This reprinting—for only a few dates and phrases have been changed from the first edition—of a work which first appeared in 1947 will please those who want the historian to supply the details from his own “feel of the times.” Except for some facts of Urquiza’s personal and financial activities taken from papers at the Palacio de San José, little new is added to the figure of the entreriano. The author neither pretends to nor utilizes the apparatus of the scholar. How thoroughly public and private archives and newspapers have been exploited seems open to question, and the two-page bibliography is incomplete and quite useless. But Newton does accomplish in large measure his principal goal—to provide a composite and eminently readable biography for the general Argentine public.
Throughout the five sections of the work, further subdivided into innumerable four- and five-page chapters, the traditional Urquiza re-emerges: impetuous, courageous, and at times generous; a rude warrior who gradually acquired the stature of a statesman; a possessor of countless women; an entrepreneur and politician. Yet the anecdotes, sketches, and history never quite capture the illusive figure of Urquiza. In as general a work as this, there is considerable range for disagreement, both in facts and interpretation. The continual references to Urquiza’s seduction of an aunt of Ricardo López Jordán as the secret motivation that led this federalist chieftain to rebel against and assassinate his leader seem somewhat outside the “feel of the times.” Equally disappointing is the omission of any serious study of the political scene, especially of the personalities and conflicts surrounding Urquiza’s selection of a successor to the presidency. Newton indulges in a considerable discussion of Paraguayan relations with the Argentine Confederation based on the extensive correspondence between Urquiza and Carlos Antonio López, but he totally neglects even more important interventions of Brazil in the Río de la Plata. And the temptation to fill in on facts leads Newton from unimportant errors concerning the escape of Rosas from Buenos Aires in 1852 or the mediations preceding the battle of Cepeda in 1859 to more serious mistakes, such as those surrounding the Paz mission to the provinces in 1852, the massive military review of Confederation forces in 1858, or the assassination of Virasoro in San Juan in 1860.
