This is a study of the birth of political life and the rise of a political leadership in the River Plate area during the struggle for independence from Spain. Professor Halperin's book is set against the background of economic uncertainty associated with independence: the problems of adapting not only to a more thorough incorporation into the Atlantic economy and the associated economic dependence on Britain, but also to the loss of the mining areas in Upper Peru that had supplied the main export staples and most of the revenue that made possible the growth of a complex administrative and military apparatus there.

For a quarter of a century, Tulio Halperin Donghi's "Historia Contemporanea de America Latina" has been the most influential and widely read general history of Latin America in the Spanish-speaking world. Unparalleled in scope, attentive to the paradoxes of Latin American reality, and known for its fine-grained interpretation, it is now available for the first time in English. Revised and updated by the author, superbly translated, this landmark of Latin American historiography will be accessible to an entirely new readership.
Beginning with a survey of the late colonial landscape, "The Contemporary History of Latin America "traces the social, economic, and political development of the region to the late twentieth century, with special emphasis on the period since 1930. Chapters are organized chronologically, each beginning with a general description of social and economic developments in Latin America generally, followed by specific attention to political matters in each country. What emerges is a well-rounded and detailed picture of the forces at work throughout Latin American history.
This book will be of great interest to all those seeking a general overview of modern Latin American history, and its distinctive Latin American voice will enhance its significance for all students of Latin American history.