Bringing War Back In provides a fresh theory connecting war and state formation that incorporates the contingency of warfare and the effects of war outcomes in the long run. The book demonstrates that international wars in nineteenth-century Latin America triggered state-building, that the outcomes of those wars affected the legitimacy and continuity of such efforts, and that the relative capacity of states in this region today continues to reflect those distant processes. Combining comparative historical analysis with cutting edge social science methods, the book provides a comprehensive picture of state formation in nineteenth-century Latin America that is compelling for readers across disciplines, breathes new life into bellicist approaches to state formation, and offers a novel framework to explain variation in state capacity across Latin America and the world.

‘This is a deep and brilliant analysis of the role of war in state building, not just in Latin America, but with wider implications for bellicist theory. Schenoni’s focus on outcomes is a great innovation and provides critical insights into the links between military and political development. A very important and timely contribution.’

Miguel Centeno

‘Schenoni’s classical bellicist theory offers a refined universal model where state formation follows the rhythm of victories and defeats. He challenges conventional anti-bellicist views on Latin America, demonstrating that nineteenth-century wars there surpassed contemporary European wars in severity and mobilization, and made the state. This is the most ambitious work on state formation to date.’

Victoria Hui

‘Schenoni’s book is outstanding. Against most of the conventional wisdom, he shows that Latin America had many wars and often highly violent and consequential ones in the 19th century. Schenoni refines Tilly’s classic work by arguing that it is just the victors of intercountry war, not the losers, who embark on successful state building. The book is an exemplary model of multi-methods research.’

Scott Mainwaring

‘Schenoni goes beyond Tilly to Hintze and Weber, excavating classical bellicist theory to argue and demonstrate that it’s war victory, not war preparation, that best explains state-building - and not simply because losers go extinct. In his empirical battle to revitalize bellicist theory in Latin America, Schenoni emerges similarly victorious.’

Dan Slater

‘Building on Tilly’s work on war and state-building in Europe, and Centeno’s application to Latin America, Schenoni draws on his mastery of comparative sociological analysis to examine how war outcomes shaped state formation in the region. Schenoni’s study adds a valuable chapter to our knowledge of these dynamics in the modern world. His immense knowledge of Latin American history alone makes this a wonderful read.’

Sidney Tarrow