Chile: Death in the South

by Jacobo Timerman

Chronicles the human drama and tragedy of events in contemporary Chile in light of fourteen years of brutal dictatorship

Genres: Nonfiction, History

133 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Jacobo Timerman was born in the Ukraine, moved with his family to Argentina in 1928, and was deported to Israel in 1980. He returned to Argentina in 1984. Founder of two Argentine weekly newsmagazines in the 1960s and a commentator on radio and television, he was best known as the publisher and editor of the newspaper La Opinión from 1971 until his arrest in 1977. An outspoken champion of human rights and freedom of the press, he criticized all repressive governments and organizations, regardless of their political ideologies.

Reviews

[Samuel P]

It is a poetic, chilling book covering Chile at the end of the Pinochet regime and full of testimonies from the victims and survivors of the reign of terror. Fortunately for the Chilean people, the book is dated and would have been just a year after its publication, however, it is still a valuable piece for examining the psyche of the author and people who had to live for years with trauma and fear. The work does often get repetitive and this translation might translate the Spanish a little too directly leading to boggish wordyness.

[Darren Beck]

Having lived in southern Chile from August 1983 to July 1985, I heard whispered stories about the military takeover and the 10 years between it and my time there from all sorts of Chileans, those for and against the regime, all of whom deeply and passionately loved their beautiful country. Mr. Timerman captured hard truths in this shirt, yet brutal book. I could go back in my mind’s eye to how the coup and life after it impacted people in the small towns and larger cities of Llanquihue, Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt, Victoria, Gorbea, Temuco, Purranque, Osorno, Pucon, and Villarrica and it reminded me how much learning and growing I did in the time I was there.

[Jason]

Written in 1986 but serves as a timely reminder of the viciousness underlying authoritarianism.

[Bob]

I simply chose this book because it had the Chile in the title and my wife spent a week there last year. It's hard to read about the horrors of Chilean life in the 70s and 80s. I knew nothing about Chile's history, so it was educational for me. The style of writing is fine, especially considering that it is a translation. I tend to read books because I want to learn something. If I am entertained, that's good. I did learn something, the writing was good enough for me to hang in there to the end. So I am comfortable recommending it.

[Diana]

Ah, what a depressing book - though eloquently told by Jacobo Timerman. It was a book i was reading for a research paper, and once the research paper was turned in, i promptly returned the book to the library. so it goes!

[Seth]

Very well written and very timely...for 1986. This is not a criticism of the book itself, a student of Chile would do well to read this book. As a casual historian (as regards Chile) I found it dated if profoundly poignant.

[columbialion]

Eye witness accounts of the civil/human rights lawlessness of the Chilean dictator Pinochet

[Glenn Banks]

Quick read. Not sure why I chose to read this book. It was interesting to some degree and it sure makes me glade I did not live there. I've been wanting to visit the country still do.

[E. L.]

An interesting book. I was in Chile from 78-80 there is a lot of things I never saw.

[Tefita]

Le puse 5 estrellas por el testimonio final, del propio autor, que me parece bellísimo.