The first major history of Peru to appear in English in over twenty years, Peru: Society and Nationhood in the Andes narrates and analyzes a past that reaches back over 10,000 years of Andean civilization. Drawing on the latest scholarship, it tells the epic stories of the rise of the Inca empire, the sixteenth-century Spanish invasion and colonization, and the indigenous and creole uprisings that led to independence in 1824. It also analyzes the developmental failure of the guano bonanza in the mid-nineteenth century, the foundations of oligarchical rule in the first half of the twentieth century, and the vast migrations from the Andes that have dramatically transformed the culture and politics of the country in the last fifty years.

Peru: Society and Nationhood in the Andes emphasizes the significant economic, political, and social issues that have shaped Peru throughout its long history. The underlying theme of the book is the struggle over power and inclusion between Hispanic elites and Indian, mestizo, and Afro-Peruvian "masses," in both its ethnic and class dimensions. It examines not only the lives of prominent figures, but the daily lives of ordinary people as well. It highlights the divergent interpretations of the Andean past, allowing students to draw their own conclusions, and singles out a few topics in each chapter for in-depth treatment. An indispensible tool for both students and scholars alike, this book includes the most detailed bibliographical essay on Peru in the last quarter century. Peru: Society and Nationhood in the Andes is an important addition to any curriculum focusing on Latin American history, politics, and culture.