The Invention of Argentina

This book represents a significant contribution for understanding that complex nation which is Argentina. This is a country that has moved from being one of the more advance nations of the world at the beginning of the XX century, to a country that currently has almost half of its population under the level of poverty. This book stresses that the different ways nineteenth century intellectuals and leaders framed the idea of... Read Full Review

Brilliant! An interesting view about Argentina's history by analyzing and comparing the minds, achievements and contradictions of the Argentine framers and intellectuals.

An unprejudiced look at the history of Argentina. Based on his theory of the "guiding fictions" which (true or not) usually provide the basis for the spiritual development of nations, Shumway shows that no such paradigms stood at the beginning of Argentina's history; in fact, contradictory guiding fictions developing along the way produced irreconcilable differences which still haunt today's society - Unitarians against... Read Full Review

I have read this book in 1993 for the first time and I have re-read it at different occasions since then. The topic of the book, the making of Argentina, follows the line open by many social scientists who, like Anderson, treat the origin of states as foundational and orientational myths. Nevertheless, far from vindicative or apologetic, the book itself implies a serious analysis of the historical development of third... Read Full Review

A very accurate view of our country The foundations of our nation from a historical perspective Argentina demistified.