Argentina 1516 1987

N 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.

N 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.

"The most comprehensive treatment of the subject yet available. It will interest both Argentine specialists and those concerned with the evolution of conservative ideologies and movements throughout Latin America."--Richard J. Walter, Washington University

Annotation. 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.

Argentina has a population that ranks among the most educated and skilled in Latin America, and its middle class has historically been large and politically engaged. Yet Argentina remains mired in economic instability, chronic unemployment, strict class divisions, and political corruption. Still, Argentines refuse to accept their current conditions. There has been a continuous effort to address the injustices and tyranny that occurred during the Dirty War (1976-83) and the two-decade silence that followed the military dictatorship. Additionally, in a significant demonstration of progress, October 2007 marked the first time a woman was elected president. Continuing where the first edition ended and spanning more than 12,000 years of history, A Brief History of Argentina, Second Edition thoroughly and comprehensively explores the country's obstacles and triumphs and discusses how they will affect Argentina's future. Coverage includes A comprehensive summary of Argentina's diverse geography and its varied natural resources The effects of neoliberalism on Argentina's large working class and urban poor, culminating in the caserola movement, the piqueteros movement, and the birth of the cartoneros The impact a changing global economy has had within Argentina's borders The rich culture of Argentina, which has fostered five Nobel laureates, vibrant cities that draw millions of tourists annually, and sports teams that have won multiple world championships Basic facts, a chronology, a bibliography, and a list of suggested reading make up the appendixes. Book jacket.

This is an authoritative large-scale history of the whole of Latin America, from the first contacts between native American peoples and Europeans in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries to the present day.