This book was extremely accurate and informative. The translation is great. Buyer beware - the information is not sugar-coated. It is very graphic at times, but must be to give an accurate description of events. The pictures are shocking and the list of the made my heart drop. It truly made me realize what my family went through in Uruguay during the 60's and 70's. It is an excellent reference book and is the most informative account of the 'Dirty War' that I've ever read.

As a Uruguayan citizen, I am happy that someone from my country has attempted to write a novel apparently destined for the American public (it seems to have been originally written in English) concerning the bloody, U.S.-financed and -sponsored military dictatorship that scourged Uruguay from 1973 and 1985. Most of my American friends didn't know, or didn't believe, that the U.S. actively supported antidemocratic and murderous regimes in South America and elsewhere, sending CIA-trained "torture specialists" such as Dan Mitrione to teach their skills to the local military - and it is my belief that people should be made aware of tragedies such as the one Uruguay lived through. For this, I give one star to Tessa Bridal's book.

However, much as I would have liked to, I cannot commend (or recommend) this book, which I find seriously flawed. From the beginning, I found characters to be one-dimensional and hard to relate to - and that includes the main character, Magdalena. No hints are given as to why the scion of a well-to-do, conservative family should join a group of left-wing activists such as the Tupamaros (even though this is a fairly common phenomenon, I think it should have merited at least some attempt at explanation, especially since Magdalena seems to enjoy all the privileges afforded by her class without any qualms). Magdalena's love affair with the improbably-named Marco Aurelio Pereira is similarly stilted and unbelievable, as is the one with the sullen, ill-fated and rapidly forgotten Jaime.

Similarly inverosimile and unlikely is Magdalena's relationship with the beggar Gabriela, whom she befriends. The author somehow manages to depict wealthy Magdalena's idyllic friendship with an indigent woman without questioning the social differences between the two, which is maybe a consequence of the pastoral innocence in which the beautiful and intelligent beggar lives - dire poverty, it seems, but without any of its grimmest accompaniments - Gabriela's sweet, tidy little shack resembles the merry shepherds' dwellings in an Arcadian romance.

There seems to be no purpose in Gabriela's romanticized existence in the novel at all, except as a convenient human face for Dan Mitrione's bloody practices.

Along the way, Bridal manages to accomodate a few mistakes no Uruguayan should make, such as calling the Cerro, a promontory looming across the Bay of Montevideo, "Uruguay's tallest hill" (page 14). Uruguayan land is a softly undulating one, without any mountains, but it has some hilly places, and the highest of these, the Cerro de las Animas, is considerably taller than the Cerro de Montevideo.

Two pages later, Bridal says that the Cerro "was where Montevideo's bichicomes lived". Wrong again. "Bichicome", a word derived from the English "beachcomber", applies to homeless people (usually old and male) who sleep on the streets, not to slum dwellers.

These may seem like minor flaws, but when added to dreamy, artificial writing, and a dreamy, artificial depiction of upper-class living, which seems irredeemably "written from the outside" (i.e., how Bridal thinks upper-class Uruguayans live), the effect can be annoying. It certainly lacks the ring of truth.

I really think Bridal has made an honest effort at depicting these times of repression and horror, but the novel just doesn't come off as convincing or believable. I gave it another star for a certain evocative quality which I liked. And the edition is lovely. But that's about all there is to it.

For good books about life under the Uruguayan dictatorship (and other subjects), try Mauricio Rosencof's "Las cartas que no llegaron" ("The letters that never arrived"), a moving book about a family of Jewish immigrants in Uruguay and their Tupamaro son; Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro's "Memorias del calabozo" ("Dungeon memoirs"), dealing with his years of illegal imprisonment for being a Tupamaro; and Eduardo Galeano's "El libro de los abrazos" ("The book of embraces"), an original and important book which can be found online in English translation.

This book was wonderfully moving. The author parallels the experiences of a carefree young girl with the evoluton of a nation in turmoil. The description of Uruguay, its' customs and lexicon are givn an A+. They made me laugh, cry and remember my own upbringing.

In the book Tree of Red Stars we get a look at Uruguayan society in times of peace and prosperity and how that reality changes and how it affects a young girl who although idealistic she sees that the country she has grown up in has to change. It is a painful realization, but as the changes that are taking place involve more and more people around her, there is no way she can remain ignorant of the corruption and political tirany. An excellent book, with a very strong message valid for many nations as well as Uruguay.

Very good pictures...I got nostalgic when I saw the photographs. It's hard to take a bad picture of Uruguay. It is such a beautiful country, rich with charm, history and elegance. If you like the book...you'll LOVE the country!

I think Uruguay is very tropical and I think you did a verynice job on it. I like Spanish Speaking countrys. I hear Uruguay isan outstanding place, and your pictures were amazing.

"Dangerous if read too late in life", Hemmingway.

This is an excellent book if you can find it.

