Acree (Spanish, Washington U.) and Espitia (Spanish, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) present 11 articles exploring the different ways cultures, identities, and ideas about the nation interacted in the processes of nation building during the first century of Latin American independence. Although the articles are varied in topic and approach, a number of common themes are identified by the editors, including the important roles of print and visual media and culture, war and the rhetoric of war, race and gender, marginal populations and their treatment, the performance of power, and the role of popular culture. Specific topics include the beginnings of serial fiction in 19th century Mexico; nationalist rhetoric in wartime Paraguay, 1867-1868; visual culture, historiography, and the tropes of war in 19th century Venezuela; carnivalesque transgressions in 19th century Latin America; the treatment of homosexuality in 19th century Mexico; and gender and the early chronicles of José Martí. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)