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In one of the best social and economic histories to date of the post-1960 upheavals, Ruchwarger emphasizes that these [mass-based] groups played a long, crucial and independent role in shaping the revolution that destroyed Somoza.
The Times Literary Supplement

A wealth of useful data. . . . There is value in much of the information and the organizational structures of participation are clearly outlined. Choice

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Library Journal Review

This useful book focuses on the essential political issue in Nicaragua: To what extent does authentic popular control exist? Instead of concentrating on the top down, Ruchwarger analyzes the operations and influence of grassroots organizations. Although sympathetic to the Sandinistas, he arrives at several important critical conclusions, among them that the local organizations for the most part operate with participatory democracy, but they have not exerted influence in higher government levels. This work provides support for the view that the Sandinistas have pursued an eclectic revolutionary approach. Recommended for academic libraries. Roderic A. Camp, Latin American Studies Dept., Central Coll., Pella, Ia . (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

The participatory characteristics of the Nicaraguan revolution are described in detail. Both before and after the July 1979 ouster of the Somoza family dynasty, the role of grass-roots activities is depicted as central to the methods of the revolutionaries. The author relies substantially on interviews and observation during 16 months' research conducted from 1983 to 1986. The result is a wealth of useful data concerning Sandinista mass organizations and their efforts to shape policy and popular attitudes. Ruchwarger is avowedly sympathetic to the revolution, and judgments are not always based on an unbiased perspective. Furthermore, the rush of events is eclipsing the conditions described here. A better-balanced and broader treatment is John Booth's The End and the Beginning: The Nicaraguan Revolution (2nd ed., 1986; 1st ed., CH, Feb '83). However, there is value in much of the information, and the organizational structures of participation are clearly outlined. The book is extensively footnoted, and includes a select bibliography. Upper-division undergraduates.-J.D. Martz, Pennsylvania State University, University Park Campus