Product Description
Written as an introductory text for university students and the general public, this text is a profound reflection on the "Argentine dilemma" and the challenges that the country faces as it tries to rebuild democracy. Romero reconstructs and analyzes Argentina's tortuous, often tragic modern history, from the "alluvial society" born of mass immigration, to the dramatic years of Juan and Eva Peron, to the recent period of military dictatorship and democracy. For this first English-language edition, Romero has written a new chapter covering the 1990s. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

mail mix up
At first I got the wrong book sent to me. I then had to ship the book back and wait more time to receive the book I actually ordered. My book was in excellent condition. I am happy with how the seller handled the situation, but unhappy for the set back.

Still the Best Single-Volume History of Latter-Day Argentina
While respecting the other reviews here of this book, I think it is simply indispensible to any serious underdstanding of Argentina's past and present condition.

For me, the twin bases of Argentine history are 1) The long, confusing, tormented and incomplete time between 16th century colonization and the emergence of an oligarchic semi-modern state in the early years of the 20th century, and 2) The long and often massive influx since the mid-1800s of Western Europeans who were certainly running from various kinds of chaos in their homelands but not running to embrace Argentina; many, indeed came only because they could not go to the US. Indeed, many immigrants had no interest in becoming citizens, nor in voting, and some returned after crises in their home countries eased.

The vastly imperfect form of representative democracy that emerged in early Argentine history was in fact just a continuation of the rule of powerful and conflicted oligarchs, and the issues of centralized vs. decentralized government is still a part of the political culture. The outsized dominance in size, money, people and sheer power of the Buenos Aires Province is still the dominant reality of the nation.The capital, with only three million people, is far less influential than might be imagined, and its voters elect candidates so vastly different from those in the rest of Argentina that they might as well be from a different planet.

From my reading of Romero, I am put in mind of that rather Zen-like phrase, "a clear picture of a fuzzy thing is still fuzzy."This, to me, is the best picture one can hope to have of this remarkable country at this point in time -- early in the 21st century.There remain so many fundamentally unresolved issues that the country, indeed, may never emerge as a mature democratic nation.The lack of the rule of law; the continuing and unapologetic use of bribes, terror, and manipulation; the rapidity and frequency with which the rich send their money offshore, guaranteeing no continuity in even basic commercial banking loan reserves; and the near-paralytic inability of the average Argentine to mobilize him- or herself towards any selfless behavior that might right the balance -- all these things and more contribute to a fragility that prohibits Argentina from adopting the basic legal, economic, and political frameworks that are needed for it to reach maturity as a nation state.

This is a severe commentary, but one I feel is clearly borne out by this book.I encourage you, if you're interested in learning how a nation achieves the status of permanent instability, to read it.

Peter Winterble
Buenos Aires

Almost as good as the original version:)
This interesting book is a translation of "Breve Historia Contemporanea de Argentina", and it is a good way to start studying Argentina's history if you don't speak spanish.

However, if you can speak that language, I strongly recommend you to buy the original version in spanish. The reason for that is, in my opinion, that it is always better to read a book in the language it was written, so as not to miss any nuances in meaning, and in order to appreciate better the style of the author. Disregarding how good a translator is, he is bound to make at least some mistakes, sometimes ignoring slight degrees of difference that convey not only meaning, but also feeling.

In this version there are parts where it isn't easy to follow the author's ideas, but from my point of view that is due to two things. To start with, it isn't easy to explain Argentina's history, because it is quite complex. As a result, explanations regarding that theme are frequently complicated, even in the original version of this book in spanish. Secondly, translating a book to another language is never easy, and I think that the interpreter (James Brennan) did his job incredibly well.

The structure of "A History of Argentina in the Twentieth Century" is quite simple, but really useful and eminently practical. After a short introduction, the author starts this book with Yrigoyen's first presidential term, continues with Alvear's presidency and then carries on with Yrigoyen's unfinished second term. He delves deeply into the conservative restoration, and then tries to explain what Perón meant to Argentina, and the polarization of society that his presidency produced. From then on, democratic governments would be constantly interrupted by revolts, and the military would have the final word regarding all matters of importance in Argentina. That, until the Malvina's defeat, which ended up in the collapse of the military regime, and the beginning of a fledging democracy... This, the first edition in english of "Breve Historia Contemporanea de Argentina", has also new chapter that delves into the decade of the 1990s, and that wasn't included in the 1994 spanish edition.

Luis Alberto Romero is a very well known argentinian historian, author of other good books. Despite that, this is the one I prefer, at least so far. Notwithstanding the fact that it deals mainly with historical facts, it also includes his interpretation regarding what happened.

Some people criticize the author because he ask them to "accept his interpretation of History". I don't think that is the case. The aim of the author was to write an useful and short book for his students and the average reader interested in History, and in order to do so he sometimes had to write directly what he thought about a period, instead of saying what many authors thought about the same period. On the other hand, he does that as little as possible and only in order to keep the number of pages in his book from growing too much, and he never forgets to include in the bibliography reading material from authors that think differently.

On the whole, I think this is an outstanding book. It gives a very good introduction to Argentina's Contemporary History, and even though it isn't overly long, it is remarkably thorough and well documented. I prefer the spanish version, but I think that this version is also very good, and I must recognize that it has a merit that the other didn't: it allows those who don't speak spanish to read it.

Belen Alcat

Nearly unreadable
The form of history writing and the use of language (perhaps the fault of the translator) make this a very difficult read, perhaps not worth the effort.The author's approach to written history is to make generalizations and conclusory statements while rarely giving evidence to support them.The book tells us that the aristocracy tended to think this and the unions' goals were that.It does not, for the most part, tell the reader who wrote what, who said what to whom or who were the leaders performing what actions.It fails to connect the links between occurances over time that mark the turbulent development of the country.The author asks the reader to simply accept his point of view, his own interpretations, as if they were simply the truth.This reader is not willing to do so.I want to see the evidence, and the author seems reluctant to show it.

