John?Charles Chasteen is Patterson Distinguished Term Professor of History, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"Chasteen conveys [the novel'] power and action, as well as the colorful language and humor of the gaucho found in the original text. Acree' astute introduction contextualizes the life and exploits of Argentina' great 19th-century bandit hero. Moreira' humanity and heroism come through clearly to the modern reader. Thanks to Gutiérrez' skillful blending of fact and fiction about Moreira, readers today will learn a great deal about the social realities and folk customs of 19th-century gauchos. General readers will enjoy the action and pathos of this early work of 'rue crime.'Instructors seeking to engage their students with a compelling tale of 19th-century Latin American class conflict and social injustice will want to assign the book in their courses." --Richard W. Slatta, North Carolina State University