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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 980
EAN: 9780393927696
Edition: Second Edition
ISBN: 0393927695
Label: W.W. Norton & Co.
Manufacturer: W.W. Norton & Co.
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 352
Publication Date: October 14, 2005
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.
Studio: W.W. Norton & Co.
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Review:
Made up of 20 very different countries, Latin America has sometimes been treated as though it were a homogeneous unit, one mired in poverty and political instability. University of North Carolina scholar John Charles Chasteen's sweeping history of the region imparts a sense of how diverse--ethnically, linguistically, culturally--Latin America truly is, and of how that part of the world is rapidly changing, mostly for the better. (For example, he writes, "in 1980 most governments of the region were dictatorships of various descriptions. In 2000, elected governments rule almost everywhere.")
Chasteen observes that, although Latin America came into being under the imperial aegis of a few European powers, principally Spain and Portugal, it quickly branched into sometimes conflicting regions with widely differing ideas of economic development and government. He goes on to examine the careers of some of Latin America's most important historical figures, among them Simon Bolivar, who spread a revolutionary gospel of independence throughout the hemisphere, and Lázaro Cárdenas, the Mexican president who, in 1938, nationalized the oil industry and set his nation on a difficult course toward economic self-government. Of particular interest is Chasteen's consideration of the many reasons Latin American governments have clashed with that of the United States--among them disenchantment over the 1947 Marshall Plan, which rebuilt Germany at enormous cost, while offering almost no assistance to needy Latin American allies.
Designed as an undergraduate textbook, Chasteen's survey offers a useful overview of a region that, although of growing importance in world affairs, remains little understood. --Gregory McNamee
Product Description:
Adopted at over 450 colleges and universities in its First Edition, Born in Blood and Fire has quickly become the standard survey history of Latin America.
Drawing on the most current scholarship, this concise text presents a direct, compelling narrative that spans six centuries and twenty countries. Carefully revised in light of recent Latin American history, the Second Edition introduces new maps, helpful chapter timelines, and a new Student Web site. .
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I could not believe this book was real. It was written so well and it was so engrossing that I could NOT put it down. I remember reading the chapters before our professor assigned them.
It remains one of my favorite history books of all time and I can't wait to read Professor Chasteen's newest Book Americanos.Americanos: Latin America's Struggle for Independence (Pivotal Moments in World History)
This book opened up the question of Why we really study history and what makes history interesting. It relates first hand accounts of people from Latin American and gives the reader insight into the feelings of the bitterness and the struggles.
Concepts of hegemony and true patriotism are discussed at length and the chapters cover the years quite evenly.
Thanks again for a great job and wonderful read.
Rating:  -
Upon first learning of the book I thought I would enjoy this read. Perhaps I expected too much, but it was a letdown in my opinion. I did not enjoy this book because it seemed too broad. I understand that the author is trying to put all of Latin America in one book but I believe he falls short in all parts of it.I did find it as a decent place to start, but it was not much better nor more informative than simply learning about Latin American Hisitory [...]. Over all i would recommend this book for middleschool or highschool students interested in learning Latin American History; any other readers might be dissapointed with the read.
Rating:  -
I used this book as a text for my summer school Latin American Studies class. For high school kids, and for a 3-week course, it's a satisfactory cursory look over Latin American history. It breaks everything down into thematic chronology, giving each epoch of history some sort of label: "Post-Colonial Blues," "Neo-Imperialism," etc.
My only real complaint about the book is that the narrative tends to diverge on a consistent basis, as if someone was telling you a story, gets caught up in an aside, and then suddenly remembers that they were talking to you about something else. Also, the information seems somewhat mashed together, with little explanation of who the people he is talking about are, and why they are important.
An interesting read, but there are better books on the subject out there. I recommend Marshall C. Eakin's "The History of Latin America: Collision of Cultures" instead.
Rating:  -
This is a good book. I read it for my class. So far, I like it. As the title says, the book presents a "concise" historical account of Latin America--from Havana to Ushuais, from Lima to Rio de Janeiro. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Latin America.
Rating: -
I've only read the first 3 chapters so far, but it's going really well.. very concise depiction of latin american history, easy to read, every now and then controversial statements (Quetzalcoatl myth had nothing to do with the conquering of the Mexica/Aztec). Good at extracting the crucial points in history and cutting out the frivolous details!
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