The language of the English translation is the other big problem.It is hobbled, academic and awkward.The prose of the translation is so stilted that it makes me want to put the book away.A sharp comparison that comes quickly to mind is the work of Simon Schama or Jaques Barzun, whose engaging and persuasive books hold the reader like a good novel (while making a very persuasive case, not asking the reader to accept their interpretations on faith).

I bought this book because I am planning my first visit to Argentina.It gave me some sense of the country's complex, troubled roots, at least as Mr. Romero sees it.Sadly, I do not know whether I should believe him, and he or his translator make reading this book too hard for the small payoff.

Good But Not Enough Narrative
This book provides an overview of Argentine history in the 20th century with a post-script from just last year.This book is combined narrative with a good deal of broad analysis looking at major factors governing the history of Argentina.In the Introduction, the author states that he is aiming to avoid a schematic view but wants to provide a large scale narrative.Despite this statement, this book tends towards structural analysis and a major theme, the difficulty of establishing democratic institutions, emerges from the narrative.Major structural factors that drive Argentine history are identified as Argentina's strong and often stormy coupling to international markets, the emergence of a strong and at times paternalistic state that tended to overpower other civic institutions, the development of distinct sectors of society lacking a common political culture, and the Argentine preference for charismatic leaders who appear to be all things to all people.In general, this is an informative and intelligent book.A defect of the book is that there is not sufficient narrative for a non-Argentine audience.This book was apparently written originally for the broad Argentine public and despite the author's best efforts at including significant narrative, it seems to presuppose a high school level knowledge of Argentine history.Another drawback is the writing style.As shown in several chapters, the author can write quite clearly and sometimes powerfully, but there are many passages written in academic jargon.The word discourse, for example, appears frequently and is used inconsistently as a semi-techical term to describe ideology and a variety of related phenomena. Whether this is the fault of the author or his translator cannot be known without reading the original spanish version. ... Read more

Product Description
Argentina is a country of enormous potential and challenging problems. In recent decades, violence and military dictatorships have upset the political system, and economic instability has held in check efforts to develop the country's industries. Covering the entire sweep of Argentina's history from pre-Columbian times to 2001, the narrative outlines the connections between the colonial era and the 19th century and focuses closely on the last three decades of the twentieth century, during which Argentina dealt with the legacies of Peronism and of military dictatorship, as well as the challenges of establishing a stable democracy. Also included are a timeline of historic events in Argentina, biographical sketches of key people in its history, a glossary of terms, and a bibliographic essay of works in English for further study. All libraries should update their collection of Latin American histories with this work, which is ideal for students and travelers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

All Names and Dates...
I was very disappointed in Mr. Lewis' recap of Argentinian history.It read much like a high school history text: with all the key dates and important political figures but very little context and no depth to keep the reader engaged.Dry in tone, nothing but the facts and not much to keep the reader engaged.Ugh!

History of a volatile society
As the author of this short book shows, perhaps without intending to, if there was any country in the history of the world that illustrates best the effects of narrow-sighted interest groups, economic turmoil, and governmental brutality, it has to be Argentina. The people of Argentina have had no respite in the last two hundred years from both the vicissitudes of the market place and the coercion of their governments. Just when things seem to be looking up in terms of both economic and social stability, some military coup or financial disaster erases the short-lived equilibrium of Argentine society. After finishing the book, one can't help but admire the stamina of the Argentine people, and one wonders what the future holds for this country that had its origins of course in the Spanish expeditions of the early sixteenth century.

Those readers, such as this reviewer, who are interested in the history of Argentina but don't have the time to read a major treatise on the subject will find this book helpful. The author gives a timeline of historical events at the beginning of the book, and some references are included for readers who want to move on to more detailed treatments. It would be difficult of course to verify the author's historical narrative without more in-depth study, so the contents of the book should be taken as tentative.

There are many interesting facts that are detailed by the author, particularly the role that the United States and the International Monetary Fund played in perturbing Argentine society. In addition, one can understand the effects of the two world wars on the Argentine economy, especially the role of the Marshall Plan, which almost decimated Argentina's beef industry. It also gives a more nuanced view of Evita Peron without the excess of veneration that is usually paid to this woman by Hollywood and the American press. And of course her husband's role in Argentine politics is still being felt today, despite its checkered history of violence and brutality. "Peronism" as the author calls it, was actually banned from participation in elections for quite some time, but this caused even more volatility for Argentine politics. The prevention of certain groups in the participation of governance seems to only increase their level of determination.

If there are any lessons to be learned from this book it is that attempts by governments to bring "social harmony" to the societies over which they rule are problematic and rarely succeed. Labor unions, governmental decrees, international money markets, and private business are all entangled with each other, and any strong events in one of these sectors has ramifications in the others. It has been difficult for all societies to realize this fact, and Argentina is even a more pronounced example. Economic decimation, or even the reflection of its possibility seems to encourage governmental interference, even though history is full of examples where this interference exacerbated the problem, sometimes, as was the case for Argentina, leading to extreme violence or even murder. The "Dirty War" that the author discusses in this book, which is correctly described as being state terrorism, is a dreadful example of how the Argentine government completely lost any notion of decency or restraint. Some of the individuals responsible for these actions have been brought to justice, but others that did are unfortunately still free. Hopefully, the citizens of Argentina will not forget these events, and never forgive the criminals who participated in them. ... Read more

Product Description
Examining both the accomplishments and failures in the historical formation of the nation, this volume spans 12,000 years of Argentine history to provide some answers to the nation's longstanding dilemmas. It begins its investigation with the earliest agriculuturists, who resisted the conquering Inca, and concludes with the political and economic challenges that face the country. Providing a comprehensive narrative of Argentina's rich history, this reference focuses on such key events as the arrival of European colonialists, the struggle for independence, the era of Juan and Eva Peron, and the period known as the Dity War. Specific attention is given to: the culture and history of Argentina's indigenous population; how the area became one of Spain's most commerically successful colonies; the histories, social and political conditions that led to the Dirty War; and the conflict of political power and economic privilege in modern Argentina. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Look elsewhere
This book was not good. It was conversationally written and thus easy to read, but if you are really paying attention and trying to learn something, you will notice inconsistencies and places where the chronology of events is not clear.

