"If one died and could not reach heaven, went the saying in Latin America during the presidency of Jose Batlle y Ordonez, one might get at least as far as Batlle's Uruguay. Jose Batlle was committed to a vision of advanced democracy that included a plural executive (the Colegiado), state-run enterprises, an eight-hour-maximum workday, women's rights, and the abolition of the death penalty. In 1915-1917, having completed his second term in office, he was battling on toward a revision of the Uruguayan constitution that he believed would embody that vision." "Batlle's ideas proved to be too much for voters to accept. Nevertheless, he skillfully rescued part of his program and laid the groundwork for future reforms. As masterfully related in this concluding volume of Milton Vanger's trilogy, the story of Batlle and this short episode in Uruguay's history is significant far beyond its time. Even today, Batlle's legacy looms over current politics in the country much as FDR and the New Deal Coalition do in the United States. Arguably, no other single topic is more important in Uruguay's political history." --Book Jacket.

They won the first soccer World Cup. There's a lot of beef raised on the pampa. That's all most people know about Uruguay. Bradt's Uruguay, the only dedicated English-language guide to a country that's small yet bursting with character, shows that the adventurous tourist can uncover much more. It provides in-depth coverage of the capital Montevideo, where the colonial Old City is being restored. There's also detailed information on the coastal city of Colonia (which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List) as well as Punta del Este, to whose beaches the Buenos Aires beautiful crowd flocks each summer. There's advice, too, for active travellers who can rattle their whips on cattle-ranching estancias and spin their sticks in a game of polo or two and for nature enthusiasts keen to watch wildlife in the western wetlands and birds in Cabo Polonio and Santa Teresa. Plus, the book investigates the Brazilian influences behind Uruguay's music and dance, and the country's Afro-Uruguayan culture, most noticeable in Carnaval.