Politics in Brazil 1930-1964: An Experiment in Democracy

by Thomas E. Skidmore

A thorough study of Brazilian politics from 1930 to 1964, this book begins with Getulio Vargas' fifteen-year-rule--the latter part of which was a virtual dictatorship--and traces the following years of economic difficulty and political turbulence, culminating in the explosive coup d'état that overthrew the constitutional government of President Jo~ao Goulart and profoundly changes the nature of Brazil's political institutions.

The first book by Thomas E. Skidmore, Politics in Brazil, 1930-1964 , immediately became the definitive political history in English and Portuguese of those turbulent times. It was published by OUP in 1937 in hardcover but has been out of print in recent years. For this 40th anniversary, James Green, who is Skidmore's literary executor at Brown University, will write a new foreword for the book, placing it in the context of the literature.a

Genres: History, Brazil, Politics, Nonfiction, Academic

Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Thomas Elliott Skidmore was an American historian and scholar who specialized in Brazilian history.

Reviews

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

After seeing the film I'M STILL HERE months ago, I took it upon myself to learn more about all of the historical conditions that led up to this hideous military dictatorship (which Skidmore has also written about). Amazingly, there aren't a lot of books in English documenting Brazil's history. And while the period BEFORE the fall of Goulart isn't nearly as spicy as the autocratic abuses that the poor Brazilians suffered for twenty years, Skidmore has done a yeoman job at showing how the tyranny of Vargas in 1930 led to various economic experiments (including "coffee and milk politics") that followed in the subsequent decades. I learned details such as the early Brazilian Constitution denied illiterates the right to vote and how, much like any nation, the guys with the money took advantage o these circumstances to profit. South America truly deserves more English volumes -- particularly Brazil. And Skidmore is to be commended for writing valiantly (if sometimes too arcanely) about a fascinating nation that more Americans should learn about -- particularly as we see similar conditions playing out here in 2025 America.

[Jonathan Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and unbiased historical review of one of the most exciting periods of Brazilian histroy.

[Anne Bollmann (Annelise Lestrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good book! I wasn't expecting much because it was an american writting about Brazil. It's no offense, but outside people tend to not quite understand this country political situation (and its not a critic, much of brazilians also don't understand) and yet this book was so trueful and easy to read that made me happy :)