For example: the Due Obedience Law is passed (exempting low-ranking soldiers from prosecution for dirty war crimes, as they were following orders). Next paragraph: "Despite government actions favorable to their interests, the officer corps remained unrepentant." Next paragraph - a group of soldiers protest. Next paragraph: "The Due Obedience Law followed." Huh?

And that is just one example... one chapter was so jumbled I couldn't even follow it. If I could do it all over again, I'd choose one of the other histories of Argentina.

Well written, up-to-date, and authoritative.
The author's relaxed, conversational writing style makes this wonderful history book a great read for someone who seeks a solid introduction to Argentina's history. It is written by a well-credentialed professor of Latin American Studies who bases the book, at least in part, on the research of five doctoral dissertations and 15 master's projects written by his students, and former students, about Argentine history. It makes a nice companion to your travel guide. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In this comprehensive history, updated to include the climactic events of the five years since the Falklands War, Professor Rock documents the early colonial history of Argentina, pointing to the colonial forms established during the Spanish conquest as the source for Argentina's continued reliance on foreign commercial and investment partnerships. The collapse of Argentina's close western European ties after World War II is thus seen as the underlying cause for her current economic and political crisis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The best start to Argentina's History
David Rock writes one of the most definitive accounts of Argentine history to date. His book dates from the Spanish colonization through the election of Alfonsin.He looks at the limited number of Spaniards that came to colonize Argentina and their effects on the buildup of Buenos Ares compared with the interior. There is only a little attention paid to the mission systems in the Chaco and other surrounding areas.(for more on the Chaco See The Chaco Mission Frontier by James Saeger).This book does provide an excellent overview of the countries history without going into too much depth. Economics is a major focus of the book as well as the politics of the peronist era.The Falklands conflict is one of the last major pieces covered and is done very well. This is a great book to get a bearing on Argentina's history and then decide where you want to read more.Whether you are a beginner or an expert this is an essential book for South American history.

Well-written panorama of Argentine history
From 16th Century colonial foundations to the colapse of the vicious dictatorships of the 1980s and the election of Raoul Alfonsin, Rock's history gives us a sweeping, clear view of Argentina's past.His style is readable and vey well organized.He takes the country's turbulent centuries in simple chronological order, introducing the reader to the leaders of politics, the economy, social classes, the military and, to some extent, the arts.Rock has a penchant for the economic details pulling the country up and down, supporting his conclusions with much specific data.I enjoyed his presentation of long-lasting Argentine themes, such as the conflicts between Buenos Aires and the interior and the rich and workers.The economic and social influence of other nations is traced with care, starting, of course, with Spain, but also including Brazil, England and the US.

I read this in preparation for my first trip to Argentina, leaving a few days after I write this.I feel the book has given me a much deeper understanding of the society I am about to explore.

A concise, comprehensive review of Argentina
I found the book relatively easy to follow and well thought out. There is a good discussion of economic, political, and social problems and developments, helping the reader to fully understand the events of the day, providing an excellent introduction to Argentina's history. ... Read more

Product Description
Not since the publication of Carlos Díaz Alejandro's Essays on the Economic History of the Argentine Republic in 1970 has there been a new standard reference for those seeking a more quantitative understanding of Argentina's development. Research in the "new economic history" in the intervening years has led to a more sophisticated interpretation of the past. This book provides access to the latest research, focusing on long-run economic change, major developments in policymaking, and important shifts in institutions and ideas. The lessons from Argentina's turbulent economic past represent the essential context for the issues that confront scholars, students, and policymakers today. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Comprehensive and Wide Ranging
A good reader.It has a good mix of material about Argentina.It's not something you sit and read cover to cover, but it's got an interesting collection of materials. Nicely bound as well.

The Argentina Reader
This is a nice collection of historical work, including speeches, articles and poetry.The work is structured chronologically and most pieces are written by historical Argentine figures including Juan Peron, Jose de San Martin, Juan Manuel del Rosas, etc.But also folks like Che Guevara, Charles Darwin, and the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons.Nicely done with excellent historical preambles for each Chapter and introductions for each article.The downside is at 580 page this is a rather weighty tomb and not great for the plane, more a beside reference.Excellent for those wanting a different, eclectic spin on Argentine history. ... Read more

Product Description
An American reporter in Argentina struggles to learn the tango by night, while by day covering the country as it slides into financial crisis and revolution.

After moving to Argentina on a whim, Brian Winter, a young American reporter, embarks on a crusade to learn that devilishly difficult dance that demands both discipline and passion: the tango. While he dances the night away in the milongas with the fiery denizens of Buenos Aires, the country around them collapses, gripped by inflation, street riots, and revolution.

In a book that is part travelogue and part history, the author evokes his immersion in a dark underworld. He visits old dance salons, brothels, and shacks on the dusty Pampa, searching for the tango's shady origins in the hope that understanding may help him dance better. Along the way, he discovers that the tango, with its tales of jealousy, melodrama, and lost glory, may hold the secret to the country that is inexplicably disintegrating before his eyes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Exciting novel that imparts information while you enjoy the story
Brian writes a novel in an easy to read, flowing style. The book is well researched. The information is presented as part of the context of an exciting story
The period covered is 2000 to 2004 in Argentina during the financial crisis. This is recounted first hand. What separates this book about tango in Buenos Aires from the rest is its entertainment value as a novel. The way in which the author gives depth to the meaning of tango is not by lecturing, but by allowing us to witness the views and actions of the various protagonists.

To Those with the Addiction
Brian Winters' story is all tango even in his description of the history and culture of Argentina.To those who dance the tango you will see it in a new way.His characterizations and experiences are wonderful reading.I found it a quick and easy read and am recommending it to all my dancer friends.He uses a lot of wit, some of which you have to be an experienced dancer to enjoy.

Like Winters I came to tango "through the back door" without a formal plan and could not help myself.I am glad I discovered this book.I recommend it for everyone who loves the Argentine Tango...even if you have not been to Bs. As.

JCH

Great book - it seems!
This must be a great book because I can't pry it away from my wife. And she can't read it without telling me some interesting tidbit from the book every few minutes. Many interesting observations on the Argentines, which seem more central than the Tango dance aspects.

