Remember when our alphabet agencies--CIA, DIA, NSA, FBI--were actually competent? Are you sure? Maybe they were just better at burying their mistakes...

The worlds of espionage and subversion are as unpredictable and absurd as any other form of warfare, in this riotous follow-up to "Nam-A-Rama."

This anthology gathers the strong voices of accomplished poets reaching into and beyond nostalgia to remember, to honor, and to document through figurative imagery their experiences of Mexico and the vibrant border areas before the ravages of narco-violence. Locals Listen to the Mariachi Band at El Jardin in San Miguel You see their silhouettes along the stone wall or arm in arm below the glow of garden lights huddled like foothills, earth you could plant maize in. Cowboy hats and serapes, the smell of beer and cinnamon churros. You think of family and language how the music rolls through your hips to the sweat behind your knees. How it rushes through you, to a place you still don’t know. —Lois P. Jones

With opinions and personal testimonies from the artists themselves, this book takes a detailed look at the huge impact that Mexican music and culture has had—and continues to have—on Country music in its various forms. This very American form of cultural expression has changed over the last few years, but Mexico—with its bordertowns, beaches, colonial architecture and ancient ruins conjuring up a range of powerful images—has remained an influential presence in Nashville, Texas, and even places like Australia and South Africa. Featuring contributions from Merle Haggard, Jimmy Buffett, Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, Jessi Colter, Johnny Rodriguez and Flaco Jimenez, this book reveals the unique and largely undocumented relationship between “America’s Music” and Mexico.

This guide is drawn from our larger book on Mexico's Gulf Coast, but here we focus on the region of Veracruz, including Tuxpan, Papantla, Costa Esmeralsa, Tlacopaltan, Xalapa, Coatepec, Xico, Orizaba, Cordoba, San Andres Tuxtla and the town of Veracruz itself.a We travel to grow OCo our Adventure Guides show you how. Experience the places you visit more directly, freshly, intensely than you would otherwise OCo sometimes best done on foot, in a canoe, or through cultural adventures like art courses, cooking classes, learning the language, meeting the people, joining in the festivals and celebrations. This can make your trip life-changing, unforgettable. All of the detailed information you need is here about the hotels, restaurants, shopping, sightseeing. But we also lead you to new discoveries, turning corners you haven't turned before, helping you to interact with the world in new ways. That's what makes our Adventure Guides unique.a The area of Veracruz, Tabasco and north to the US border is a throwback to Mexico of old. It has volcanoes, rainforests, Maya ruins and such abundant wildlife that you will see hundreds of toucans and an island filled with monkeys. Experience the dance and music of Veracruz (birthplace of La Bamba), the fabulous local foods of Xalapa, the local festivals, the miles of pristine coastline, Mexico's tallest mountain, the sheer beauty of the jungles. Town and regional maps.a Reviews: Great Guide for a Much Overlooked Part of Mexico. I'm planning a trip to Veracruz soon, so I was delighted to find this book recently. All I was able to find before were general Mexico travel guides which gave scant attention to the state of Veracruz or the Gulf Coast area. This guide gives excellent, in-depth information on this much overlooked part of Mexico. All the cities and towns I plan to visit were listed in this guide, and good information on lodging was given. The general Mexico guides seem to recommend only the most expensive places to stay, while the Gulf Coast guide also includes budget accommodations. There was also good information on the archaeological sites to visit, where to stay and how to get there. Best of all, there was information in this book that I hadn't been able to find on the internet, which is where I had been augmenting the meager information on Veracruz that was in my other Mexico travel guides. In addition to the well researched and well presented written material, the book contains a nice section of color photographs, many of which were taken by the author. --a Marie McC (VA, United States)aaa This is the only guidebook I've ever seen that focuses on the Gulf Coast states of Mexico. Fortunately, it's an excellent one. If the Gulf Coast of Mexico is of interest to you, you should definitely add this book to your collection. Super helpful book if you're looking to be more adventurous than just going to Cancun! Seems to be very well researched and has a fresh just-been-there feel to it. -- S.D. Barnes"

Osamu Tanaka is a young Japanese Salary man who traveling to Mexico City to a business meeting, but before making the trip has a little accident that causes him to remember his past life in 1613 when he was a samurai who was part of the General Hasekura men who traveled on the ship San Juan Bautista to New Spain landed in the present port of Acapulco. In his journey he meets his Senpai, Yokho Katsura, who visit various tourist destinations of Mexico like Acapulco, Malinalco, Chalma, Teotihuacan, etc. But in his dreams Osamu will realize that this same route traveled 400 years ago, so his trip will be both past and present of Mexico, and remember to have met a beautiful Azteca woman who had to escape along with her village of the Spanish conquerors who sought even Moctezuma's treasure at all costs. So discover an adventure full of action and romance in a tourist and historical journey that will captivate.

Tom--the kid from Chicago who visited his Paris relatives and learned French in a previous Barron's book--is now off to Mexico City to visit his cousin Pablo. Tom doesn't speak a word of Spanish, but here's his chance to learn. Boys and girls who read this story will see the sights of Mexico City and learn Spanish words and phrases. Full color.