The topic of independence emerged in the field of history deeply intertwined with nation-building processes that required triumphant myths as birth certificates. While other Latin American historiographies succeeded in building such origin myths, historians of Peruvian independence struggled to come to terms with the fact that Peru obtained independence in a belated and rather tortuous way. For this reason, the construction of an official triumphant narrative of Peruvian independence has always faced intense criticism, which only grew worse in the 1970s when a new revisionist historiography led by Heraclio Bonilla and Karen Spalding (‘La independencia en el Perú: Las palabras y los hechos’, in Heraclio Bonilla (ed.), La independencia en el Perú (Instituto de Estudios Peruanos–Ediciones Campodónico, 1972) systematically demolished the foundations of its thesis. It is no surprise then that the two books reviewed here show the reverberations of that dispute. More importantly, they also show that finally, after 45 years, historians are ready to leave the dispute behind.

The edited collection La independencia del Perú revisits some of the most relevant visions of Peruvian independence published over the last 50 years. The first part of the book is composed of six articles that focus precisely on the debate initiated by Bonilla and Spalding's famous thesis: that independence was not achieved by Peruvians but was conceded to external forces. This provocative thesis generated a variety of responses, the most traditional one represented here by José A. de la Puente Candamo's article that emphasises the role of creole precursors in the movement towards independence, and ignores the key role played by foreign forces in winning the war. Conversely, Brian Hamnett and Timothy Anna's articles attempt to explain why independence was indeed conceded by pointing out the importance played by the counter-revolutionary efforts of Viceroy José Fernando de Abascal, and the logic behind the elites’ support for the royalist cause. Finally, Jorge Basadre, Alberto Flores Galindo and Scarlett O'Phelan Godoy question Bonilla and Spalding's thesis by analysing the particularly complex nature of the process of independence. Moreover, they discuss the role of previous revolutionary movements in the process, focusing on the reasons why these movements did not bring about independence.

The second part of the book reflects historians’ efforts to move away from and beyond the dichotomy of ‘independence conceded/achieved’. John Fisher and Natalia Sobrevilla highlight the different and contradictory aspects of the process of independence, focusing on social actors who supported it, those who did not, those who changed sides, and those who were caught in the middle. Luis Miguel Glave's article moves along the same lines but the author states the importance of conducting more research along new lines of analysis. Among them are communication networks on regional spaces, the emergence of a public sphere, and the forging of a new political culture during the first decades of the nineteenth century. These new areas of analysis are reflected in Carmen McEvoy, Daniel Morán and Víctor Peralta's contributions: these articles explore the role of the press in the transmission of revolutionary and anti-revolutionary ideas, the importance of Hispanic liberalism in Peru, and the limitations and possibilities of republican ideas and practices during a time of war.

In all, La independencia reflects the state of the field and the promising lines of analysis that could be further developed. However, as several authors claim in El Cusco insurrecto, a new narrative that includes previous revolutions, and, in particular, the Revolution of 1814 in Cuzco, is still pending. To be fair, Scarlett O'Phelan Godoy and Luis Miguel Glave among others have highlighted the importance of southern Peru, and particularly of the Revolution of Cuzco, for understanding the process that led to independence. Still, as Glave admits in the introductory essay of Cusco insurrecto, a cohesive narrative that incorporates previous revolutions into a new chronology of the process of independence is still lacking.

Perhaps for that reason, a cuzqueño group of intellectuals have made the collective effort to provide an updated narrative of the Revolution of 1814 that has resulted in El Cusco insurrecto. With this book, their intention was to incorporate this Revolution on the list of official commemorations prior to the bicentennial of the declaration of independence in 2021. In fact, the book is but one of the many public events organised in Cuzco between 2014 and 2015 to remember and celebrate the Revolution. Moreover, as is stated in the editorial note, the authors’ goal is to overcome the Limeño centralism that has resulted in the neglect of regional spaces like Cuzco not only in current politics but also in the official narrative of the independence (p. 13). Since it remains the case that official efforts to commemorate events linked to independence are centred mostly on the bicentennial of the declaration of independence in Lima in 2021, the complaint seems fair.

With this purpose in mind, the first part of Cusco insurrecto provides both a historical and ideological context to the events of the Revolution. This is clearest in the case of Daniel Morán and Roberto Ojeda Escalante's articles. In the former, Morán reveals the intertwined nature of local, regional and global processes by looking at the ‘information wars’ led by the press in Buenos Aires, Lima and Santiago. By focusing on the political discourse in these cities, Morán shows how the Revolution of Cuzco was a watershed moment on a continental level for those who wanted independence and also for those who desperately wanted to remain loyal to Spain. Likewise, Ojeda Escalante's study of the ideals held by the leaders of the Revolution reveals the racialised aspect of the political tension between Cuzco and Lima. The author argues that Cuzco's Revolution does not fit in Lima's narrative of the independence because of its strongly indigenous component that has always been rejected and/or downplayed by the Limeño elite.

The second part of the book focuses on the main characters of the Revolution. Margareth Najarro Espinoza provides a succinct and well-researched account of the Revolution. The author combines the analysis of global events and their influence in Cuzco with an analysis of local events that had their own logic. All the different social actors who intervened in the conflict – the constitutionalists, the Cabildo (City Council), the members of the Audiencia (Appellate Court) and indigenous communities – receive detailed and meticulous treatment. Najarro Espinoza also argues that the leaders of the Revolution did not attempt to create a ‘romantic’ Incan empire, but they proposed to establish a new Peruvian empire where the idea of an Inca emperor was more abstract than has been stated (p. 180). Likewise, Gonzalo Valderrama Escalante analyses the role of the indigenous elite in the Revolution and more specifically their relationship with the indigenous masses. He focuses on the figure of the cacique Mateo Pumacahua and on the challenges and opportunities in which he was victorious and also on those in which he failed. Finally, Roberto Ojeda Escalante looks at the indigenous leaders of the Revolution who were not from the elite like Pumacahua. Their importance cannot be overstated because it was these commoners who led people to most of the battles. Ojeda Escalante recovers the political importance of these indigenous leaders (some of whom were women) who kept alive the state of political mobilisation in the countryside years after the Revolution was defeated.

The third part of the book looks at the ways in which the Revolution is remembered – and forgotten. Of particular value is the compilation (made by all the authors) of tales and stories that show how the Revolution has persisted and is remembered in popular memory. Notably, it shows how the communities of the region kept alive a memory of the events but also how they shaped it to respond to contemporary concerns. Finally, Manuel Jesús Aparicio Vega's study shows that this Revolution was massively widespread involving not just Cuzco but Huancavelica, Huamanga, Puno, Arequipa and La Paz (p. 288). It was, indeed, the most important revolution among all the revolutionary movements that happened between Tupac Amaru's rebellion and the declaration of independence in Lima. More importantly, it had connections with very distant places like Buenos Aires and Montevideo. This fact, the author argues, it is often lost in the official narrative of independence.

The two books show that historians have come a long way since the days of the conceded/achieved controversy. Yet there are some tasks still pending, such as overcoming national borders to include Upper Peru (present-day Bolivia) in the analysis in order to provide a more accurate account of the Andean region with the political, social and economic logic it had at the time. Furthermore, the intertwined nature of global, regional, and local events needs to be addressed so as to reflect the complexity of the process of independence in Peru more accurately. None of this is easy but, as the articles in these books show, much has already been accomplished. Because there is no one official narrative, the historiography of the independence of Peru is, more than ever, full of promise and possibility.