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Articles: Electoral Juggling: A Comparative History of the Corruption of Suffrage in Latin America, 1830-1930; Battle for Survival: Profirian Views of the International Marketplace; The Revolution, the Labour Regime and Conditions of Work in the Cotton Textile Industry in Mexico, 1910-1927; Judicial Independence: The Politics of the Supreme Court in Mexico; Beyond 'Delegative Democracy': 'Old Politics' and 'New Economics' in Latin America; Gender and Democratic Politics: A Comparative Analysis of consolidation in Argentina and Chile. Commentary: Rethinking the Chilean Party Systems. Book Review. New Books Received. (pp 611-870) ... Read more

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Part history and current affairs, part travelogue, this is the story of a journey made by Alistair Horne and American politician/journalist, Bill Buckley through Colombia, Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They set off in September 1970, just after a Marxist government had come to power in a free election in Chile. The author's account has been updated with a further 10,000 words to include the only interview ever given to a Western journalist by Pinochet. ... Read more

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In the early morning hours of August 22, 1972, sixteen men were executed at Almirante Zar base in Trelew after being accused of allegedly trying to escape. Tomas Eloy Martinez, at that time in charge of the weekly publication Panorama, traveled to Trelew to reconstruct the actual events. Readers today can enjoy a revised and updated edition of a work that was first published in 1973, only to be banned and then burnt that same year.

Spanish Description:
En la madrugada del 22 de agosto de 1972, dieciseis guerrilleros detenidos en la base aeronaval Almirante Zar, de Trelew, fueron fusilados por sus carceleros, acusados de un intento de fuga. Tomas Eloy Martinez, entonces director del semanario Panorama, viajo a Trelew para reconstruir la verdad de los hechos.

Al llegar se encontro con una de las rebeliones populares mas encendidas y secretas de la historia argentina. Ante una ofensiva militar que encarcelo a un grupo de respetados ciudadanos, el pueblo se declaro en estado de vigilia y se movilizo para exigir la libertad de los cautivos.

La pasion segun Trelew narra la masacre y la rebelion como una misma tragedia, uniendo documentos y personajes en un relato magnifico. Publicado por primera vez en 1973, prohibido a fines de ese ano y quemado en una guarnicion militar, llega hoy a los lectores en una nueva edicion actualizada y corregida. El autor escribio un nuevo prologo y confio a Susana Viau la escritura de un epílogo que resume con rigor e intensidad los ultimos hallazgos de una investigacion judicial todavia en curso y da cuenta del valor simbolico que ha ido asumiendo este libro para un pueblo resuelto a defender su dignidad. La pasion segun Trelew es uno de los grandes clasicos del periodismo en lengua castellana. ... Read more

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"Nicaragua in Focus" is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to this fascinating country. It explores the land, history and politics (including the crucial and difficult relationship with the U.S.), economy, society and people, culture and environment, and includes tips on where to go and what to see. Color and b&w photos, maps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A Bit Biased and in Need of Updating
After spending a month in Nicaragua, living with a Nica family, I don't feel this book is completely accurate.First of all, it dwells on all the negative things that have happened in Nicaragua in the past (natural disasters, revolutions, foreign intervention) but, in my opinion, it needs to spend more time on the positive and how Nicaraguans have overcome these events. Although I consider myself somewhat left-of-center politically, this book is completely left leaning.I'd like something more neutral.It also blames many of Nicaragua's problems on foreign governments, and whereas there is some truth to this, it isn't accurate to be blamed for everything. Lastly, I feel the informaion is somewhat out of date.Although it says it was updated just two years ago, I don't think much was actually updated and changed.

I LIVED FOR YEARS IN NICARAGUA STUDYING CULTURE AND HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY: THIS BOOK IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS!,
The only possible improvement would be an updating of this book, now five years later, with the free and fair re-election of Daniel Ortega once more as President of Nicaragua, and moving towards the Bolivariano international movement of Latin America.

This book adequately, clearly and comprehensively covers the history of this nation from William Walker to the aerial bombardment of the civilian city of Ocotal by US Marines to the most recent times, reported very objectively despite what appears elsewhere upon this page by those who might not have seen the same book as the one I received. I find this book very objective, wel-researched, written and reported, and very thorough.

It is a wonderful addition to any school library at any level, and a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about this intriguing and exciting nation. I lived there. This book tells it like it was, and is.

