This little monograph is a jewel in Bolivian historiography. It represents a most worthy pioneer venture. The authors have taken one historian— mediocre, to be sure—who has patiently done research on specialized topics. Luis Subieta Sagarnaga has concentrated on local history and has stayed away from imitating the sweeping interpretive studies by pseudo-historians so abundant in Boliva. A history of Bolivia is still lacking, but in order to have a history specialized monographs and articles are needed. The authors believe that the elderly Subieta Sagarnaga, who still lives, points the way.

On this rests his merit rather than on the quality of his writings. All three authors (Villalpando’s introduction is the heart of the monograph) deserve applause for dramatizing, by using a most deserving local historian as their subject, the need for historical research and writing.