Review of the book by Tathiana Flores Acuna, The United Nations Mission in El Salvador: A Humanitarian Law Perspective, The Hague, Kluwer Law International, 1995. ISBN: 90-411-0123-3. The analysis undertaken in this book is based on the first four reports prepared by the ONUSAL before the cease-fire, which was officially declared on February 1, 1992. The book examines in detail the degree of success the Mission achieved in ensuring a better protection of the norms of International Humanitarian Law. The author dedicated the book to the more than 70.000 victims of the conflict, in the hope that more knowledge about international humanitarian law will make future Peace-keeping missions more effective. The United Nations Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) was created as a result of the dialogue and negotiations between the Salvadorian government and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). The legal framework for the Mission was the San Jose Agreement signed in July 1990, in which the parties accorded the creation of an international verification mission. The ONUSAL was in charge of monitoring all the agreements signed by the parties during the negotiation process. The book begins with a theoretical analysis of the historical development of UN peace keeping missions, of their role in non-international armed conflicts, and the interaction between human rights and international humanitarian law. Next, a detailed study is made of the ONUSAL's tasks in the field of international humanitarian law. The first chapter contains a study of the norms of the UN Charter relating to the powers of the Security Council in so far as the fundamental purpose of the organization is concerned, namely, the maintenance of international peace and security. The Chapter encloses an analysis of the competence of the Security Council with regard to human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law during non-international armed conflicts, and analyzes the most relevant resolutions adopted by the Security Council in the cases of Somalia, Rwanda, and the violations of the rights of the civil population in Irak during the aftermath of the Irak-Kuwait war. Through a study of the historical development of the functions of the Secretary-General during different UNmissions, this prominent role in the creation and functioning of modern peace-keeping missions, and in particular of the ONUSAL mission is also analyzed. The initial conception of Salvadorian parties with regard to the creation of a verification mission after the cease-fire, and the will expressed afterwards by both parties to create the mission during the conflict, are studied in the second chapter with the view of underlining the interaction between international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The author bases her analysis of the ONUSAL's mandate in this interaction. She qualifies the interpretation found in the Mission's first report as 'restricted and timid' with regard to the large powers granted by the parties in verification of international humanitarian law. In the third chapter, the other reports prepared by the ONUSAL before the cease-fire are fully analyzed, with particular attention to the activities regarding international humanitarian law. The first part of the chapter contains some reflections derived from a detailed study of the Mission's reports, that on the criteria of the author, reflect an evolution of the ONUSAL's interpretation of its mandate in international humanitarian law made in the first report. As an illustration, the extensive interpretation of the mandate of the ONUSAL Mission contained in its Fourth Report should be mentioned. In this report, the Mission affirms that the norms of international humanitarian law will remain in effect from February 1992, date of the signing of the peace, until October of the same year. This implies an interpretation in extenso not only of the provisions of article 6.5) of Protocol Additional II to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 -with regard to the final amnesty for the persons who participated in the hostilities or who were detained as a result of the conflict- but also of the other norms of international humanitarian law. This last position reveals a broad and innovative application of the norms of international humanitarian law, which could be a precedent for future UN Peace-keeping Missions. The second part of the third chapter studies the mandate and functions of the ONUSAL in its peace-making period in relation to the protection of the norms of international humanitarian law. With this aim, the violations to the Titles II and III of Protocol II with regard to the fundamental guarantees to humane treatment, the principles concerning pre-trial proceedings, penal prosecutions, detention conditions as well as those cases of violations of the norms that protect wounded, sick and shipwrecked and civil population in an armed conflict are examined. Furthermore, this chapter analyzes the serious problem of thelandmines, which indiscriminate use was one of the most serious violations of international humanitarian law during the Salvadorian conflict. In accomplishing what it considered a principal task, the Mission included in its Second report, a list of legal instruments concerning the use of mines, booby-traps and similar artifacts as well as the main principles deriving from customary law. On the basis of these principles, the ONUSAL affirmed that the need to establish limits to the means used in non-international armed conflicts is in complete harmony with the principle of humanity that should prevail in the conduct of the hostilities. According to this, the author quotes the third paragraph of the Protocol II's preamble, in which these principles are enounced as follows "in cases not covered by the law in force, the human person remains under the protection of the principles of humanity and the dictates of the public conscience", this clause better known as the Martens Clause. The author concludes that, in spite of the restrictive interpretation made by the ONUSAL of its mandate in the field of international humanitarian law in the first report, through this analogous interpretation the Mission showed its clear position in favour of the essential principles of international humanitarian law. The coordination between the Mission and other humanitarian agents in the field is another relevant issue studied in the chapter. This is the case, for example, of the ICRC, an institution specialized in disemination and verification of the respect of international humanitarian law norms, and consequently, with similar tasks as the ones conferred to the ONUSAL Mission. In the final part of the chapter, some recommendations are made towards improving the role of the UN in the protection of international humanitarian law. The intrinsic advantages and limitations characteristic of a political organ charged with controlling and verifying the norms of international humanitarian law are considered. Recommendations As a conclusion, the author recommends the creation of regional training centres for UN personnel to be send in peace-keeping missions, with the aim of creating a more professional force. In order to reach this objective, she proposes a more comprehensive and complete training, which would include special instruction regarding the impartial character of a UN mission, as well as for a better monitoring of human rights and international humanitarian law. Even though the ONUSAL recognized the complementary nature of the ICRC in certain of their activities, as well as their common attempt to respect the minimum standard of protection of the individuals in the Salvadorian armed conflict, the author affirms that no further position on its efforts to interact or coordinate with the ICRC in humanitarian law can be deduced from its reports. She concludes that a reference to these issues would have been valuable, since it would have allowed an appreciation on the manner in which these international and national organizations managed to avoid, a