And that excellent cover photo of the woman with the generous warm smile selling tostadas in the market is making my mouth water with warm memories of happier times.

Not only for the student, but also for travellers. Excellent and updated travellers tips are included for which I can vouch, including how safe it once was while I lived there, although less stable now after the intervening US supported Aleman and Chamorro governments which enslaved Nicaragua once more in globalization and sweatshops and slavery.

Very good book to prepare for any trip to Nicaragua. This is a good book, believe me, and the photos are also great. PLEASE DO AN UPDATE SOON!

Nicaragua for visitors
I have gone to Nicaragua two or three times a year over the past 25 years.This little book is a good overview of the country without getting ideological. It is a few years out of date, but it seems to me pretty accurate. I will order it for my university students who go with me next year.

I LIVED FOR YEARS IN NICARAGUA STUDYING CULTURE AND HISTORY ADN GEOGRPAHY: THIS BOOK IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS!
The only possible improvement would be an updating of this book, now five years later, with the free and fair re-election of Daniel Ortega once more as President of Nicaragua, and moving towards the Bolivariano international movement of Latin America.

This book adequately, clearly and comprehensively covers the history of this nation from William Walker to Ocotal to the most recent times, reported very objectively despite what appears elsewhere upon this page by those who might not have seen the same book as the one I received today. I find this book very objective, wel-researched, written and reported, and very thorough.

It is a wonderful addition to any school library at any level, and a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about this intriguing and exciting nation. I lived there. This book tells it like it was, and is.

And that excellent cover photo of the woman with the generous warm smile selling tostadas in the market is making my mouth water with warm memories of happier times.

Not only for the student, but also for travellers. Excellent and updated travellers tips are included for which I can vouch, including how safe it once was while I lived there, although less stable now after the intervening Aleman and Chamorro governments. Very good book to prepare for any trip to Nicaragua. This is a good book, believe me, and the photos are also great. PLEASE DO AN UPDATE SOON!

Great Concise History
This book is a great quick review of the important historical issues and trends that have affected Nicaraguans.I spent a month in Nica back in Jan 06.I'm looking forward to returning and would recommend this book to anyone going who is interested in understanding where the people have been and where they are going. ... Read more

Product Description
Once a byword for military repression and human rights abuses, Chile's image is now that of a dynamic economic success story. The "Chilean miracle," based on radical free-market reform and export-led growth, has been presented as a model for all developing countries. Yet this transition has also created its own social problems, challenging traditional values with the advent of extreme materialism. And with many scars left by the Pinochet dictatorship, Chile remains a country divided by its painful history.

Famed for its spectacular landscapes that range from glaciers to deserts, Chile is also home to a vibrant cultural life, exemplified by writers such as Pablo Neruda and Ariel Dorfman. Music, cinema, and handicrafts reflect the country's artistic diversity as well as its mixed ethnic traditions.

Chile in Focus is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to Latin America's "success story." It explores the land and people, history and politics, society and culture, the economy, and includes the author's expert tips on must-see landmarks and historical sites. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good value book
This is a great little book.It's an excellent intro-to- Chile book.If you only want a short, easy to read, interesting book about Chile, this is it.

Good Book, interesting info.
Not a spectacular work, but is takes care of much of the information aboutChile. ... Read more

Product Description
Distinctive among the turbulent nations of Central America, Costa Rica enjoys a much-envied reputation for political stability and prosperity. Since abolishing its army in 1948, the "Switzerland of Central America" has experienced unbroken democratic rule and respect for human rights. Yet this small country has also been drastically affected by the debt crisis of the 1980s and ensuing structural adjustment, with resulting increases in poverty and social inequality.Though its economy was traditionally based on coffee and bananas, Costa Rica is now among the world's top eco-tourism destinations. The influx of tourists brings vital income and employment but also threatens to spoil the country's spectacular natural beauty.Costa Rica in Focus is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to this fascinating country. It explores: The history, the economy, the society, the environment, the culture and where to go and what to see. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Short & Dry
This is not a "book," per se, but a 75-page "guide" in which facts are presented as statistics in a sort of beaurocratic mode. It's like reading a report from a financial research institute or a forensic accountant!

A MUCH better overview of the country's geology, politics, economy, immigration, agriculture, ecological convservation, and social history is the coffee-table book, "Costa Rica : The Last Country the Gods Made."

PLUS it's a beautiful book. I mean, just look at the cheesy cover of"Costa Rica in Focus"! A much better buy for the money, and more interesting writing all-round!