A great love story
Winter has written a romantic and sympathetic love story with a twist: the love interests are a city and a dance. He successfully captures the strong feelings that many gringos have for the spirit and soul of Buenos Aires. If you're one of those who wish you had been born and reared in Buenos Aires, you'll love this book. If you've never been to Buenos Aires, I think you'll understand a bit about why some of us love the place.

what a hoot!!!
yea, yea, yea, been a dancer, blah, been to BsAs, blah, blah. If you want a good tango tale, this is one of the best.I'da given it 7 stars if I coulda!! ... Read more

Product Description
"Argentina started the 20th Century as one of the richest ten country in the world. For a while its economic position in the world was comparable to that of, say, Germany today. It had a per capita income much higher than that of Japan and Italy and comparable to that of France. However, it ended the century on the eve of the largest default in history. How did this dramatic change come about? In this unusual book, not based on library research but mostly on first hand and direct observations, the author takes the reader through a fascinating ride through time. The reader is introduced to the concept of fiscal cycles and the economic landscape of this fascinating country. The book is written in a style that will make it accessible and interesting to a general reader."Praise for V. Tanzi's Book on Argentina. Vito Tanzi has done it again. This book combines an intriguing prose, full of anecdotes and rich personal memoirs of Vito's many trips to Argentina, with serious economic analysis from a first class economist. .Vito has come to understand very well Argentina's idiosyncrasy, institutions and the nature of the protracted fiscal problems, and explains how these have led over time to major macroeconomic volatility, stagnation, and repeated crises. This book is particularly useful for the general public .Domingo Cavallo, Former Finance Minister of Argentina>>>>Vito Tanzi [book] is an invaluable document . of the dramatic fall of Argentina as the leading Latin American economy. .[show] .. the complicity of the IMF and of Argentine policy makers in the design of the disastrous fiscal policies that led to its huge debt default . It should be required reading for policy makers and for all those who love that wonderful country .Francisco Gil- Diaz, Former Finance Minister of Mexico>>>>Explaining the reversals of economic fortunes in Argentina during the 20th century is a challenge for economists and social observers in general. After being one of most dynamic and vibrant economies in the late 19th century and early 20th century, ., the country started to travel a road of economic instability, stagnant and erratic growth and collapse of democracy. In this new and lucid book Vito Tanzi, drawing on 40 years of direct personal knowledge and field experience with Argentina, ..This book, . is a must reading for anyone interested in understanding the Argentina of today and yesterday. Highly recommended.Andrés SolimanoRegional Advisor UN-ECLAC. Former Country Director at the World Bank and Executive Director at the Inter-American Development Bank. >>>>Tanzi helps us understand the Argentinean crisis, but also this unique country. This is not a book written only for economists.Francesco Giavazzi, Bocconi University, MilanAuthor:"For 27 years, Vito Tanzi was a senior staff member of the International Monetary Fund. He was the director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the IMF. He also was an Undersecretary for Economy and Finance in the Italian Government. A professional economist with a PhD from Harvard, he is considered a leading expert in fiscal policy. The author of many books and hundreds of articles in professional journals, he has given a named "effect" to economics, the "Tanzi Effect". He has been a consultant to many international organizations including the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and theInter-American Development Bank.In 1994 he was President of the International Institute of Public Finance of which he is now Honorary President. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This book hasn't any deepness about Argentina
I read this regular book, here in Brazil.This book is about argentine economic history, in the last decades.
There's many good parts of this book,that are very good.
Same examples:
Page 7:"By 1910... Argentina was one of foremost countries in the world.It was one of the most important grain and meat exporters.Its GDP represented 50 percent of all Hispanic America, ranked in the world's economy, and its amounted to 7 percent of world's total."
Page 18:"Between May 1973 and March 1976, when the military returned to power, there were 5079 terrorist attacks".
Page 150:"I hope I am wrong, but my understanding of the fiscal history of Argentina over the past sixty years does not make me optimistic about the future in spite of the good perforamnce of the economy in the 2003-2007 period."
Some mistaks are in this book.To example, on page 44, there's a claim that Alfonsin came after eight years of military rule, whyle the military rule was of seven years.
Compared to the book "The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism", by Paul H. Lewis, this book isn't outdated, but this book is far worse than Lewis' book.
Why?Because this book hasn't deepness in anything, about Argentine economic history.Beyond any doubt, Argentina was a developed country in the past.Decades before Spain, Argentina was the first Spanish speaking country, to have a first world status, but this became over decades ago.
This book hasn't nothing about the so called "Concordacia" between 1930-1945 and almost nothing, about Perón government.
Perón wasn't just corrupt, but also a calamity and a watershed in Argentine history.Perón took terrible ways to rule Argentina.
Argentina became third world, because of "Concordacia" or because of Perón?
Why Argentina's economic history was even worse, than of its neighbors?
Is peronism the cause or the consequence of Argentina's decline?
Why Chile became a sucess after 1970 decade, whyle Argentina became even worse?
This book hasn't any clues about the answers, to any of these questions.I gave four stars to the Lewis' book, then I should to give three stars, for this regular or weak book.This book also doesn't tells that loans to Third World, including Brazil and Argentina, were bad to peoples, whyle spreading poverty and corruption.The author was a director of IMF, but again he hasn't deepness, about IMF's rule.
I'm a brazilian and all smart brazilians must learn about Argentina,but this book isn't a good choice to really learn, about Argentina.

Argentina: An Economic Chronicle
Vito Tanzi has written a compact, highly readable account, of the causes and consequences of Argentina's economic decline since the early Twentieth Century, providing valuable lessons for Argentina, for other countries, and for the International Monetary Fund. According to Mr. Tanzi, a persistent lack of fiscal discipline led to economic disaster, and the International Monetary Fund fed, prolonged, and intensified the process. In telling this compelling account, he also provides an appealing introduction to Argentina, with its beautiful tourist attractions and rich cultural heritage. I highly recommend this book both to economists and non-economists alike.

