Vicente Lombardo Toledano was the founder of numerous labour union organisations in Mexico and Latin America between the 1920s and the 1960s. He was not only an organiser but also a broker between the unions, the government, and business leaders—an almost singular figure able to disentangle difficult, seemingly irreconcilable conflicts. He cooperated closely with the governments of Mexico and other Latin American nations and worked with the representatives of the Soviet Union when he considered it useful. This willingness to work across ideological divides meant that he was alternately seen as a government stooge or a communist, even though he was never a member of the Communist Party nor of any Mexican government administration.
Daniela Spenser's rousing new biography of Lombardo Toledano is the first to be based on his extensive private papers. In addition to this unprecedented access, Spenser also draws on primary sources from European, Mexican and American archives, and on extensive personal interviews. Her even-keeled portrayal of the man counters both previous hagiographies and vilifications that have come before it.
-
“Spenser provides a highly readable portrait of Lombardo Toledano, deftly navigating the complexities of Mexican domestic politics and global ideological crosscurrents. She is remarkably balanced, giving us insights into her subjects worldview while not hesitating to present him in a critical light. [...] In Combat offers a clear and coherent view of a figure who stood at the heart of Mexicos twentieth century.”
—Tony Wood, Hispanic American Historical Review
“Few figures loom larger in the history of twentieth-century Mexico – save perhaps presidents and revolutionary fighters – than labor leader Vicente Lombardo Toledano [...] In a field crowded with hagiographic biographies, there is no one better suited to an objective accounting of the life of Lombardo Toledano than Spenser.”
—Christy Thornton, The Americas
“There is no doubt that Spenser has written a tome that will be cited for years to come.”
—Nathan Ellstrand, H-Net Reviews
“Daniela Spenser deconstructs Lombardo Toledano’s hagiography without representing him as a historical villain.”
—Colby Ristow, Latin American Research Review