Salvador Allende

School Library Journal

Gr 7-12-- This political biography of the man who served Chile as its only democratically elected Socialist president is also a historical account of that country's struggle and determination to be ruled by a democracy. Garza personalizes Allende the man, and then shifts to Allende the leader. She includes the events leading up to Allende's long-sought goal, the prized presidency; an exhaustive history of political involvement in the politics of his country; and Allende's struggle to make socialism a reality amidst the intrusion and the overt attempts by the United States to crush his socialist form of government. The information is current, culminating with the October 1988 referendum vote in which the Chilean people mandated an end to Pinochet's dictatorship. The black-and-white photographs of the many people and events of Chilean history serve as an evocative photo-essay. --Oralia Garza de Cortes, Houston Public Library