The inside story of Argentine fiscal policy
This book captures the inside political economy of the Argentine fiscal recent history. Tanzi added to his traditional solid economics and well-written prose a thoughtful inside angle of Argentine politics of fiscal policy. This is a nice reading which teaches about the process of policy making on public finance and lessons learned to better frame fiscal reforms.Argentina: An Economic Chronicle. How one of the richest countries in the world lost its wealth

Economics at its best
This is a special book for a number of reasons. It is an excellent account of how bad policies and politicians can destroy wealth. The problem is much deeper than just the lack of fiscal discipline, though the observations on the continuous deterioration of the Argentine fiscal system are really enlightening. But Vito Tanzi offers much more than just a pure "narrow-minded" economic analysis, he describes a society that lost the most important element of success, social coordination. A fascinating reading for everyone, economists and non-economists alike. I cannot resist pointing out that there is another beautiful country in Europe Vito frequently visited in the past four decades that would certainly benefit from a book like this.

Argentina: An Economic Chronicle
An outstanding book that blends very well a traveler's description of this beautiful and outstanding country, together with important glimpses of recent and important political events as well as a thorough analysis of the history of Argentina's poor fiscal policies, that ultimately lead to its economic decline. An easy to read book that should not be limited to economists, by to all of those interested in what has happened to Argentina in the last few decades. ... Read more

Product Description
Lewis provides a comprehensive, impartial examination of Argentina's "Dirty War." He analyzes the causes, describes the ideologies that motivated both sides, and explores the consequences of all-or-nothing politics. Although the military and guerrillas seem marginal today, Lewis questions whether the Dirty War is really over. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Book
I have always been interested to know why the country is such a mess. This book explains why. It does a good job of describing the different sides and motivations of adversaries during the civil war.

Thorough and informative
Guerrillas and Generals is probably one of the best English language descriptions of chaos that engulfed Argentina in the last half of the 20th century. Many of the descriptions of Argentina's dirty war under the military junta that lasted from 1976 to 1983 tend to focus those years alone and give scant attention to what took place before or after.The first half of this book deals with the years leading up to the junta's ascension to power. Thanks the class cleavages exacerbated by populist President Juan Peron and the influences of the cold war and leftist nationalism that swept through Latin America in the post-WWII period, Argentina was facing a serious terrorist revolutionary movement. The 1960s and 1970s experienced an explosion of college attendance in Argentina and campuses became hot beds of radicalism. By itself, that isn't shocking since it was true in many other countries but this occurred under authoritarian governments that, for whatever reason, made little or no effort reign in the faculty and administration that not only tolerated revolutionary radicalism but encouraged it.

The revolutionary groups, the Monteneros and ERP were not just idealistic young people fighting for the rights of the poor; they were committed leftists with a strong predilection for violence that a series of military and civilian governments had failed to quell.The hard ball tactics to crush the rebels did not begin with the military coup of March 24, 1976 that overthrew erratic President Isabel Peron (who assumed the Presidency when husband Juan died in 1974).Peron's government had given the military orders to "annihilate" the rebel groups, however, the harshness of tactics and the scope of those targeted greatly expanded after the coup.

Lewis is not sentimental about either side, and thus he presents an unbiased description of events. In the process, he takes down some of fashionable myths about the period. First, there is very little evidence the United States had much of anything to do with the junta. While the Administration of U.S. President Gerald Ford didn't raise many objections to the military's actions, the junta had a frosty relationship with Jimmy Carter.Certainly Ford's Secretary of State Henry Kissinger glossed over the junta's actions but the junta received neither help nor inspiration from the Americans. Rather, their guide was the French counterinsurgency strategies in Vietnam and Algeria, which is interesting, given they knew neither strategy was ultimately successful. Nor was the junta a promoter of neoliberal economic policies, as is sometimes suggested by the socialist left, as it carried on the interventionist policies of governments before it.

Another aspect that should surprise developed world readers accustomed to civilian control of the armed forces was the status of the military in Argentina.Apart from its tactics in the dirty war, it seemed to operate in its own fiefdom well before the 1970s and was frequently at war with itself.The book is replete with descriptions of units taking up arms against units of the same military. It may have been this sense of detachment from the society as a whole that allowed the military leaders to believe they could act with such impunity when they had control of the government.

Concise and correct, but not perfect
I read this concise and correct book, while I was in Argentina, last year.This book is concise, correct, but even so, it remains whith a few failures.The main failure of this book is to have a bias, against Argentina's generals.This book really recognizes that Argentina was in a war, with strong and sadistic guerrillas, but failures, when it doesn't shows what other thing must Argentina's generals would did.The "desaparecidos" could be just executed under a legal system?The Argentina's dirty war began years before Argentina's culp in 1976 and this shows this.
Even with some failures, this book remains the best, I ever read about Argentina's dirty war.

The one book you should read about the Dirty War
I have studied the Argentine Dirty War for over 20 years, and if I were to recommend one book to anyone to read on the subject it would be this one.There are two things that Lewis does which really set this book apart from the literature on the subject so far.

First, Lewis describes and makes sense out of all of the background starting with Peron that led up to the Dirty War.This really helps place the Dirty War in its proper context so the reader can comprehend why such terrible things occurred later.He then gives a full account of all the atrocities committed by the Argentine military. In this way he does not exonerate or excuse the Dirty War, but does make sense of why things happened the way they did.

Second, Lewis points out that there really was a war going on.The guerrillas were active, were powerful, were committing acts of terrorism and were seriously threatening to destabilize the Argentine state.A lot of anti-military sources try to portray the security threat posed by the guerrillas as a figment of the military's imagination.This was simply not true.There was a real war going on and Lewis shows that this was the case.Lewis does not excuse the ways the military chose to deal with the guerrilla threat, but does explain why rational and normal men would choose to commit such horrorific acts.In their mind they were in a desperate life and death struggle, and they acted accordingly.In retrospect they made some very bad choices, but Lewis helps explain how it all seemed rational and necessary at the time.

