“A massive and meticulous biography, which, perceptively recounting the multifaceted life of Lucas Alamán – politician, intellectual, businessman, historian, and founding father of Mexican conservatism – sheds striking fresh light on the turbulent times which he witnessed and helped shape.”—Alan Knight, University of Oxford
“An alluring and lyrical biography of one of Mexico’s towering statesmen and at the same time a lucid and absorbing history of early independent and republican Mexico. Van Young reconstructs, vividly, the world of Lucas Alamán and his compatriots, all the while probing the methodological challenges of writing a life. This is a masterpiece of historical research, writing, and interpretation.”—Raymond Craib, Cornell University
“Eric Van Young's magnum opus on Mexico's most consequential and controversial conservative politician, historian, political economist, and journalist--who frequently elicits comparisons with Alexander Hamilton and Prince Metternich--is much more than an engrossing biography. Based on fifteen years of archival research, and masterfully integrating Van Young's refined practice of cultural and psychological history with his deep engagement with economic history, it represents a daunting scholarly achievement.”—Gilbert M. Joseph, co-author of Mexico's Once and Future Revolution: Social Upheaval and the Challenge of Rule since the Late Nineteenth Century
“Eric van Young unveils Luca Alaman’s family life, businesses, accomplishments and frustrations. This biography surmounts the stereotypes of the man that lived Mexico´s independent history.”—Andrés Lira, El Colegio de Mexico
