McConahay’s extensive reporting background serves her well. She has sought out people from all over the globe — many whose stories have never before been told and whose time for telling them is running out ... McConahay’s vivid descriptions of Latin America... are beautifully complemented with several dozen photos, many from private family collections. The Tango War has the heft of comprehensive history and the drama of a spy novel. McConahay offers plenty of intrigue ... At first it seems like a very slow start, but as this skilled storyteller unfolds the impeccably researched history, the reader begins to understand how these resources and industries were key to Axis and Allies interest in the distant continent ... In this exceptional history, [McConahay] plumbs these intricate moves and rhythms of the Tango War.
Journalist Mary Jo McConahay uncovers this fascinating story in her comprehensive, colorful, and often-troubling new book ... McConahay, a veteran Latin America correspondent, focuses on compelling characters whose ordinary lives are transformed ... As we look forward, McConahay's book gives us insight into the region's intricacies and the disastrous dance moves that belong in the past.
With The Tango War: The Struggle for the Hearts, Minds and Riches of Latin America During World War II, Mary Jo McConahay has produced a riveting account of the region during the war years ... [McConahay's] stories are gripping, especially when she dives deep into little-known waters ... When the author turns her focus onto the postwar years, however, her arguments can feel strained ... In all, Ms. McConahay has produced an enjoyable, well-researched and well-documented book.
A lively history ... McConahay conducted solid research and writes with an unprejudiced eye, peppering her narrative with fascinating anecdotes about both ordinary people and celebrities ... Although the stories take place on a global stage, McConahay has followed their ripples to the personal level, the book’s most engaging feature ... offers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on a pivotal time and place.
McConahay gives an account thick with detail and unexpected twists ... displays scalpel-sharp precision with details and a nose for unintended consequences ... Fast-paced and informative, this is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand World War II and some of the forces that led to it.
With great verve and detail, McConahay recounts the reverberating 'shadow war for the Western hemisphere' ... This lively book, driven by colorful personalities, strikes the ideal balance between informative and entertaining.