This book is balanced, honest and cuts through a lot of the cherished popular myths.It is fair to both sides of the conflict.Finally it is well written and flows well.I got through it in two days.This book will become a classic text on the Argentine Dirty War. ... Read more

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The nations of Latin America came into being without a strong sense of national purpose and identity. In The Invention of Argentina, Nicholas Shumway offers a cultural history of one nation's efforts to determine its nature, its destiny, and its place among the nations of the world. His analysis is crucial to understanding not only Argentina's development but also current events in the Argentine Republic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

300 year in 150 pages
Good compresion of history, but will all the limitations of such concentration of events.

Argentina: One country, differents projects.
This book represents a significant contribution for understanding that complex nation which is Argentina. This is a country that has moved from being one of the more advance nations of the world at the beginning of the XX century, to a country that currently has almost half of its population under the level of poverty. This book stresses that the different ways nineteenth century intellectuals and leaders framed the idea of Argentina is a decisive factor to understand its historic development. These "guiding fictions", as the author calls them, continue to shape and inform the country's actions and concept of itself.

Through a rigorous -but accessible- analysis, the book deals with the work of the most important writers and thinkers ofnineteenth century Argentina, and their ideas and images of the nation. In this endeavor, the author is free from the ideological constrains and ties which characterized Argentine "official history" -as well as its revisionist counterpart. This allows the book to openly analyze some of the figures of the Argentine history and to point out their divergent ideological legacy. Particularly interesting is chapter 3 which -for many Argentineans- might represent a "discovering" of Artigas, and his contribution for the building of Argentina. Equally remarkable are chapter 8 on Sarmiento and chapter 9 on Mitre, which stress the exclusion and divisiveness that characterized part of their legacy to the country -even though this might be difficult to accept for some of my fellow citizens, it is historically based-.

By the end of the book, the reader has the clear idea that it is difficult to understand Argentina, without understanding the different -and most of the time-, contrasting frames for imagining the country which are embedded in the old tensions between liberalism and nationalism, Unitarians and Federals, Buenos Aires and the provinces.

In conclusion, this is an excellent book for any person interested in Argentina.

Brilliant. A must read.
Brilliant! An interesting view about Argentina's history by analyzing and comparing the minds, achievements and contradictions of the Argentine framers and intellectuals.

Argentina revealed
An unprejudiced look at the history of Argentina. Based on his theory of the "guiding fictions"which (true or not) usually provide the basis for the spiritual development of nations, Shumway shows that no suchparadigms stood at the beginning of Argentina's history; in fact,contradictory guiding fictions developing along the way producedirreconcilable differences which still haunt today's society - Unitariansagainst Federalists, Liberals against Nationalists.

Rather thananalyzing the chronology of battles and governments (which, when the momentcomes,are rather entertainingly disposed of), Shumway prefers to obtainhis amazing insight from the writings of Argentina's national heroes,politicians, theoreticians and poets. The result is a history of historieswhich throws a new light on the country's evolution, its relationship withthe United States and Europe and on its mysterious incapacity to fullybelong to the first world. It even provides the interested reader with themethod to keep reasoning on long after the book has ended (it only goes asfar as the 1880's; the author has to be encouraged to write a second volumesoon!).

Highly recommended to anyone who wants to better understandArgentina and Latin America, especially the brainwashed by generations of"official" textbooks.

Recommendable.
I have read this book in 1993 for the first time and I have re-read it at different occasions since then. The topic of the book, the making of Argentina, follows the line open by many social scientists who, likeAnderson,treat the origin of states as foundational and orientationalmyths. Nevertheless, far from vindicative or apologetic, the book itselfimplies a serious analysis of the historical development of third worldnationalisms.On this line, Shumway permanently tries to indicate theimplicit or explicit political purpose present in the philosophical,artistic and journalistic discourse of the nineteenth century localbourgeoisie. These three, together with the chronological sequence follown,are the core of the material used by the author.All in all, it might besaid that, having been written by an American specialist on local affairs,the book has - from the view of an Argentine teacher of History inhighschool - Ahumway has acchieved a remmarkable work.The freshness andthe wit of the outsider observer together with the objectivity of thepassionate researcher who tries - to the best of his capabilities - toresist the traditional biases that still characterize our political debatesare the two facts that have impressed me the most.. ... Read more

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Argentina is home to the largest Jewish community in the Hispanic world and the second largest in the Western hemisphere. During successive political and social regimes, Argentina alternately barred Jews from entering the country and recruited them to immigrate; persecuted Jews as heretics or worse and welcomed them as productive settlers; restricted Jews by law and invested them with the fullest rights of citizenship. This volume traces the shifting patterns of Jewish immigration and Argentine immigration policy, both as manifestations of cultural and historical processes and as forces shaping the emergence of a large and energetic Jewish community. Within Argentina, many Jews followed traditional immigration strategies by consolidating communities and institutions in Buenos Aires and other cities. But many others settled on the land, in agricultural colonies sponsored by Baron Maurice de Hirsch's Jewish Colonization Association, a group with far-reaching impact that is examined closely in this book. The Israeli kibbutz movement drew strength from the Argentine farming colonies, when beginning in 1949 groups of Argentine Jews emigrated to Israel to found kibbutzes.Eventually, in the face of political and economic upheavals with anti-Semitic undercurrents, almost 40,000 Jews left Argentina for Israel. A country of absorption became a country of exodus, and Zionism became a central focus of Argentine Jewry, interlocking families and fates separated by oceans and continents. ... Read more

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A dramatic account of one of the most spectacular economic melt-downs of modern times; "an extraordinary tale of bad policy and financial gluttony." (Wall Street Journal)In 2001 Argentina suffered one of the most sensational crashes in modern history. With it came appalling social and political chaos, a collapse of the peso, and a wrenching downturn that threw millions into poverty and left nearly one-quarter of the workforce unemployed.

Paul Blustein shows how the IMF turned a blind eye to the vulnerabilities of its star pupil, and exposes the conduct of global financial market players in Argentina as redolent of the scandals-like those at Enron, WorldCom and Global Crossing-that rocked Wall Street in recent years. By going behind the scenes of Argentina's rise and fall, Blustein shows with unmistakable clarity how sadly elusive the path of hope and progress remains to the great bulk of humanity still mired in poverty and underdevelopment.Amazon.com Review
It's not often--or maybe ever--that a book steeped in emerging-market economic theory reads like a thriller. But And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out) has cliffhangers and plot twists equal to a detective's tale, as Paul Blustein chronicles the spectacular rise and fall of Argentina's economy at the turn of the 21st century. The book has its flaws, of course, including the author's insistence on using goofy metaphors from the overripe Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita (from which the book takes its awkward title). But by and large, Blustein, a staff writer at the Washington Post, tells a cynic's tale of greed run amok on a massive scale.