Outdated
When one purchases a book that says on the inside flap that "This edition first published in 2002," one might expect the information to be up to date. The truth is, the book was written in 1997, six years ago, and has not be updated at all. This is important because information about every subject covered (history and politics, economy, society, environment and eco-tourism, and culture) has changed in critical ways since that time.

That is not to say, that the book is useless - just not accurate in 2003. What I found annoying is the immediacy of the writing and no indication that you are reading anything but current information. Unless you happen to know that Figueres is no longer president of Costa Rica, you would likely assume the facts and figures presented were correct as of 2002.

There have been two Costa Rica presidents elected since the author took fingers to keyboard. Much has changed in Ticoland, but you would never know it from reading this book.

LONG TIME...no book
I'm extremly angry at this entire process because I ordered this book for a very important reasearch paper I'm doing on Costa Rica and was relying on it for much needed information.The book, however, has not yet arrived atmy house!In the ordering sheet is says usually mails within 2-3 days.Ihope the book comes within the next few days so I can still use it, andthen perhaps I will write a review of the actual book!Please send me thebook!

Great Book!
Hi, I am working at ILISA Spanish Language Institute in San Jose, Costa Rica and I just want to say that this book helps our students a lot by giving them helpful inside information and thus by getting to know all theins and outs about this fantastic country. Thanks! ... Read more

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"Engaged, nuanced, and accessible--this untold story of Paraguay's indigenous peoples constitutes an important addition to the English-language literature on this understudied country."--John Charles Chasteen, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

"Provides original insights into the makings of indigenous policy during Paraguay's Stroessner era and the democratic opening after 1989 . . . shows how state policies were buffeted by external actors but also how indigenous peoples fought back. A must-read for those interested in indigenous policy in Latin America."-- Erick D. Langer, Georgetown University

"A significant contribution to the field . . . It develops a rich understanding of continuities and change in Paraguayan history, including the role of religious missions in indigenous assimilation and/or cultural preservation."--Virginia Garrard Burnett, University of Texas, Austin

Native groups have played an important historical role in Paraguay, the most homogenous and the only officially bilingual country in Latin America. This book analyzes their complex relationship with the corrupt Alfredo Stroessner regime (1954-89), which framed its policies as inclusive but excluded Paraguay's indigenous people from the benefits of national development and the most basic human rights. However, this is not a history of oppression and victimhood but rather a study in manipulation. Horst argues that while native people struggled daily to secure food and work under Stroessner's often contradictory and heavy-handed policies, they refused to disappear anonymously into the larger peasant population. As savvy actors who manipulated difficult circumstances to foil exclusionary policies, they succeeded in publicly embarrassing the regime as often as possible through exposures of state corruption.

Working in close cooperation with the Catholic Church, indigenous peoples capitalized on Catholic legal advocacy in their struggles to defend their territories and resources. The church became the strongest defender of native land claims, drawing international attention to the plight of indigenous peoples as well as abuses of human rights. While indigenous resistance weakened support for the Stroessner regime, it also drove native leaders and peoples into closer interaction with and dependency upon the very national institutions they opposed.

Contributing their own vision of a multiethnic state, the native people of Paraguay created multiple alliances with regime opponents, found ways to draw attention to human rights, and by demanding tolerance of ethnic plurality helped lead the nation toward greater democracy in 1992. Horst's study--the only history to focus on recent social policies and national political strategies for indigenous populations in modern Paraguay-- provides an important narrative for historians of Paraguay and other parts of Latin America, as well as for anthropologists and others interested in the intersection of identity politics and human rights. ... Read more

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This work portrays Latin America's peoples in their fight for a brighter future. It explores the region's economic crisis and the desecration of the environment. The author shows how injustice and conflict in the countryside have unleashed an exodus to the slums that encircle the major cities. He analyzes the roles of the main actors in the continent's history - both those in power and the poor majority who, through their social movements in the countryside and shanty towns, struggle for their vision of Latin America's future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

First timer...no complaints!
The book was in great condition, it arrived faster than expected; overall, I was highly pleased. It was my first time shopping for textbooks through Amazon and I had a great experience, totally worth it!

