The Murder of Chile

by Samuel Chavkin

An inside story of the coup in Chile describes the end of the Allende government and death of the president, the terrorist activities of the Junta against the Chilean people, and resistance to the present regime

Genres: History

286 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1982

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books takes you into the lives of those affected by the events of Sep.11th, 1973, when a CIA backed military coup seized fascist control of a democratically elected president in Salvador Allende. The fist handed accounts of these victims is startling in its brutality all under the name of freedom, democracy, and capitalism. While the book certainly has its Allende biases, it allows for an intense view into US foreign policy and how they covertly operate outside US borders to ensure the dismantling of any foreign government that refuses to play by their rules.
I only give it 4 stars and not 5 as the sensationalizing of the brutality begins to wear out the reader's spirit and i was hoping for more historical knowledge and not only the atrocities which the Pinochet dictatorship implemented; reading about torture can only go on for so long.
Chavkin excels in engaging the reader through his action and structure of the novel that bounces around while never feeling displaced. He pulls you into the lives of those affected by the coup where the reader feels a wave of empathy and sympathy (if they have morality). Upon finishing the book, the reader walks away with a new sense of US foreign policy and how the building of strong nations only comes at the expense of the exploitation of its people.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read for anyone interested in US foreign policy.