Description: Mexico is one of the few Third World nations that has successfully withdrawn the military from political control, with a longer reign of civilian government than any other country in Latin America. However little research has been done on the Mexican military. In Generals in the Palacio, Camp provides the most comprehensive portrait to date of the Mexican military from 1946 through 1990, taking the reader inside a world previously unexamined. Beginning with the historical background, Camp explores the intricacies of the officer corps and the theory upon which it was based, as well as the economic and political context in which it was formed. He also scrutinizes the origins of the leaders of the military, their education, and requirements for promotion to the upper echelon--the rank of general, as well as professionalism and the military's electoral activity. This work includes the latest empirical data for claims concerning the relationships worldwide between the civil and the military leaders of government. Camp succeeds in his wide-ranging analysis despite the Mexican military's intense desire to remain unexamined. The text is enhanced with numerous tables which clearly detail the generals' lives, as well as appendices which highlight the various presidents of Mexico, their defense secretaries, and the structure of the military. This work will be essential for those involved in military sciences, as well as those concerned with political development in general, and modern Mexico.

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