'68

'68 chronicles the Mexican student movement and protests of 1968 through multiple perspectives and narrative threads. The book combines journalism, memoir, and historical investigation to document the events leading up to and following the Tlatelolco massacre on October 2nd of that year. Taibo II, who participated in the movement as a student activist, reconstructs the atmosphere of Mexico City during this pivotal period through interviews, archival research, and personal recollections. The narrative moves between different characters and locations across the city, from university campuses to government offices to street demonstrations. The story follows students, workers, politicians, and police as tensions escalate throughout the summer and fall of 1968. These interconnected accounts create a panoramic view of Mexican society at a moment of crisis and transformation. The book examines themes of youth rebellion, state power, collective memory, and the ways historical trauma shapes national identity. Through its hybrid form that mixes genres and voices, '68 raises questions about how we document and make sense of political violence.

Readers appreciate how '68 captures the energy and chaos of Mexico's student movement through multiple perspectives and a nonlinear narrative style. Many note that Taibo's firsthand experience as a student activist adds authenticity and detail to the account. Readers highlight the book's success in documenting both major events and personal stories from participants. Several mention that the fragmented structure helps convey the disorienting nature of the period. Common criticisms focus on the challenging narrative format, with some readers finding it difficult to follow the timeline and keep track of characters. Others note that background knowledge of Mexican history is needed to fully grasp the context. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (487 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (12 ratings) "Like being in the middle of the action" - Goodreads reviewer "Important but confusing storytelling" - Amazon reviewer "The fractured style perfectly matches the chaos" - LibraryThing review

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🔹 The book chronicles the Mexican student movement of 1968, which culminated in the Tlatelolco Massacre where government forces killed hundreds of peaceful protesters just days before the Mexico City Olympics. 🔹 Author Paco Ignacio Taibo II was himself a participant in the 1968 student protests, giving the book a unique blend of personal memoir and historical documentation. 🔹 The narrative style mixes journalism, autobiography, and fiction—a technique known as "documentary novel" that Taibo pioneered in Latin American literature. 🔹 '68 remained unpublished for over 20 years after it was written, finally appearing in 1991 when Mexico began to more openly discuss this dark chapter in its history. 🔹 The book's publication helped inspire a new wave of investigation into the massacre, contributing to the eventual declassification of government documents about the events of October 2, 1968.