I have just read this book and I think I could place it among the ones I liked the most (together with Gerald Durrell's ones): what I prefered was the poetic that filled the whole book , in the descriptions of landscapes, and people, that poetic you can't find in modern writers.

It's an excellent field guide. The little maps with each bird showing the distribution area makes the identification fast and easy. Drawings are very good and so are id clues. I think that due to printing problems sometimes the colors are not so accurate (few cases). If you are coming to Argentina to watch birds, is a must (I'm not the author cousin).

When I first began to look for information on Uruguay, I had a tough time. When I found this book, it was like a gift from God (to learn about a country from Hell). I found out interesting stuff like Uruguay is a great place for livestock farms and most people are so poor that they use horse and buggy or Ford model T's rejected from the U.S. I hate this country but this is a very informative book.

In "Heroes on Horseback," John Charles Chasteen varies his narrative by alternating chapters following the story of two Brazilian caudillos with those examining the political environment of the Uruguay-Brazil borderland in the late 19th century. While a little slow in parts, it does explore the conceptions of identities among those in the borderland, particularly for the numerous Brazilian immigrants living in Uruguay. It also provides a closer look at the lives of two brothers, Gumercindo and Aparicio Saravia, as they lead their milita in hopes of bringing revolution to Brazil. Most interesting, however, is Chasteen's inquiry into the phenomenon of caudillismo itself and how the charisma of the leaders inspired the borderland residents to enlist their support. Overall, a worthwhile look at a unique area of Latin American political history.

Except for most of the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego chapters, which show evidence of capable research and writing, this is a step backward from the previous edition. The coverage of northwestern Argentina is superficial and even naive, and the coverage of Iguazu falls missed the enormous changes that resulted from privatization of national park services over the past few years. It looks as if only one, perhaps two, of the five authors was really up to the job.

I used the guide in February 2003 to complete a trip in Argentina. The Lonely Planet guide was the best that I found, but none were up to par. I had Rough Guide to Argentina with me as well, and found it superior for the descriptions of points of interest. Lonely Planet, however, provided adequate descriptions and added travel information (75% correct) and local maps from time to time. Particularly unreliable were prices (of course, with the economic situation) and flight information. Pricing in any of the Arg. guides published for early 2003 is only good for comparison between like opportunities. Flights tended to be offered on different days or had been cancelled since publishing. The only notable information flaw I remember was in the El Bolson description, where they placed the cervezeria and associated campground on the opposite side of town. Everyone I met travelling to Uruguay or Paraguay had the Shoestring Guide to S.A. rather than this specialty guide, so I have no information on those sections of the book. All in all, the L.P. guide provided the best overall information, and I wouldn't have had as much time to enjoy my trip without it.

The first 'reviewer' has it wrong--this edition of Lonely Planet's Argentina book is a remarkable improvement over the 3rd edition, which at times is convolutedly wordy beyond belief. The review sounds like it was written by the previous author. Be aware that some competetive guidebooks, such as those put out by Avalon (or Moon) pay their authors based on the royalty system. In other words, on how many books they sell. Avalon may be putting out their own Argentina guide soon. Your best advice: run through the books at a bookstore and decide for yourself which fits your needs best.

I had to use this book for a report in my geagrapy class on Uruguay, and it helped quite a bit!

LP guides are usually complete and thorough. so why is the section on buenos aires in this one so carelesly researched? is it because LP wants us to buy their book on buenos aires or because their researchers didn't visit the city at all? i've been to buenos aires countless times. reading the LP guide, one would think that it is just a hamlet not worth wasting your time on. buenos aires is one of the most exciting and mysterious places in the world; a european outpost in south america, full of chic decadence and a lot more than just beef and tango. entire districts are overlooked by the guide, descriptions are misleading or incomplete and uninviting at best. one wonders why. if you're looking for a guide to buenos aires, buy yourself a plane ticket and a map. once in the city, meet the locals. this is one city you need to explore and understand rather than just see. as jorge luis borges once said: ''it would seem that buenos aires has existed forever.''

It's true, this book is not the best LP has to offer, with somewhat pedantic, bone-dry descriptions and overly-detailed town histories your average traveler could care less about. It still offers your basic traveler's information, though, and you won't miss much with this complete tome in your hot little hands.
A promise, however: the next edition will arrive spicier and cutting-edge fresh, with beefed up entertainment sections and wittier town introductions to boot. It will also be more fun to read (same goes for the Buenos Aires guide). I personally guarantee it.

Used this guide for all three countries - Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The information for the latter two countries was the most detailed and reliable (maybe because things don't change there as fast as they do in B.A.). It was especially good for hotels/restaurants in Montevideo; the region around Igauzu Falls (including Foz de Iguacu and Ciudad del Este); and Bariloche. Travellers going exclusively to Buenos Aires might want to get a more cosmopolitan book (it is impossible to distinguish good hotels from bad, good cultural events, etc. using this book). The whole lonelyplanet shoestring/adventure "feel" doesn't mesh well with a city as culturally rich & refined as Buenos Aires.