Subtitled 'Mexican military aviation in the rebellions of the 1920s, this volume covers not only the formation of the Mexican Air Force, but also its use during what was a fairly turbulent time in Mexican politics. While Mexico was theoretically a united democracy, the truth is that not only did the nation not have a very stable federal government, but often times the governors of the various states were little more than dictators who were beholden to the wealthy and did little for most of the population of the state.

Into this atmosphere was placed the Mexican Air Force. Unlike many other air arms in other nations, the air force started out independent of the army. This was due in most part to the influence of the generals put in charge of the service. One thing Mexico did not lack during this time were generals. Mexico also had a small aviation industry that produced its own aircraft, though the majority of these planes were trainers. For any sort of combat aircraft, they had to look overseas. In these cases, most of what they were able to obtain were second-hand types or planes that were bordering on the obsolescent. The main nations for these planes were France and the United States. Slowly a cadre of pilots grew to allow the air force to become more and more capable.

This force was not used against foreign enemies, but was used in the various rebellions within the nation. Several of these, and one of the longest were against rebellious generals and their followers. Another was against the Yaqui, a native tribe, who, like the natives to the north, had been poorly treated by the Spanish government and later by the Mexican government. In all of these rebellions, the Mexican Air Force had been mostly used for reconnaissance, but there were times when they dropped bombs, though the bombing accuracy was pretty poor. Though at times, even the air force was split in loyalties, in all of these events the federal government came out on top.

This book covers the events mentioned above in considerable detail. In fact the authors has obviously done their research into various records, even though some of these were incomplete. As this is about the Mexican Air Force, the aircraft, serials and missions during these crisis events are recorded. There are a fair number of period photos, though at times the authors have had to rely on copies of newpaper photos, which get across the idea even if they are not very clear. There are a fair number of maps provided and the usual full color profiles in the center section of the book. Despite being the southern neighbor of the United States, little has been published on the subject and this book provides a look into how turbulent the 20s were for Mexico. A very interesting read and one I know you will enjoy.

May 2024

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