IN 1973, EL COLEGIO DE MÉXICO PUBLISHED the first version of Historia mínima de México (followed in 1974 by the English trans-lation A Compact History of Mexico, with a foreword by Robert A. Potash and translated by Marjory Mattingly Urquidi). The purpose of this book in Spanish was to provide Mexicans living at that time with basic historical knowledge of their country. Five authors participated in that first version-Daniel Cosío Villegas (director of the project), Ignacio Bernal, Alejandra Moreno Toscano, Luis González, and Eduardo Blanquel-, expressing what then was considered to be the most concise, accurate vision of Mexico's past. Subsequent editions included an additional essay (by Lorenzo Meyer) covering the ensuing years; however, the work remained essentially the same until the ar-rival of the twenty-first century. Over three decades since its original publication, Historia mínima de México reached a print run of over a million copies and was translated into fourteen different languages, as well as Braille.
Historical knowledge is renewed and enriched every day thanks to research and analysis. In the past three and a half decades, unknown facets of Mexico's past have been discovered, while others that had been ambiguous have been clarified. Inaccuracies have been corrected and greater depth of insight has been gained through new interpretations and ways for compre-hending and elucidating both phenomena and events of the past. This has been reflected in all of El Colegio de México's publications on history, and should also be an essential feature
In 1973, El Colegio de México published the first version of Historia mínima de México (followed in 1974 by the English trans lation A Compact History of Mexico) for the purpose of providing Mexicans living at that time with basic historical knowledge of their country. Five authors participated in that work -Daniel Cosío Villegas (director of the project), Ignacio Bernal, Alejandra Moreno Toscano, Luis González, and Eduardo Blanquel-, expressing what then was considered to be the most concise, accurate vision of Mexico's past. Subsequent editions included an additional essay (by Lorenzo Meyer) covering the ensuing years, but the work remained essentially the same until the arrival of the twenty-first century.
While preserving the aim of synthesis and simplicity that served as a basic guideline for the earlier Historia mínima de México, this new work constitutes a completely novel and original manuscript: it contains texts expressly prepared for this edition by another seven authors (for whom biographical sketches are included at the end of the book). It also provides a fresh approach due to its historical periodization, proposals, explanations, wider coverage of its topics and, above all, thanks to its more modern vision grounded on the best foundations possible in view of the more complete, refined knowledge at our disposal in the early years of the twenty-first century.
Thus, A New Compact History of Mexico is not only a "new history," but also an innovative one. In its pages, readers will find accounts and perspectives enabling them to gain a fundamental understanding of Mexican history in an enjoyable way.
