Argentina, 1516-1987: From Spanish Colonization to Alfonsín [Paperback]

David Rock (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520061780 | ISBN-13: 978-0520061781 | Publication Date: November 18, 1987 | Edition: Revised

In this comprehensive history, updated to include the climactic events of the five years since the Falklands War, Professor Rock documents the early colonial history of Argentina, pointing to the colonial forms established during the Spanish conquest as the source for Argentina's continued reliance on foreign commercial and investment partnerships. The collapse of Argentina's close western European ties after World War II is thus seen as the underlying cause for her current economic and political crisis.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Rock is Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His Politics of Argentina, 1890-1930 won the 1976 Herbert E. Bolton Prize for Latin American history. He is author of Authoritarian Argentina (1993) and editor of Latin America in the Nineteen Forties (1994), both available from the University of California Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 511 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; Revised edition (November 18, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520061780
• ISBN-13: 978-0520061781
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Argentina

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written panorama of Argentine history, February 17, 2004

By 

Robert Crowe (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Argentina, 1516-1987: From Spanish Colonization to Alfonsín (Paperback)

From 16th Century colonial foundations to the colapse of the vicious dictatorships of the 1980s and the election of Raoul Alfonsin, Rock's history gives us a sweeping, clear view of Argentina's past. His style is readable and vey well organized. He takes the country's turbulent centuries in simple chronological order, introducing the reader to the leaders of politics, the economy, social classes, the military and, to some extent, the arts. Rock has a penchant for the economic details pulling the country up and down, supporting his conclusions with much specific data. I enjoyed his presentation of long-lasting Argentine themes, such as the conflicts between Buenos Aires and the interior and the rich and workers. The economic and social influence of other nations is traced with care, starting, of course, with Spain, but also including Brazil, England and the US.

I read this in preparation for my first trip to Argentina, leaving a few days after I write this. I feel the book has given me a much deeper understanding of the society I am about to explore.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best start to Argentina's History, January 26, 2007

By 

Lehigh History Student (Bethlehem, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Argentina, 1516-1987: From Spanish Colonization to Alfonsín (Paperback)

David Rock writes one of the most definitive accounts of Argentine history to date. His book dates from the Spanish colonization through the election of Alfonsin. He looks at the limited number of Spaniards that came to colonize Argentina and their effects on the buildup of Buenos Ares compared with the interior. There is only a little attention paid to the mission systems in the Chaco and other surrounding areas. (for more on the Chaco See The Chaco Mission Frontier by James Saeger). This book does provide an excellent overview of the countries history without going into too much depth. Economics is a major focus of the book as well as the politics of the peronist era. The Falklands conflict is one of the last major pieces covered and is done very well. This is a great book to get a bearing on Argentina's history and then decide where you want to read more. Whether you are a beginner or an expert this is an essential book for South American history.

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A concise, comprehensive review of Argentina, July 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Argentina, 1516-1987: From Spanish Colonization to Alfonsín (Paperback)

I found the book relatively easy to follow and well thought out. There is a good discussion of economic, political, and social problems and developments, helping the reader to fully understand the events of the day, providing an excellent introduction to Argentina's history.