I haven't come across a book this good for years. I encourage you to read it. It well change your life. My heart goes out to the author. What an amazing set of stories he wrote down and shared with the world.

I read this book 3 years ago while travelling in Central America and was consumed by it. This is a war story that is so very human that it will shock you out of your comfort zone. It's one man's account of the suffering he witnessed in El Salvador, but it's also a story about the motives behind this peasant uprising and the deadly manner in which it was crushed in the name of democracy.

Kathleen Hayes opened my eyes to the life of women (and men) in El Salvador. Based on TV, my only images of this country were of soldiers and death. She introduces us to a group of women who try to put their lives into perspective through their faith, while living in an impovrished land with strongly masculine values.

While focusing on a small group of Baptist women, telling their stories in their own words with analysis by Hayes, this book truly tells the story of all Salvadorans. Highly recommended for those interested in learning about the real Central America.

Sandra Benitez has woven a haunting tale of a young boy caught in the war-ravaged reality of El Salvador in 1980.

Nicolas Veras had a wonderful mother. She shielded his body from the gunfire of an attack by guerillas at Archbishop Romero's funeral and she passed on to him her earnest faith in the Virgin Mary. After her death, Nicholas must find his way alone to his grandfather's rural home in the El Salvadoran mountains. He finds that the national military has bombed his village, destroying homes, businesses and the church. From the debris, Nicolas removes the slightly damaged statue of Mary and carries it with him to the farm that has been overtaken by pro-Communist rebels.

From here, the story takes flight. Nicolas and his grandfather are compelled to cooperate with the guerillas. Nicolas participates in smuggling fresh blood and medical supplies to the guerilla camp. He is later captured by the army. Other frightening events occur but young Nicolas feels little fear because, miraculously, the statue of Mary comes alive and speaks advice to Nicolas, giving both instructions and encouragement as he precariously maneuvers between the warring factions of ruthless guerillas and the corrupt and equally ruthless army.

The words flow gently in this sadly beautiful novel. I am usually repulsed by stories involving violence or cruelty towards children; however, this story is so adroitly written with a mixture of harsh truth and tenderness that I couldn't turn away.