While policy wonks at the International Monetary Fund had much to do with Argentina's implosion, Blustein also holds the country's own government responsible. Conventional wisdom says that the influence of the world's investors keeps everyone in line--a key tenet of the pro-globalization argument--but in practice, Blustein writes, "foreign funds numbed Argentine policymakers into minimizing the perils of their policies. The effect was similar to a dose of steroids, giving the economy a short-term boost while insidiously increasing the risk of a breakdown in the long run." From that point on, only devastation lay ahead for many average Argentineans, who could no longer remove savings from their banks, and for international investors, who saw their returns vanish in a flash. Blustein effectively makes the case that Argentina wasn't a rare example or a perfect storm of problems, but--bearing "striking parallels" to Enron and other financial scandals of the era--a preview of more meltdowns to come. It's a compelling cautionary tale well worth telling. --Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

very simple and well written chronical events which leads to argentina's crisis
it is a very good book to get info about what happened to argentina in 2000.
now european countries are trying to reducing their debt. it would be very interesting to watch especially after reading on this book.

What Future for Globalization?
Blustein's book is very well researched with interviews and the result is a play-by-play case study of Argentina's slide down the slippery slope of economic crisis.I am not an economist, yet I found the book clear and understandable (Blustein is a reporter for the Washington Post).He discusses Argentina's problem within the context of the earlier crises in Brazil and Russia and the functioning of the International Monetary Fund.At every step we know who are the key players.

He places us in the middle of the nuanced discussions as alternative strategies were evaluated.If I didn't know the outcome of the crisis, the pacing of Blustein's writing is reminiscent of a financial thriller.

In the last two chapters, Blustein discusses the Argentina crisis within the financial disfunctionalities of globalization and we are confronted with the larger question of what is globalization's future.The forces at play and the international response to Argentina were not unique.Consequently, the President and the Finance Minister of every emerging market country should read this book before they enter the globalization game.

THE ROYAL SCAM
The Argentine disaster was afully planned "test run" for what is about to happen to USA and other western countries. google The Royal Scam @ [...]. educate and protect yourselves

A complex story broken down
I was intrigued with Argentina's default years ago and finally got around to reading this book.I remember it was during a college class that a peer made a declaration about abandoning a country which made me wonder how and whether such a fate could occur to any state, even ours (US....too cheesy).Blustein writes with a style usually reserved for non-business books and takes the time to explain any business or technical terms when he introduces it.His definition of bond yields, in particular, is an example of how he makes recondite material simple to understand.The introduction of key individuals reminds me of the biographical sketches that the NYer does so well, but Blustein keeps the information to what's essential and doesn't start overburdening the reader with the birthplaces of every person involved.Without such information the quotes provided would seem bland and the emotional exchanges would seem banal.Larry Summers comes across much nicer than any portrait I've read of him and is the first time I've read something about him where "diet cokes" aren't mentioned.(I'm never sure why writers do that, as if by not mentioning the diet cokes I'll think the writer hasn't actually met him, just pick another attribute of his personality/habits to highlight!!)Blustein views the G7 as almost omnipotent, especially the US, within the IMF.His discussion about dissent withing the Fund seems short-sighted until about halfway through the book when he finally provides the most sensible reason dissent isn't aired to the public: that any doubts about the "programs" the Fund organizes with states could spread further doubt about a state's already tenuous grasp on its finances. Stiglitz has been known for questioning the undemocratic character of the IFIs (International Financial Institutions) and his criticisms were brought to mind when reading how British and Canadian dissent on Argentina's ability to repay the loan were brought up.In fairness, the fact that dissent is allowed, just not publicized, seems to me to be democratic and ultimately all voting is done by a state's quota or contribution which also seems somewhat fair; although how could it not be to an American since our stake, while not a majority, is sizable enough to block any plans undesirable to a US administration.Although he explains why a distorted system provides incentives for the provinces to spend profligately (governors get roughly half their income from the federal government, so blame for high taxes is focused on Buenos Aires instead of on their provincial capital that is creating the reasons for such taxes) he never explains why Argentina continued to sell so many bonds.At a certain point it becomes obvious that like someone who must constantly shift their balances to new cards to avoid actually paying the principal, Argentina needed to keep "refinancing" its debt since there was little money to pay down the actual balance.But how and why Argentina got itself into this situation in the first place (i.e. a massive infrastructure project, benefits, etc?) was not explored sufficiently.Overall the book is a sufficient primer on how the situation arose and was (mis)handled by the international community and the dangers of international capital flight.

Excellent book delivered on time
The book is great! It was recommended to me by my economics professor as an easy read and very informative about the pain of a country going through a crisis. For econ buffs, they may find the explanations to simplistic, but if you are a lay man trying to understand macroeconomic events, its a very helpful simplification

The delivery was absolutely on time, including a shipping notice when it was sent out. ... Read more

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David Rock has written the first comprehensive study of nationalism in Argentina, a fundamentalist movement pledged to violence and a dictatorship that came to a head with the notorious "disappearances" of the 1970s. This radical, right wing movement has had a profound impact on twentieth-century Argentina, leaving its mark on almost all aspects of Argentine life--art and literature, journalism, education, the church, and of course, politics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book about the developement Argentine Nationalism
David Rock informatively reviews the late 19th century and 20th Centurydevelopement of the Nationalist "Movement" in Argentina. Heexplores the motives behind it and the relation it had with Europeancontemporary politicians, philosophers, and artists. This book is politics,but it also shows the influence the Nationalist ideas had on Argentineculture. ... Read more

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Collateral damage
Well written historical fiction can better inform our understanding of the world's workings than simple history, and Gloria Lisé has cast a clear and gripping light on Argentina's recent history. The "dirty war" claimed 30,000 lives in a period of government-sponsored terror and the cross-fire between Peronist factions. Lisé's novel follows the life of a young woman, herself effectively non-political, who becomes a target by association with an activist lover.