An Engaging Account of Life in Latin America
Green does a fantastic job of presenting an overview of the history and culture of Latin America.The books contains many photographs of the region.It is an easy read and a good place to start if you're interested in Latin America and don't want to get too bogged down with historicaldetails. ... Read more

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"Brazil in Focus" is an authoritative and up-to-date guide to the giant of Latin America. It explores the land, history and politics, economy, society and people, culture and environment, and includes tips on where to go and what to see. Color and b&w photos, maps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must-read for anybody interested in knowingBrazil
"Brazil in Focus" gives a synthesized, yet complete overview of Brazil's history, politics, society and economy.Anybody travelling through, or planning to live in Brazil would benefit greatly by readingthis book, as it will help the reader understand why Brazil is what it istoday, and why Brazilians act the way they do.The travel helps section,tacked onto the end of the book in five short pages, is inadequate.

JimD. Leonard, Missionary,President of Cariri Baptist Bible College Crato,CE BRAZIL ... Read more

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In this official history of the Falklands Campaign, Lawrence Freedman provides a detailed and authoritative account of one of the most extraordinary periods in recent British political history and a vivid portrayal of a government at war.

After the shock of the Argentine invasion of the Falklands in April 1982, Margaret Thatcher faced the crisis that came to define her premiership as she determined to recover the islands. Freedman covers all aspects of the campaign - economic and diplomatic as well as military - and demonstrates the extent of the gamble that the government took. There are important accounts of the tensions in relations with the United States, concerns among the military commanders about the risks they were expected to take, the problems of dealing with the media and the attempts to reach a negotiated settlement. This definitive account describes in dramatic detail events such as the sinking of the Belgrano, the battle of Goose Green and the final push to Stanley. Special attention is also paid to the aftermath of the war, including the various enquiries, and the eventual restoration of diplomatic relations with Argentina.

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The latest volume in the New American nation series, this major work on the South provides a comprehensive look at the growth and development of this distinctive region during the 20th century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A well cut, well combed, well coifed view of the South.
If one can view history as if it were groomed with a fine toothed comb, Dewey W. Grantham has viewed and displayed it as such.In The South in Modern America A Region At Odds,Grantham clips and styles hisinterpretation of history into a well-coifed account of the complexpost-Reconstruction history of the South.Packing an extensive body ofdata into four hundred pages, he adds insight to a confusing era inAmerican history.Although his point, counter-point style of comparisontends to be confusing, and his considerable use of statistics is coupledwith plentiful politico name dropping, his knowledge of the era is evidentin his work.Beginning with the sluggish economy that followedReconstruction, Grantham describes the contrast between North and South andthe differences between their industrial and agrarian societies.Theindustrialized North gained control of the limited southern corporationsand industries and the resources that supplied them.The poor farmers ofthe South were, according to Grantham, "poorer than other Americans. Those who farmed -- the great majority of the region's inhabitants -- weresteadily more landless" while workers in the South had fewervocational and industrial skills during the era. The "LostCause" became the myth of the region through the declamation of menlike Confederate hero, General John B. Gordon.By linking religion andConfederate images together a "civil religion" formed in theminds, hearts and legends of the southern populace."Thismythology," Grantham claims, "became a powerful factor in shapingsouthern politics during the next half-century."Quoting economistGavin Wright, Grantham describes the South as a "colonialeconomy" in the control and coercion of the society to the north. Railroads, mines, financial corporations furnaces and many distributioninstitutions in the South were owned and controlled by northerners. TheSpanish American War of 1898 brought northerners and southerners togetherto rally around the American flag.Nationalism superseded sectionaldiversity while political realignment in the late 1890's helped to"disfranchise most blacks..., and create the Solid South.ThePopulist movement grew in the region.Southern politicians gainedinfluence and domination of the Democratic party in Washington. Theeconomic outlook brightened while racial freedoms diminished."By theturn of the century," Grantham states, illustrating the nation'spassivity concerning African-American rights, "some southerners werecontemplating a new role for the South in American life, a role madepossible by the North's... ultimate approval of the southern mission topreserve the nation's racial purity."Moving into the era of WoodrowWilson's presidency and World War I, Grantham slides into a deluge ofpolitical names -- McLemore of Texas, Swanson and Tillman of the SenateCommittee on Naval Affairs, Kitchin of the House Ways and Means Committee,William Jennings Bryan.On and on he seems to name the entire congress andpresidential cabinet of the Wilson period.His accuracy is obvious, buthis prose is lost and adrift in the sea of names and political positions.With the rise of Franklin D. Roosevelt to power, regional differences weretolerated.Roosevelt's use of local political power, however, did littleto change the structure of politics and racial freedom in the South.Nevertheless, "it did a good deal to change the political outlook ofsoutherners," by creating "a politics of class and economicinterest in the South...."The South began to catch up with the otherregions of the nation. After the Second World War a "South within theNorth" was generated by the lower-class job-searching transientsmoving into northern ghettos.With the outbreak of rioting of the 1960'sin northern and western cities, the inequality of blacks and their demandfor change stood preeminently in national political debate. The CivilRights movement gained momentum and force in violent as well as non-violentexpression."Many white northerners viewed the ghetto riots asevidence of black ingratitude," Grantham explains, with light sarcasm,"since they themselves in large numbers had supported the earlierobjectives of the equal rights movement.But now the reformers were goingbeyond the overthrow of Jim Crow to demand things like jobs, open housing,and better schools." Into Americana came the terms"busing" and "affirmative action," terms frowned uponby "most whites, North and South."With the southern strategy ofRichard Nixon the end to the "Second Reconstruction" of the Southwas complete.Nixon's opposition to busing and "excesses" of thecivil rights movement satisfied demands of conservatives of in the South. As the era waned, the stereotypical view of a racist South began todissipate as the "Sunbelt South" emerged.No longer was theregion a "colonial appendage" of the North and Midwest.Northand South intermingled in the industrial parks and retirement Sun-Citiesthat flourished below the Mason-Dixon Line. Grantham concludes by stating,"The South has been almost as essential to the North... [as] North tothe South in shaping of national character and mythology.... The reciprocaleffects of this regional interaction reveal an important aspect of thenational experience."It was, he says, integral to the shaping of thenation.The South modified the direction of the North as much as the Northdid in redirecting the South -- two parts of the whole.The inter-regionalcompromises accommodated theeconomical, ideological and politicalinterest in both regions. Grantham's work is a valuable lesson in Southernhistory.The span of time and the enormity of information needed toexplain the post-civil-war South can excuse one obvious shortcoming in histext.In background information for his readers he omits the adequate andfull definition of various terms; Jim Crow, progressivism and populismbeing examples.These exclusions can send one searching through theclosest, convenient encyclopedia or reference on the history of the region. One can conclude that Grantham has the assumption that the reader hasprevious knowledge of the expressions.A newcomer to southern history canbecome lost in the immensity of the work -- but it's a good work in whichto find oneself lost. -- James D. Byous ... Read more

