Modern Chile, 1970-1989: A Critical History

With all due respect, Falcoff's Modern Chile and the cited Kornbluh contribution are simply not analogous. Stylistically, Kornbluh borders on the polemic, reflecting a peculiar intellectual point of departure (regrettably shared by others as well) in which Chile exists merely as a vehicle (or venue) for American imperialist overreach and CIA machination. Falcoff, to his enduring credit, offers well-researched scholarship on a rather contentious subject --Chile during the tumultuous Allende regime, and later during the much reviled (sometimes fairly, sometimes not) Pinochet era. Moreover, Kornbluh's contribution focuses on events following the 1973 coup. If one desires a more balanced perspective, one would be better served consulting "Hostile Intent." Falcoff, on the other hand, chronicles the entire period advertised and invests considerable effort recounting the Allende regime. Many aspects remain unchanged with the passage of time. For example, Allende's Marxist inclinations, which Falcoff discusses, have not been impeached by the subsequent disclosure of additional contemporaneous documentation. In short, for students interested in Chilean history, Falcoff's book satisfies sans the iconoclastic fervor with which the subject matter is most often approached.