Since the first edition of this book appeared in 1982, a decade of civil war has ended in a peace accord that promises to change the course of Salvadorean society and politics. Concentrating on the period since 1960, the author sheds new light on U.S. involvement in the increasing militarization of the country and on the origins of the oligarchy-army rupture in 1979.

In the new edition, Montgomery offers a detailed account of the evolution of the war, a clear analysis of why Duarte's promises for peace and prosperity could not be fulfilled, and an evaluation of the electoral victory of the oligarchy in 1989. Final chapters offer an assessment of El Salvador's prospects for peace.