Creating Charismatic Bonds in Argentina: Letters to Juan and Eva Perón

Although other historians of Argentina have examined letter writing to the Peróns, Creating Charismatic Bonds is the first book-length study of the subject. Guy places charisma—a slippery concept that the most recent analyses of Peronism have eluded—at the center of her examination by asking what role letters played in forming and maintaining the relationships with the people and shaping the leaders’ charismatic personalities. Broadly defined, charisma alludes to a set of qualities that enables leaders to establish strong personal and emotional bonds with their followers. Early studies of Peronism have defined President Juan Domingo Perón as a classic example of a populist leader whose charisma attracted people, built relationships with them, and created one of the most powerful and enduring political parties in the region. Biographies of first lady Eva Perón have also emphasized her charismatic appeal as well as her pioneering involvement in governmental matters. Whereas early studies generally...