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William F. Buckley Sr.
Witness to the Mexican Revolution, 1908–1922
Foreword by James L. Buckley
Published by: University of Oklahoma Press
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press
320 Pages | 6 x 9 | 17 B&W Illus., 1 Map, 1 graph, 5 tables
$29.95
$24.95
$65.00
In 1909, young William F. Buckley Sr. (1881–1958), who grew up in the dusty South Texas town of San Diego, graduated from the University of Texas law school and headed for Mexico City. Fluent in Spanish, familiar with Mexican traditions, and soon fit to practice law south of the border, Buckley was headed up the aisle to vast wealth and cultural power. On the way, he took a front-row seat at the Mexican Revolution and played a key role in steering the nascent oil industry through tumultuous and dangerous times. This book for the first time tells the story of the man behind the family that would become nothing short of a conservative institution, reaching its apogee in the career of William F. Buckley Jr., arguably the most prominent conservative commentator of the twentieth century.
Buckley witnessed the overthrow and exit of President Porfirio Díaz, the rise of Madero, and the coup of General Victoriano Huerta, all while building the Pantepec Oil Company, the most profitable small petroleum producer in Mexico. He faced down Pancho Villa, survived encounters with hired assassins, evaded snipers in the streets of Veracruz, gambled and won in many a business venture—and ultimately was expelled from the country. As the narrative follows Buckley from his small-town Texas beginnings to the founding of a family dynasty, the streak of independence and distrust of government that would become the Buckley hallmark can be seen in the making.
An eventful chapter in the life and career of a singular character, this dramatic account of a man and his moment is a document of political and historical significance—but it is also a remarkable story, told with irresistible brio.
Buckley witnessed the overthrow and exit of President Porfirio Díaz, the rise of Madero, and the coup of General Victoriano Huerta, all while building the Pantepec Oil Company, the most profitable small petroleum producer in Mexico. He faced down Pancho Villa, survived encounters with hired assassins, evaded snipers in the streets of Veracruz, gambled and won in many a business venture—and ultimately was expelled from the country. As the narrative follows Buckley from his small-town Texas beginnings to the founding of a family dynasty, the streak of independence and distrust of government that would become the Buckley hallmark can be seen in the making.
An eventful chapter in the life and career of a singular character, this dramatic account of a man and his moment is a document of political and historical significance—but it is also a remarkable story, told with irresistible brio.
John A. Adams Jr. is an independent historian whose research focuses on international trade, Mexico, and Texas. He is the author of numerous books, including Mexican Banking and Investment in Transition and Bordering the Future: The Impact of Mexico on the United States.
James L. Buckley has served as Senior Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and is the author of Saving Congress from Itself: Emancipating the States and Empowering Their People. He is the son of William F. Buckley Sr.
“One of the finest pieces of scholarship I have seen in decades. Adams’s study of the Mexican Revolution and American diplomacy in the crucial era from 1911 to 1921 is little short of exemplary. Moreover, the story of William Buckley is one that should be told.”—Jerry Thompson, author of Vaqueros in Blue and Gray
“I am so grateful to John Adams for providing the answers to all the questions my siblings and I failed to ask and for producing a book with such interesting insight into a most critical period of Mexican history, our own government’s failures in dealing with it, and the roles our father came to play with respect to each.”—James L. Buckley, from the Foreword
“This book for the first time tells the story of the man behind the family that would become nothing short of a conservative institution, reaching its apogee in the career of William F. Buckley Jr., arguably the most prominent conservative commentator of the twentieth century.”— LareDOS [Redux]
“All fathers influence their sons, but each father does so in his own way. If you want to understand the connections between Will Buckley and the development of modern American conservatism, William F. Buckley Sr. is essential reading. John A. Adams Jr.’s extensive archival research sheds light on the man to whom William F. Buckley Jr. owed his life, faith, and patriotism. Will Buckley’s southern gentility, linguistic agility, shrewd instincts, love of learning, and belief in the rule of law as the basis for freedom and prosperity earned him a fortune. And this intellectual, moral, and financial patrimony was instrumental in the creation of National Review”—National Review
“The story is told as an exciting tale of danger, intrigue, and bold action.”—The Roundup
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