"An outstanding and deeply erudite interpretation of Spanish American history in the nineteenth century. Sabato provides a new perspective on the originality and success of Latin American polities after independence, challenging a long tradition, particularly in English-speaking academia, of looking at that history as one of chaos and failure."--Pablo Piccato, Columbia University, author of A History of Infamy: Crime, Truth, and Justice in Mexico
"Sabato offers a powerful antidote to what endures as the static image of nineteenth-century Latin America as a land of caudillos and authoritarianism, political apathy and backwardness. She proves to those who are interested in the global history of democracy that they ignore the Latin American experience at their peril."--Erika Pani, Colegio de Mexico
"Timely and important. Sabato's book is rich in ideas and issues."--Thomas Bender, author of A Nation among Nations: America's Place in World History