Historia de las repúblicas de la Plata. 1863.

Historia de las repúblicas de la Plata. (Paraguay, Uruguay y Confederación Argentina). Imprenta de José de Rojas. Madrid. 1863.

Octavo (19.1 x 13 cm / 7.52 x 5.11 in), XXIII, blank, includes Half title and Title page, (Text:) from p. 25 to 267, blank. Later binding in full cloth. Copy in good condition. First edition.

It is surprising that in his Introduction the author expresses that the Republics of Plata, "are perhaps of all those countries (in reference to the Hispanic Americans) the least known." Seasoned writer of essays that advance through the geography and history of different regions of the world, González Llana makes a complete description of our evolution from pre-Columbian times onwards. He advances through the different historical moments to stop at certain episodes that he considers more relevant, such as the actions of the Jesuits (and their expulsion) and the constitution of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. His gaze reaches to Whitelocke's capitulation and in the description of society at that time, he hardly mentions the beginning of independence in 1810.

In reference to the gaucho, he gives us a semblance that deserves our reading; We share a paragraph: “In these pulperías, the only distraction is gambling, exposing (sic) with admirable cold blood, everything he has, even his suit. The one who loses, then has to content himself with the most indispensable that his opponent leaves him. When they play in the field, sit squatting on the ground, holding between the toes of the horse's reins, and the knife or dagger stuck in the ground, with which they mercilessly kill their opponent, if they think they notice the slightest. slight fraud, not depriving themselves, however, of making all the traps they can”.

Asturian, Manuel González Llana y Pruneda (1835 - 1911) was an outstanding journalist, teacher and politician. He published different works; among them "The Italy of the XIX Century" (1861), "Historical and descriptive Mexico" (1862), "The Spain of the XIX Century" (1864), "Chronicle of the Province of Salamanca" (1869) and "The empire of Morocco” (1879). In 1863 he presented “History of the republics of La Plata (...), here in its prince edition.

S.O. XV-GHM