The novel is comprised of vignettes, some tracing Berta's experience and flight, others relating family ties and cultural history, bits revealed in personal letters and verses from song or poetry, and still others in personal musing or quiet observation. A med-school student, the protagonist's hard won progress through college and university is cut short when she sees her lover thrown to his death from a balcony, killed not by the opposition but by his former allies who decide his path of compromise is betrayal. Soon Berta is hunted, not by her lover's killers, but by government forces who believe she has absconded with money her lover may or may not have hidden at the time of his death.

Altogether the story is compelling and believable, showing how the innocent can be drawn into the whirlpool of political chaos, their lives changed forever or sacrificed in the name of causes to which they have no allegience. And withal it will help those unfamiliar with recent Latin American history gain a clearer understanding of the militaristic juntas and revolutions that shaped the 20th century.

Translator Alice Weldon deserves credit as well, for her sensitivity to the unspoken cultural information so necessary to real understanding. Words and phrases have meanings and references that are not immediately apparent, and parsing those subtler shadings and loads can either deepen our experience or block it. Weldon has succeeded admirably in her task.

Outstanding novel which avoids cliches
In an extremely well crafted first novel, Gloria Lisé has put a human face on the story of 30,000 "disappeared" people who lost their lives from 1976-1983 in Argentina. The military government which took over Isabel Peron's country proceeded to eliminate anyone felt to be a threat to their position. A lawyer and professor, Lisé must have been tempted to add yet another non-fiction account to a historical tragedy, but in this finely tuned work of fiction she manages to show the impact the government's hunting of dissenters has on one family and as a result show the human toll that numbers cannot reflect.

We follow the incidents surrounding Berta, a young woman studying to be a doctor who watches her lover thrown to his death from a balcony. A union organizer, he was rumored to have money set aside and government officials think Berta may have it and she is forced to flee her family and city to go to relatives she barely knows in the country. Where Lisé avoids another hero/heroine surviving the chaos of the times is by placing her main character in a serene, slow-paced setting. While all around her the country reels, in her ancestral home she finds safety and at times peace.

But of course, no family is without history either, and here Berta learns more of where she has come from and how she fits in her own tradition. She does not escape her own tainted past as she meets the Indians her family has forced into a small area of existence. She sees other current concerns as she travels with the Armenian midwife and learns of the miracle of birth in an area with little access to medicine. She learns of the personal failings and misfortunes of her own family, placing her own struggles in perspective.

Lisé's style is sparse, clean, and confident. She trusts her story enough to avoid creating judgments, instead letting the reader draw their own conclusions. At times the chapters seem to jump, but it becomes clear she is creating a backdrop for the world in which Berta finds herself. Early on we get a chapter entitled "This is My Family," and these are augmented later by character sketches in "Aunt Avelina," "Tristan Nepomuceno," "Lusaper Gregorian," and other chapters. Lisé brings to these characters a believable fullness which shows the lives of others trying to survive in a world turned upside down. Many of them survive quite well since they are comfortable with themselves and have seen other difficult times. Lusaper Gregorian, the midwife, is a refugee from the Turkish massacre of the Armenians, so her take on what is occurring is always influenced by what she has survived. These people also create a context for Berta and for how we view Berta.

The novel also succeeds because Berta is such an identifiable victim. She was not involved in any "subversive" activities herself, but the fact that her lover was makes her guilty. She does not face the government and become a martyr, but understandably runs for her life. Berta's time with her new family is slow and probably at times quite boring. While others may be looking for her, she is simply biding her time for approximately two years, waiting to know what to do next. But of course, this is the most important type of hero. An everyday person caught up in the midst of madness and making whatever rational decisions so she can to survive until another opportunity arises.

Lisé herself was 15 when the overthrow occurred, so she lived through this time and likely saw many such simple heroes. By creating a novel following the story of one person she has managed to make the tragedy of the government known while not letting us get lost in facts and numbers. In a similar vein Vietnam veteran Tim O'Brien has taught more about the realities of the war through his fiction than many non-fiction books have ever succeeded in doing. One hopes the Lisé will continue to use the novel as a vehicle to express her knowledge, since she does so powerfully. ... Read more

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Originally published in Spanish, Curbelo's The History of the Mormons in Argentina is a ground-breaking book detailing the growth of the Church in this Latin American country.

Through numerous interviews and access to other primary resources, Curbelo has constructed a timeline and then details the story of the growth of the Church. Starting with a brief discussion of Parley P. Pratt's assignment to preside over the Pacific and South American regions, continuing onto the translation of the scriptures into Spanish, the opening of the first missions in South America, and the building of temples, the book provides a survey history of the Church in Argentina. This book will be of interest not only to history buffs but also to thousands of past, present, and future missionaries. ... Read more

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Argentina is the world's center of psychoanalysis in the twenty-first century. Not only have many Argentines undergone psychoanalytic therapy, but Argentines from taxi drivers to actresses, from politicians to generals, all speak in "psychoanalese," and two of the most popular TV shows in the country have psychoanalysis as their central issue. This pathbreaking collection of essays explores the prevalence of psychoanalysis in Argentina. It traces the way Freud's theories took hold in Argentina and probes the ways in which the history of psychiatry illuminates our understanding of modern Argentina.

The contributors use the diffusion of psychiatry as a window through which to examine the development of the Argentine state, the process by which European ideas are "Argentinized," and the general social and cultural evolution of the country, especially efforts to ensure order and a civil society. Three of the essays examine psychiatry as an instrument of social control in the realms of female sexuality and the development of hospitals and prisons in the first half of the twentieth century. In a poignant concluding chapter, Plotkin discusses mental health and the 2001-2 Argentine crisis. In the complex social, political, and economic situation gripping the nation, the country's media continues to turn to psychoanalysis as a lens that filters reality rather than identify and address individual and collective responsibility for the origin and nature of the crisis. ... Read more

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