J. Justin Castro. Radio in Revolution

In its claims for the centrality of wireless communications to politics and diplomacy, Radio in Revolution: Wireless Technology and State Power in Mexico, 1897–1938, contributes fresh material to the history of the Mexican Revolution. A fascinating addition to a recent spate of radio histories of Latin America and the Caribbean, this Mexican case study includes many characters familiar to anyone who has studied Mexico’s early twentieth century. Major political and military figures such as Francisco “Pancho” Villa, Venustiano Carranza, and Álvaro Obregón make appearances. But their activities center on wireless, as they work to introduce and deploy the new technology, using it for surveillance, to plan military strategies, and to cement alliances. Methodologically, J. Justin Castro moves away from the study of ideological struggles and toward an examination of the shared tools that make up political strategies. The analysis extends beyond Mexico City to include smaller cities and provinces. This entails tracking down scattered archives, finding clues to clandestine radio operations and evanescent communications, and untangling complicated legal and bureaucratic battles. With impressively thorough research, this book reframes the revolution and the years leading up to it as radio history.

Economic history · Physics · Political science · Power (physics) · State (computer science) · Telecommunications · Wireless · Chinese history and philosophy · Computer Science · Engineering · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies