The Holy War in Los Altos

by Jim Tuck

Journalist Jim Tuck has produced a well-written narrative of Cristero military operations in the Los Altos area of eastern Jalisco during the 1926-29 period. The book is somewhat less successful in the “regional analysis” its subtitle proclaims, for the causes and significance of the rebellion in Los Altos are given short shrift. Tuck bases his work primarily on secondary sources, although he does make use of several private archives and oral interviews with former Cristeros. He begins by discussing the cultural and social uniqueness of Los Altos, as a region largely European rather than mestizo, and composed mainly of small ranchers, tenant farmers and day laborers rather than of the social types found on large estates. The balance of the book is a detailed description of military actions, with a focus on infighting among the Cristero leaders.