Very few, if any, works develop a genealogy of populism in Latin America, especially from the perspective of monuments and their meaning, a topic mainly addressed by sociocultural studies seeking to make sense of phenomena that interconnect memory, power, and change. In this book Sanchez provocatively traces the role played by monuments in the rise of populism.
Hispanic American ... Read moreHistorical Review
In this fascinating and even exuberant book published by Fordham University Press, anthropologist Rafael Sanchez uncovers the complexities and contradictions of the Venezuelan nation through an impressive interplay of historiographical sources, theoretical approaches, anthropological narratives, and literary and visual artifacts.
Javier Guerrero, The Hemispheric Institute Indispensable reading for any serious student of contemporary Latin American populism.
Claudio Lomnitz, Columbia University I found this book spellbinding. It has a wildly original thesis (of `monumentalization') to expound. It is staggeringly erudite in terms of Venezuelan history. And it has a marvelously relaxed writing style-ironic, easy, witty, and rounded. Like a mature wine composed of various blends, it brings wonderfully well-wrought ideas to the reader's attention, and while it seems to bear the gravitas of a life's work assiduously distilled, it retains the sparkle of fresh discoveries. Rarely have anthropology and history, events and theory, been so beautifully entwined as here, not to mention the shocking relevance of the past to the present. I know of no publication like this.
Michael Taussig, Columbia University Show Less