Latin America: An Interpretive History

by Julie A. Charlip, E. Bradford Burns

For courses in the History of Latin America and Modern Latin America. Organized thematically, this text offers a clear narrative that weaves the story of Latin America together with coverage of broader themes and regional differences. In addition to the great diversity within Latin America, there is also a common theme that encompasses the sweep of history in the region. The original author of the text, E. Bradford Burns, cast the problem as the paradox that poor people inhabit rich lands. The reason for this paradox is that a tiny group of elites confuses their nation's well-being with their own. When this text was first published in 1972, there were very few texts on Latin America, and the ones that existed largely read like catalogs of historical events. Although there are others now, this textbook is still a leader in the field because of its clear thematic organization and a central narrative that tells a cohesive story, albeit with many variations. Co-author Julie A. Charlip is committed to continuing the Burns legacy. Despite changes in research, interpretations, and theories, Burns's basic premise is still the most accurate and succinct, providing the best framework for approaching the region.

Genres: History

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2006

Reviews

[Micah Rockwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written from to true lefty racist’s perspective. Everything that ever happened was because of white men oppressing non-whites. And everything bad was because of elites oppressing non-elites. And socialist and communist revolutions were the heroic ideals. What a load of garbage. While racism did exist, while people do atrocious things, these don’t define history. They are a PART of it, but not the reason for it. The entire story of human history has been a result of the condition of the human heart regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or status. No wonder kids are getting brain washed. If one doesn’t know better, this book will easily convince the reader that white folks are just a bunch of racist, egotistical elites who want everything for themselves and to enslave all non-white peoples.

[Sasha (bahareads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I did not read the entire book.

Latin America: An Interpretive History was used more as a reference for me in my Survey of Latin American class. I did enjoy what I did read out of Latin America: An Interpretive History. While the book was rather too short for my taste, it was packed with valuable information. I appreciate all the work that went into this book.

[Serge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview. Using Chap 9 (The Revolutionary Option) and Chap 10 (Debt and Dictatorship) with Sophomores for Latin America case study