Drawing on the most current scholarship, this concise text presents adirect, compelling narrative that spans six centuries and twentycountries. Car...
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reviews
Nov 28, 2007
Sara
rated it: 
First of all, the second edition is riddle with typographical errors and annotation errors. That aside, the last chapter of the book (which deals with the most recent events--the 90's) is so skimpy! It's as though Chasteen simply got tired of writing and let the book sort of dissolve.
It's decent as the barest survey. It's written to be read and understood easily, but Chasteen glosses over a lot of key event. That, and his bias is all over every page.
I read it for a coll More...
It's decent as the barest survey. It's written to be read and understood easily, but Chasteen glosses over a lot of key event. That, and his bias is all over every page.
I read it for a coll More...
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Apr 05, 2009
Amri
rated it: 
It's a decent political history of Mexico, Central and South America but it wasn't very satisfying because he just can't do justice to 500 years of history in 20 countries, even if as a region they often mirrored each other, in 400 pages.
Also, there's no liking the US after this one. Not that I've ever been a fan of the US involvement in Latin America but yowsers, Chasteen in harsh.
Also, there's no liking the US after this one. Not that I've ever been a fan of the US involvement in Latin America but yowsers, Chasteen in harsh.
Dec 02, 2008
Daniel
rated it: 
Given that it is a book that attempts to create a 500-hundred-year history of a large and diverse region, it is somewhat limited in terms of depth, but it does provide an accessible introduction to Latin American history to the non-specialized reader.
I particularly liked the use of a "Counter-currents" section at the end of each chapter, meant to qualify and nuance the central theme of each section and thus instilling a sense of depth, even if this depth could not be expa More...
I particularly liked the use of a "Counter-currents" section at the end of each chapter, meant to qualify and nuance the central theme of each section and thus instilling a sense of depth, even if this depth could not be expa More...
Sep 21, 2007
Sabrina
rated it:
"I'm a big fan of one-volume histories, as is Roger, who lent me this book. I like having a broad, shallow knowledge of everything in the world, and the one-volume history is a good way to go about obtaining this.
To the credit of John Charles Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, a survey of Latin American history, didn't satisfy my curiosity about the subject, but rather has driven me to further curiosity about the historical events and actors he More...
To the credit of John Charles Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, a survey of Latin American history, didn't satisfy my curiosity about the subject, but rather has driven me to further curiosity about the historical events and actors he More...
Apr 19, 2009
Becca
rated it:
This is like taking a whirlwind tour of Latin America--without really visiting any countries other than Mexico, Brazil, or Argentina for more than a couple of seconds. However, the info on Argentina's twentieth century history jives nicely with what I already knew from the Andrew Lloyd Weber School of History and Social Gobbledygook. This is a good book for a quick primer on Latin America, but look elsewhere if you want a more nuanced, detailed, or focused analysis.
Aug 17, 2010
Malonie
rated it:
This is exactly what I wanted, a basic framework history of Latin America. This truly is a concise history so if you are looking for a more in depth analysis then this is not the book for you. I thought this book did a good job of tracking trends throughout Latin America and it left me wanting to find out more.
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Aug 24, 2010
Aaron
rated it:
This book is exactly what it says it is, a concise history. I liked the fact that I got a little bit of information about several different topics. It gave me a foundation to do future research. The book read quickly and focused on Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. It also highlighted major events in the other South American countries.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Latin America.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Latin America.
May 21, 2009
Alexander
rated it:
A serious student might want to augment Chasteen's account with others to fill in certain details, but if you simply want to develop a better understanding of the rest of America, this book gives a great, accessible overview of the themes and arcs of Latin American history.
Jan 01, 2011
Mariah
rated it:
Scintillating read... as a Spanish Language minor and (one day) world traveler, this book busted my understanding of race, class, culture and social struggle in Latin America WIDE OPEN! Loved it.
Nov 11, 2009
Acorn Public Library
rated it:
Provides a solid introduction for those generally unfamiliar with the subject. I could have used more names and dates myself, but the author's narrative is generally engaging and effective.
Jun 11, 2009
Dena
rated it:
Pretty straight-forward history of the region. In parts, in could have gone into more depth, but overall an interesting history of L.A. that is not generally taught in the classroom.
Mar 20, 2009
David
rated it:
Just like the title, a concise history of Latin America, missing a lot but a good overview. For me it was a good starting point to get familiar with Latin American history.
Dec 18, 2009
Max
rated it:
4.5 I thought this was an excellent overview of Latin American history. Written to be a clear, concise, and general history of Latin America, it accomplishes all of these goals. It is a bit simplistic, of course, as a 300 page history of a large and diverse region is bound to be, but the author did a good job of avoiding oversimplicity where possible. I also appreciated his attempts to show the viewpoints of historically under-represented voices, particularly those of the indigenos and women
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Jan 28, 2009
Emily
rated it:
My professor actually wrote this book so it was interesting to compare his writing and speaking styles. This book moves very quickly and is very easy to read. It gives a clear, concise history of Latin America and helped me understand more of today's issues.
Jun 22, 2011
Mark
rated it:
This book was the required reading for a Latin American history class I took in college. I found it a fascinating read, and I spent much of time comparing and contrasting our own American history (U.S.) with that of Latin American. From conquest, to the Castas race hierarchy, to Latin America’s fight for independence, and Latin America’s consequential emergence onto the would stage, I found it very interesting.
Unfortunately, the latter half of book was peppered with the author’s ow More...
Unfortunately, the latter half of book was peppered with the author’s ow More...
Mar 07, 2010
Jenni
rated it: 
An excellent history book, not at all dry or boring. Tells the amazing history of Latin America.
Aug 08, 2011
Douglas
rated it:
Decent read. Good overview of the history. Look elsewhere for something more in-depth.
Aug 12, 2011
Colin
rated it:
Really interesting backstories, summaries, and leaders in Latin America. All the kids are reading this one.
Dec 16, 2009
Angie
rated it:
This book was great for an overview of the history of Latin America. It gave me enough information without being totally overwhelming. The author also takes great care to examine the important role(s) of women in Latin American History. It made me want to learn more. Viva la raza!
Mar 29, 2008
Melanie
rated it:
I actually am rereading this now, because I thought I had forgotten alot of the details, only to remember that it is a concise history after all. I do admire his very deliberate attempts to briefly highlight the lives of individual women of prominence.
May 23, 2008
Richard
rated it:
This book was given to me as text in the Spring for a Modern Latin American History course. It is a great text with lots of facts, very easy to read. A book I hope to incorporate to some extent in my future classroom.
Oct 02, 2008
Julia
rated it:
In terms of Latin American history, Chasteen does a good job of presenting a multi-faceted and inclusive perspective. Easy to read and entirely un-boring, this is an informative and accessible book.
Jun 27, 2008
Greg
rated it:
I would recommend this as the best book to read if you want a well-written, accessible and broad introduction to Latin American history. The passion he has for the topic makes it stand out.
Oct 03, 2008
Kendra
rated it:
Good overview of Latin American political history for newbies. Very useful for understanding how the U.S. has impacted and been involved with Latin American nations.
Apr 09, 2008
Sue
rated it:
This is a great overview of Latin American history. Although its a "textbook" (of sorts), it reads more like a general history (well written and not dry).
Mar 31, 2009
Willcaban
rated it:
Overall, this is an interesting read that keeps the reader engaged by staying on the topic and not going off on tangents about Latin American history.
