This book deals with political, religious, and social aspects of the military coup that occoured in Argentina from 1976-1982. The book talks of a young female medical doctor and her husband who were kidnapped. At the time of their disappearance the young woman was two months pregnant. The young girls mother talks of the woman. As she finishes her thoughts she adds that she wonders if one of the children that she sees on the streets everyday may be her granddaughter or grandson. The mother of this woman also talks about how no one would help her in her search to find her daughter. The church would not even help, because some of the priests felt that the actions that the government was taking were not wrong. Not all priests felt this way however, and many died because they did not follow the military policies. The author of this book interviews numerous people that Julia knew over the course of her short life. Everyone that the author talks to remembers Julia as a loving and caring person. Some of the people even said that after the first night they met her they were best friends allready. She was a honet, loving, and caring person, and that in itself may have been what cost her her life. The day that her body was discovered must have been horrible. Her body was found in Avellaneda. This is the mass grave of the disappeared. When she was discovered her body was referred to as #17, because they had no way of knowing who she was. The only way that they were able to identify the girls body was because she had had heart surgery, and because she had bad teeth, and a mark on her pelvis common in women who have children. It is terrible that this happened to one person, let alone to the estimated 30,000 that suffered through this. Julia's story is not the only one told in this book. Luis Brandoni a professional actor was a member of a union, and received death threats. There are also many are others who share stories in this book. This book is well written, and if you are interested at all in this subject you should read it! Another good book that deals with this is called Circle of Love over death by Matilde Mellibovsky

The author argues that democracies can be just tolerated by military rulers, until they feel that elected governments have moved to far away from the boundaries set by the military establishments. Under this light, the author analyzes relationships between the different democratic governments of Argentina since 1983 and the military institutions of the country. Well written and very interesting analysis.

The best book I have read to understand the little known economic activities of the Jesuits in Colonial Argentina. You will see how an extraordinary business machinery was working and be able to imagine the real activity behind the walls of the magnificent architecture of the Jesuit Estancias of Cordoba (Santa Catalina, Alta Gracia, Jesus Maria, Candelaria). Required reading for those willing to visit these places.

This book was the most thorough account of Jews in Argentina from the time of 1890-1930. I have never read such a accurate and thought provoking historical book!!!!

Andreas Madsen fue un danés que conoció la Patagonia en oportunidad de la demarcación del Laudo arbitral del rey Eduardo VII. Fue uno de los peones que participó en la erección del hito 62 en la costa sur del lago San Martin en el año 1903. Luego se instaló un poco más al sur, en su "estancia", a la que llamó Fitz Roy. Formó una familia y allí se encuentra todavía, enterrado al pie del monte Fitz Roy. Fue el cronista de la vida en esa zona y de sus primeros habitantes. Las historias y los personajes forman parte de una historia todavía no escrita de la provincia argentina de Santa Cruz. Localizarlos y seguir su historia y los misterios que las rodean es uno de los principales desafíos que presenta este libro. Vayan como ejemplos el caso de Fred Otten (¿taxidermista o heredero al trono del Imperio Austro-húngaro?) y el de Ascensio Brunel. Esta es una de las principales virtudes de este libro: contiene relatos que son el inicio de historias no contadas, que además se ven enriquecidos por los editados junto a Bertomeu bajo el título "Cazando Pumas en la Patagonia", en 1956.

I really liked this book, not only because it is very well written, but also because it explains quite clearly how the intelectual influence of political ideas can help change the real world.

Botana quotes Sarmiento, who trying to explain how ideas are born said that "in the spirit of those who study happens what occurs in river flods, when the passing water deposites little by little the solid particles that it brings diluted and fertilizes the soil". Natalio Botana explains to us that the history of political ideas is an horizon that opens before us, at the same time that keeps a legacy of ideas, previous disquisitions on the nature of power and obedience.

In "La tradición republicana" (The republican tradition) Botana tries to show us the intelectual biography of Alberdi and Sarmiento, two men that played a very important role in the building of Argentina as a nation. That is the reason why he explains us the ideas of the most important influences on those two men, whose task would be to try the republican ideals in a new country that totally lacked traditions of a political kind.

Botana mentions and studies Montesquieu, Rousseau, Adam Smith and Tocqueville, among others. That is why this book can also be used to study the history of political ideas. But I believe its deepest value lays in the fact that it delves on how difficult it was for those two men who were between exile and power, and intent on their mission to find the grounds for future legitimacy for their country, to articulate the abstract ideas they cherished with their everyday reality.

