A Lexicon of Terror: Argentina and the Legacies of Torture (Oxford World's Classics)

Rating:
Summary: A thorough work on the Dirty War
Review: This is an incredibly researched work. Marguerite Feitlowitz has interviewed and probed into Argentina's past with an ear toward the language used and its effect upon the victims of the Dirty War. As a person who has studied and written about this time, I was fascinated to read her approach. The language used by the torturers of Argentina was sinister and telling; she has solved the puzzle of their words and let the world understand their aims and goals. It is a brilliant book, and important for anyone who is interested in 1) Human rights; 2) Latin American history; 3) Human nature; 4) The politics of a nation's memory.

Rating:
Summary: A thorough depiction of the atmosphere of repression
Review: What really struck me about this book was how well Maruerite Feitlowitz captured the subtleties of the effects terror and repression had on the Argentine population. For example, she discusses how a popular women's magazine, Para Ti, incorporated pro-Proceso rhetoric and even military-inspired fashion into its message during the war. The book is based extensively on first-person testimonials, many of which come from interviews conducted by Feitlowitz herself. Two chapters I found especially revealing dealt with the failure of Jewish leadership to defend its people during the crisis, and with the crippling effect of repression on one rural agrarian league. Two minor complaints: There was little discussion of the systematic repression of union leaders, which intended to (and succeeded in) severely weakening labor's role in Argentina. Also, at least in the paperback version, the print was tiny! If your eyes are getting weak, reading glasses are a must!

Rating:
Summary: A thorough depiction of the atmosphere of repression
Review: What really struck me about this book was how well Maruerite Feitlowitz captured the subtleties of the effects terror and repression had on the Argentine population. For example, she discusses how a popular women's magazine, Para Ti, incorporated pro-Proceso rhetoric and even military-inspired fashion into its message during the war. The book is based extensively on first-person testimonials, many of which come from interviews conducted by Feitlowitz herself. Two chapters I found especially revealing dealt with the failure of Jewish leadership to defend its people during the crisis, and with the crippling effect of repression on one rural agrarian league. Two minor complaints: There was little discussion of the systematic repression of union leaders, which intended to (and succeeded in) severely weakening labor's role in Argentina. Also, at least in the paperback version, the print was tiny! If your eyes are getting weak, reading glasses are a must!