This book shows that land redistribution - the most consequential form of redistribution in the developing world - occurs more often under dictatorship than democracy. It offers a novel theory of land reform and tests it using extensive original data dating back to 1900.

Eight essays continue the scholarly interest in the South American country demonstrated by similar collections published in 1975 and 1983. Social and political scientists, including two from Peru, cover the legacy of past choices in regimes, coalitions, and policies; peasants, workers, and business as social actors in political change; and violence and human rights. A conclusion summarizes the state of the country. Paper edition (unseen), $19.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In Bandits and Liberals, Rebels and Saints Alan Knight offers a distinct perspective on several overarching themes in Latin American history, spanning approximately two centuries, from 1800 to 2000. Knight's approach is ambitious and comparative--sometimes ranging beyond Latin America and combining relevant social theory with robust empirical detail. He tries to offer answers to big questions while challenging alternative answers and approaches, including several recently fashionable ones. While the individual essays and the book as a whole are roughly chronological, the approach is essentially thematic, with chapters devoted to major contentious themes in Latin American history across two centuries: the sociopolitical roots and impact of banditry; the character and evolution of liberalism; religious conflict; the divergent historical trajectories of Peru and Mexico; the nature of informal empire and internal colonialism; and the region's revolutionary history--viewed through the twin prisms of British perceptions and comparative global history.