Bolivian history since 1930 is as action packed as that of any other state in Latin America. War, revolution, the cold-blooded public murder of a president, coups, nationalization of foreign oil enterprises, and guerrilla insurgencies all contribute to making the study of modern Bolivia both interesting and dramatic. The author, a journalist and educator as well as a witness and participant, details these events with commendable detachment. The narrative style is straightforward, with personal glimpses and occasional gossipy details to enliven events. The text is devoid of footnotes and bibliography.
The author focuses his attention primarily upon the political arena and the contest of the constantly shifting groups that sought power or influenced the political process. From time to time, he hints tantalizingly, at the social and economic ferment that triggered these events. However, space does not permit him to slip off on such attractive tangents, and he wisely sticks to the task at hand.
The author utilizes a substantial number of secondary sources (mostly Bolivian, but also including scholarly and other works from U.S. writers), from which he often quotes at length. This technique causes some unevenness in organization and style; at times, it also leads him to rehash old arguments already laid to rest. A case in point is the implication of Standard Oil in the progress of the Chaco War. He offers no new information or interpretations on the events he describes, and certain major events (the 1952 revolution and subsequent changes, for example) receive somewhat abbreviated treatment.
The avowed purpose of the book is to tie together the major events in this Andean nation since 1930. In this, the author has succeeded. More than this, and probably unconsciously, the author also conveys the tremendous frustration of Bolivians as a political solution has been sought to national problems since the early 1930s.
