The Battle of Tomochic: The Battle of Tomochic Memoirs of a Second Lieutenant

Tomochic is a controversial and celebrated example of Mexican fiction. Tomochic is the fictional narration of the 1892 military campaign that resulted in the massacre of the small village of Tomochic, located in the Tarahumara mountains and ordered by the dictatorial regime of Porfirio Díaz. The work is narrated by an eyewitness, the then second lieutenant, Heriberto Frías, and written by him in collaboration with Joaquin Clausell, editor of the newspaper which published it in serial form between March and April of 1893. For a period after the series'publication, the author chose to maintain anonymity. It was expressly this stance which excited more public interest than any other Mexican writer of the 19th century and which eventually led to a drawn out trial to uncover the identity of the author and to implicate him. For, although it is a work of fiction, the general plot of the work, involving a confrontation between a professional army and a handful of citizens, was too similar to the actual massacre as to not be seen by Porfirio Díaz as a reprovement of himself and his regime. As a piece of literature, the novel is also admired for its incorporation of two important trends of the nineteenth century-history as literature and the war novel. The Battle Of Tomochic: Memoirs Of A Second Lieutenant Is The Fictional Account Of The October 1892 Military Campaign Mounted By The Mexican Army That Culminated In The Massacre Of The Small But Courageous Village Of Tomochic, Located In The Tarahumra Mountains. Written Four Months After The Event, The Story Is Narrated By An Eye-witness, Then Second Lieutenant Heriberto Frias, Who Published Anonymously To Evade The Scrutiny Of The Iron-fisted Regime Of General Porfirio Diaz. At The Beginning Of The Narrative, Miguel Mercado, The Fictional Protagonist, Is A Hopeful Young Soldier Gifted With Acute Observation And A Passion For Life Who Comes To Understand The Treachery Of His Government After It Orders The Destruction Of The Town Of Tomochic, Where A Renegade Group Had Taken Up Arms Against The Government. Mercado's Hopefulness And Youth Are Betrayed As He Becomes Enmeshed In What Turns Out To Be A Cold-blooded Massacre Of A Proud, Rebellious Population. This Book Is The Most Complete Edition Of Tomochic To Date, And The Only English-language Translation Available. Although The Work Is Fiction, The General Plot Is Closely Allied To The Actual Events Of The Massacre And Is An Indictment Of The Government Of Porfirio Diaz.--jacket. By Heriberto Frías ; Translated From The Spanish By Barbara Jamison ; With An Introduction By Antonio Saborit. Includes Bibliographical References.

Tomochic is a controversial and celebrated example of Mexican fiction. Tomochic is the fictional narration of the 1892 military campaign that resulted in the massacre of the small village of Tomochic, located in the Tarahumara mountains and ordered by the dictatorial regime of Porfirio Díaz. The work is narrated by an eyewitness, the then second lieutenant, Heriberto Frías, and written by him in collaboration with Joaquin Clausell, editor of the newspaper which published it in serial form between March and April of 1893. For a period after the series' publication, the author chose to maintain anonymity. It was expressly this stance which excited more public interest than any other Mexican writer of the 19th century and which eventually led to a drawn out trial to uncover the identity of the author and to implicate him. For, although it is a work of fiction, the general plot of the work, involving a confrontation between a professional army and a handful of citizens, was too similar to the actual massacre as to not be seen by Porfirio Díaz as a reprovement of himself and his regime. As a piece of literature, the novel is also admired for its incorporation of two important trends of the nineteenth century-history as literature and the war novel.

This is the fictional narration of a military campaign ordered by the dictator Porfirio Diaz in October 1892, which resulted in the massacre of the village of Tomochic. The work is narrated by an eyewitness, the author, and written in collaboration with the editor of a newspaper.