Villa bandolero
Jesús Vargas Valdés

Several books have been written about Pancho Villa’s involvement in the Mexican Revolution, but few have been written about his formative years prior to becoming a legendary revolutionary fighter. Jesús Vargas Valdés, in Villa bandolero, reveals Villa’s early journey as a cattle rustler, which gave him the skills and experience necessary to become a larger than life character.

Cattle rustling increased in Mexico during Porfirio Diaz' dictatorship in the late 19th century as a result of his brutal policies and unfair treatment of the poor. Many cattle rustlers saw their unlawful acts not only as an opportunity to advance economically but also as a socially just cause against Diaz and the rich. At the young age of 16 years old, Villa became the disciple of famed cattle rustler, Ignacio Parra. In his early years, Parra himself was the protégée of an also well-known bandit named Heraclio Bernal. Both Parra and Bernal despised Porfirio Diaz since they had each been direct victims of his ruthless policies. Valdés dedicates a chapter to each, Bernal and Parra, to not only explain the reasoning behind some of the banditry during the time period, but also to show the high level of training passed down to Villa before joining the revolution. Villa was the third generation of bandits who were a product of the brutal: political, economic and social conditions in which they lived in.​

In Villa bandolero, you will see primary sources never before published of Pancho Villa’s early days as a bandit and his clash with the law. It is an entertaining and accessible read for anyone interested in learning new information about Pancho Villa’s early formative years.

Jesús Vargas Valdés is originally from Parral, Chihuahua and studied at the National Polytechnic Institute.  For thirty years he has been dedicated to historiography and has published several books. Valdés has a weekly page in the newspaper El Heraldo de Chihuahua: "The Forge of the Times"; in which he continuously shares the results of his research. Valdés is considered one of the main references about the Mexican Revolution.
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Villa bandolero (Spanish) is a publication by Planeta Publishing and can be purchased online. Click here to purchase. 
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Reviewed ​by
Alan Gerardo
​Padilla Aguilar
​8/14/2019

Alan Gerardo Padilla Aguilar specializes in Mexican and Mexican American history. He has been honored with a State of Texas Joint Resolution for his work with the local community. He was chosen to participate in the Harvard Latino Leadership Initiative program at Harvard Kennedy School in 2013. He was also a research assistant for the PBS documentary, “The Head of Joaquin Murrieta.”

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