This is a conscientiously balanced relation of the principal guerrilla and terrorist groups operating in Guatemala from 1960 to 1970. It utilizes some definitions suggested by various authors, comparing the status of Guatemala with that of various nations as to conditions of violence, terror, and revolution. It is admittedly non-sociological, and concerns itself almost entirely with the identification of, brief histories of, and ideologies of the groups in question. It ought to be of use to anyone concerned with finding some order in the events of this decade, and also provides an extensive bibliography of documents and books on the subject. The study itself seldom goes beyond its documentary material.
There are no conclusions of significance beyond those which would occur to most fairly impartial observers, —i. e., that there is a real revolution in process, that it is not currently going very well for the revolutionaries, but neither is there any indication that a successful end is in sight for either set of protagonists. It is a useful tool for the history of contemporary Guatemala, but it offers no new interpretive material, nor extensive new details on any of the groups discussed.