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The question of whether democratization is an elite-led process from above or a popular triumph from below continues to be an area of contention among political scientists. Examining the experiences of countries that have provided the main empirical base for recent theorizing, namely, Western Europe and South America, this book delineates a more complex and varied set of patterns. The volume explores democratization through a comparative analysis that examines the role of labor in relation to elite strategies in both contemporary and historical perspectives. ... Read more

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From border crime in Mexico to Chavez's revolution in Venezuela, this volume presents up-to-the-minute coverage of the key conflicts, corruption, and revolutionary movements simmering or raging in every region of Latin America. In-depth, comprehensive chapters explore drug wars, immigration issues, terrorism, youth gangs, government corruption, controversy over oil, and political instability, including: The Zapatista Rebellion, the Darien Gap controversy, Evo Morales, Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) and Tupac Amaru, the Falklands, and Guantanamo Bay.

From border crime in Mexico to Chavez's revolution in Venezuela, this volume presents up-to-the-minute coverage of the key conflicts, corruption, and revolutionary movements simmering or raging in every region of Latin America. In-depth, comprehensive chapters explore drug wars, imigration issues, terrorism, youth gangs, government corruption, controversy over oil, and political instability. This is a must-have source for current coverage of trouble spots in Latin America, their origins, and subsequent development.

Customer Reviews (1)

A triumphant and important work
THis book isanother triumph for Dr. Dent.It isa sweeping survey of problem areas in Latin America for U.S. foreign policy(as well as a trenchant critique of same).EVERY College library should have a copy.Might not the publisher also issue a paperback edition for students and college courses?Both the specialist and the general reader shall find a wealth of valuable information.Most highly recommended! ... Read more

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In an overview of the history of the region over the past twenty-five years, this book traces the intellectual and political origins of the Washington Consensus, assesses its impact on democracy and economic development and discusses whether the emergence of a variety of left-wing governments in the region represents a clear break with the politics and policies of the Washington Consensus. Clearly written and rigorously argued, the book will be of interest to academics, students of Latin American politics and anybody interested in understanding contemporary Latin America. ... Read more