“[A] landmark study . . . .” — David Rock , Journal of Social History
“[A] very interesting account of the relationship between Argentina’s rural poor and the political struggles of the nineteenth century. . . . [O]ften rich and thought provoking . . . . [A] fine work of historical scholarship . . . .” — Peter F. Guardino , American Historical Review
“[A]n important study of the complex blend of culture and popular politics in the Argentine province of La Rioja in the mid-nineteenth century.” — Paul B. Goodwin Jr, . History: Reviews Of New Books
“As the first comprehensive regional study to explore 19th-century society, culture, and politics in the Argentine interior—where more than 50 percent of the population lived at the time—the book departs from the predominate Buenos Aires-centered historiography to analyze this crucial period in the processes of state- and nation-building.” — Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education
“In addition to providing a compelling description of La Rioja and the events that took place there, it raises larger questions of political leadership, the development of constituencies, party dynamics, and the role of the rural lower classes in defense of their own interests. It is very well organized and written in an engaging style, enlivened with various anecdotes that bring the characters and stories to life. The research is extensive and imaginative, drawing on a wide range of sources, from census reports to songs about caudillos and gauchos. It is, in many ways, a pioneering monograph that will be of interest to specialists and general readers alike.” — Richard J. Walters , South Eastern Latin Americanist
“This work combines approaches used by social, political, and cultural historians to delve into a nuanced analysis of the competing leaderships, diverse constituencies, and strategies of resistance and military occupation during the Argentine age of post-constitutional discord, 1853-1870.” — Mark D. Szuchman , The Americas
"[A] ground-breaking book that has succeeded in illuminating a major aspect of caudillismo in Latin America." — Hilda Sabato, Journal of Latin American Studies
"[A] pioneering exploration of the popular experience of state-formation. . . . [O]ne of the most interesting contributions of the book is its elucidation of the ethnic and religious dimensions of Argentine federalism. . . .[M]ost original. . . . [A]n imaginative study of a transformative moment in Argentina's history." — Seth Meisel, Hispanic American Historical Review
“Children of Facundo will stand at the forefront of works on what is arguably the single most important topic among contemporary Latin American historians: the lower classes and nation-state formation. This is history from below at its best.” — Charles Walker, author of Smoldering Ashes: Cuzco and the Creation of Republican Peru, 1780–1840
“De la Fuente has gone beyond integrating the subjects and issues of previous works on the subject in this methodologically sophisticated historiographic project: he has enriched them with important new insights. This contribution will be welcomed by specialists in the field.” — Tulio Halperín Donghi, author of The Contemporary History of Latin America
“What a splendid book! Children of Facundo is sure to become one of the touchstones in the study of politics and society in nineteenth-century Latin America.” — Jeremy Adelman, Princeton University