So, the dialogue between the horizon of ideas and circumstances is the theme of this book. Even if it talks a lot about Argentina, what we learn while we read it can be applied to other situations. And, truth to be told, it is a pleasure to read a book in which the prose is so fluent and elegant. On the whole my recommendation is: read it --> you won't have regrets.

PD: Sorry, but it is in spanish!!!

Deseo conocer el último libro de Ricardo Levene (padre) sobre historia argentina

The two Robertson brothers, from Scotland, managed to witness the main events of southern South America, from the British invasions (1807) to the economical crisis of 1830. And somehow they were always in the right place when things happened. They are invaluable first hand sources. They wrote six books on their experience, three "letters from South America" (from present day Argentina, really, but few people would have recognized the name at the time), two "letters from Paraguay", and one more on Paraguay's dictator, Gaspar Francia. They promised more, but unluckily didn't keep up. They were into commerce, to make money. And they made bundles, daring to go were nobody else had the courage to, in dangerous times. Enough money to advance in the twenties a share of a national loan to the government of Rivadavia. And then they lost almost everything in the downturn that ensued the war with Brazil over present day Uruguay. The reader must be advised that the Robertsons were businessmen, uncritically on the side of free unrestricted trade, with no simpathy for the "lower classes" or for political movements with a social content, such as those of Artigas or Francia. But bias apart, their books are a unique glimpse into fascinating but little known times and places.

Sarmiento analizes in this book the oppressive political regime that Juan Manuel de Rosas impossed over the Province of Buenos Aires during the first years of the independent-from-Spanish-rule Argentine Republic (then Confederation). He writes this book in his Chilean exile and publishes it by means of short articles in a prestigous Chilean newspaper during the 1830s and 1840s.

In this book, a classic of early Latin American History and Literature, Sarmiento *deconstructs*, to abuse of modern terminology, the life and works of Facundo Quiroga, a tyrant of the inland provinces of Argentina, so that we can better understand the true extent, the true abomination being carried out by the other despot, Rosas, in a Buenos Aires proud of its European heritage.

Sarmiento describes the way of life -highly influenced by late Spanish colonial tradition- and the almost unreal landscape of the Argentine Pampas (plains). In that landscape and traditions is born Quiroga, the wild gaucho who is to terrify its own people when he becomes an adult. Sarmiento analizes the society's pathologies that make possible for Quiroga to become the head of a tyrannical regime.

His method to approach Rosas via Quiroga is, I believe, very effective. Now it is easier to understand how Rosas regime can become a reality on New World soil just a decade after Independence. Rosas, born in a rich family of *hacendados* with strong Spanish tradition and with landholdings close to Buenos Aires of the 1820s, shares with Quiroga an explosive combination of hate for anything that reminds him of his incivility with an appeal that the isolated people of the Pampas can not resist, the appeal of a man who is the best horse-rider, the best knife-fighter and the best friend of the gaucho. Nothing reminds Rosas more of his rudeness than nearby booming Buenos Aires.

The rest of the book lists the atrocities, offensive to any civilized person, commited by Rosas once he gains by mean of terrorist practice the *sum of power* over the city; Sarmiento also discusses what freedom means for a society and for the individuals.

Summarizing, this book, which paved the way to a more democratic Argentina, is an example of the power of words to fight oppression, and a *manual* to detect before-it-is-too-late the dangers that keep assaulting democratic life in any society at any time.

As a huge fan of South American rock, as well as music of all Latin cultures, this book for me is truly indispensable. Maybe if there were any others like it, there would be stiff competition, but as far a I know, there ain't. A friend of mine had a copy which I xeroxed because I could not locate it before I went to Argentina last year. Of course, once in Argentina I encountered books like it, but only written in castellano (Argentine Spanish). I needed it to help guide me through locating high-quality, relevant discs, vinyl and therwise of Rock Nacional, or classic Argentine Rock of the 60's and 70's. it is sad that all of this music is not available here in the U.S., but hey, I'd love to be proven wrong. The rewards are great for any rock fan with an open mind. This book is brilliant in its originality, economy and general opinions on the music by the author, for as a music fan I had to agree with many suggestions he had of must-haves for collectors of this freaky, melodic stuff. Believe me, there's more where the music discussed in this book came from.