia Verdadera de la Conquista de la Nueva Espana" by Bernal Diaz del Castillo. It explains how the conquest of Mexico took place from the perspective of a Spanish soldier that was present there, and it shows how Mexico and el mestizaje started. It is written in old Spanish and it may be a little tedious to read, but if you have patience, you really get into the story and feel as if you were seeing it with your own eyes. Also try googling other authors like Enrique Krauze, Jean Meyer, and for the history of Jalisco, Luis Perez Verdia.

Saludos.

Genealogy Research