Before the Shining Path: Politics in Rural Ayacucho, 1895-1980
"Before the Shining Pathis a major contribution to our understanding of the precursors to revolutionary violence; it will appeal to students, academic specialists, and policy analysts alike."—David Scott Palmer,Hispanic American Historical Review"Well-written, impressively researched, and with a compelling argument about the rise of [the Shining Path] that also complicates dominant interpretations of key political processes in Peru's twentieth century, Heilman'sBefore the Shining Pathis a first-rate contribution to the scholarship on Peru's 'time of fear'."—Paulo Drinot,Journal of Latin American Studies"Heilman's book is a fascinating study of the historical antecedents of the Partido Comunista del Perú. . ." — Agustín Goenaga Orrego,Bulletin of Spanish Studies"Heilman basesBefore the Shining Pathin part of archival material, but the best information comes from extensive interviews and participant observation. This work could not have been easy and at certain points may even have been dangerous. She is to be congratulated for undertaking the research and for producing a convincingly argued and well-written monograph."—David McCreery,Agricultural History"This book is a thought-provoking intervention in the historical debates on political participation, protest, and violence in the Peruvian sierra throughout the twentieth century . . . I highly recommend Heilman's book for students and scholars of Peruvian history, peasant movements, and political violence, as well as practitioners of archival and ethnographic methodologies."—Onur Bakiner,Latin American Politics and Society