Benitez does a wonderful job with this novel. As the depiction of the life of an average child during the tumultuous revolution in San Salvador in the 80s, Benitez combines the ability to remain non-judgemental with the innocence of a child. She has thus created a story rich in emotion, but unbiased in fact. In an attempt to remain bi-partisan, Benitez does her best to side with neither party in the war. Instead, she sides with the nation's citizens, and against the war in general.

The Weight of All Things is ingeniously written through the eyes of a young boy; A young boy who can see no evil government, nor the good in revolution. A young boy who can only experience the loss of war, not its rewards. His story is compelling enough to read the novel, but Benitez layers on top of emotion with vivid descriptions of the events in San Salvador at the time, and together, we as readers can feel the story-line unfold in our lap. Rising as falling as Benitez commands.

The Weight of all things was a wonderful novel, and I can not wait to see Benitez' writing progress in future novels. If for no other reason, read this book because it is refreshing and different from anything you've read.

This is the third novel of Sandra Benitez, and it is a pleasure to follow her maturation as a writer. Her first novel, A Place Where the Sea Remembers, was short and simple in concept, but utterly charming. Her second, Bitter Grounds, was more ambitious and heavily political, even partisan. While well written it ended up feeling more polemical than charming. This book strikes a better balance, being charming and nuanced in a way Bitter Grounds didn't manage while still employing a much larger canvass than A Place Where the Sea Remembers. I won't bother with a "book report", there are a couple here already. But this is a book worth reading, and Benitez is an author worth following.

Like her other book on the Yucatan, this one focuses on many smaller sites. I was surprised that it didn't mention El Puente as a site, however, and it was written before the Copan Museum opened, which is too bad. Unfortunately it is already sadly outdated. I hope she does another book soon.

This book, while somewhat outdated, provides accurate and detailed information about the ruins in Guatemala in particular. The guides I traveled with all wanted to purchase it to enhance their information. The descriptions help you make decisions about where to go and having it with you enhances viewing. Places are generally easier to get to now.

My bookclub decided to read this book as a follow-up to the non-fiction From Grandmothers to Granddaughters by Michael Gorkin that follows 3 generations of Salvadoran women through the civil war and into the 90's. This book was an excellent fictional follow-on. It follows the paths of 3 generations of one lower class family and one upper class family through the turbulent 20th Century in El Salvador. Benitez does not hesitate to share the gory details of Salvador's turbulent history from 1933-1977.

I found the book very easy to become engrossed in, despite my dislike of violence and blood-drenched descriptions. Her descriptions of life in El Salvador are true to life in every detail. I live in San Salvador and found myself searching for "Tresores" or the carjacking spot on the road to La Libertad in Santa Tecla.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in what it is like to live in this country, what the Salvadoran people have experienced, or who just wants a beautiful, albeit sad, story of human survival in adversity.

As I read this book I was taken back in time to the coffee plantations in El Salvador. Benitez is a story teller who's style takes you far beyond the written word. The celebrations and disapointments are felt with each chapter. A powerful and vivid journey of strong and determined women throughout several decades. A novel well worth reading.

This is a truly deep view of El Salvador's soul and the elements that pushed this tiny country into a civil war. Poor and rich are seen through the eyes of a sensible woman --Sandra Benitez-- who spent her childhood in El Salvador. It's very rich, moving and awakens social feelings. It's maybe because I am Salvadorean that I have enjoyed it so much. Still, it's a pretty good book even if all you know about El Salvador is the slanted headlines you saw in the U.S. media during the eighties. There's good and bad in El Salvador, and this is a good book to learn about what made its people go into a painful war. It's a good and entertaining read as well.

This is the kind of book where you realize early on that the writer isn't talented enough to pull off what she's set out to do. Sad, since I was looking forward to reading this, based on the jacket copy. Oh well. This reviewer recommends that others look elsewhere for a compelling read.

Still Love in Strange Places takes readers on an exquisite journey to a foreign place (El Salvador) and also deep into the heart of a marriage, into questions of identity and place. Kephart is really asking the questions, To whom do memories and stories belong? and How are cultural legacies passed down to a child. A fascinating book.

