With the twin goals of clearing a former Honduran president’s name and of exalting archival research, John Charles Morán delivered a series of talks at the 116th anniversary of the Archivo Nacional de Honduras. Those talks became the basis for this short, readable book. Morán’s urge to protect and make accessible the historical documents of Honduras is perhaps the book’s most important contribution. His trip into the archives should be commended and may serve as another example of how the textual record can be tapped to check longstanding misperceptions. Yet, the author’s selective use of the archives and his exclusion of controversial aspects of Medina’s legacy invite skepticism. And though this book may serve Honduranists for its engagement with, and reflections upon, the national archives, it is unlikely that it will resonate with a wider audience of Latin Americanists.
Developing a thesis first put forth by José Reina Valenzuela in...