This was the most surprising and beautiful book I have read this year. It is a poem, a watercolor, a dream half-remembered upon waking, a world rebuilt. You will be swept away, and it will stay in your heart for a long time.
In stunning words, Beth Kephart writes of a coffee farm where her husband grew up in the jungled hills of El Salvador. It is a farm inhabited by souls living, mythical and dead: here among the dusty roads, crowded graveyards, and lush coffee plantations we meet ghosts of 11th century Indians, Siguanaba (the witch who haunts the doomed) and especially Don Alberto, her husband's beloved and legendary grandfather, who founded the coffee farm and died there "anchored into the hands of those he loved and into the memories of others."
This book is a testament to memory, and to the endurance of our deeds. It is a book about a beautiful and fecund land lacerated by earthquakes, snipers, and greed. It is a dramatic book by a brave woman about an exotic place, but it is a book that speaks to all of us about what holds the world together: memory, family, courage, love. Read it, and give it to the people who matter most to you. This is a brilliant work.

This book has what Peterson's "Mexican Birds" lacks: good colour pictures of (nearly) all birds of Mexico and adjacent areas and their Spanish names. However, the presentation of the pictures is a mishmash. The descriptions of the birds are not detailed but very short. It is a pity that there is no information about the behaviour of the birds, often very important for identification.

We used this book on a recent trip to Belize. It is THE book in use by local Belizian birding enthusiasts, and we only saw it for sale at one shop during our 12 day stay, so it might be hard to get once you're there. Birds of same species on different color plates slow you down, but the pictures are very good. Highly recommend taking this book with you if you plan to do any serious birdwatching.

This field guide will enable you to see paintings of all of the birds that occur in the area. It also discusses (briefly) each bird. The paintings are excellent and the copy is quick and to the point. To pick at nits, though, the arrangement of the paintings is confusing. Not all birds in a specific family are illustrated on the same plate, and some are found pages away from the rest of their family. The logic seems to be that if the bird is found regularly in northern North America (the elegant trogon, for example) its picture does not need to run with the rest of its relatives. Close study of the guide can overcome this problem, however, making it an easy, economical way to pack the information of other guides into the field.

This is a well writen book clearly because the author did hired a good editor. But how will this guy really know the FMLN strategies when he hasn't been part of FMLN. The beutiful words used in this book and the so called documetation and interviews are not reason enough to become an expert in the matter. He just want to make some money out of this. Stay away from this book, many inocent people was murdered for this guys (and I'm talking about the salvadorean army).

This book is a very good at describing the strategies and tatics of the Salvadoran FMLN freedom fighters, but it ignores the real reasons why Salvadorans had no choice but to fight the government. They blame it on 'communist aggression', but this was a civil revolution; these were people who had been denied their right of self-determination as peoples through democratic elections. If Salvadorans wanted communism, so be it: it's their right and duty as peoples to determine their own political, social, and economic future. The authors weakly defend the small elite class that violated non-deregable human rights through state terrorism for centuries. If you choose to read this book, read it along with: Revolution in El Salvador by Tommie Sue Montgomery.

I truly enjoyed reading this book! It has GREAT information concerning the weapons and tactics in this terrible war without being too political. Rare is a book about the War in El Salvador that doesn't have some kind of political spin, Left or Right. The author keeps it real by explaining in great detail tactics, weapons, and order of battle, of the Communist insurgents. It also has information about who TRULY armed the FMLN. It's intersting to know that the FMLN had American M-16 rifles BEFORE the Salvadoran military did!! I also enjoyed Mr. Bracamonte's attention to detail concerning the small,everyday events in the FMLN battlefield, particularly about the unforseen role of most FMLN female radio operators... I believe it is a great book to get if you are intrested in the actual battelfield events during the civil war in El Salvador. In my opinion, it proves that the FMLN was better off as a political organization, without resorting to violence and how a PR defeciant Salvadoran Army managed to grab victory from the jaws of defeat.The Salvadoran people have Democracy today because they refused to be intimidated by the FMLN and voted. Freedom was kept by the ballot AND the bullet. In conclusion, GREAT book!!!!!!