Synopsis
An essential reference for comprehensive and detailed coverage of Latin American history, this book is divided into three parts: Part I, a descriptive chronology of key event from pre-Columbian times to the present; Part II, a thematic survey of topics, tracing population expansion, legal/political development, economic change, social evolution, science and technology, and cultural development across time; Part III, a biographical section containing over 300 biographies of individuals introduced in earlier sections of the book. Meticulously indexed and cross-referenced, this accessible resource also includes more than thirty historical maps.
Reviews
This work attempts to do a great deal in 615 pages and accomplishes most of it. The book is in three sections: a general chronology, a topical chronology, and a biographical section. The first covers events in the region from the arrival of the first humans in the Americas around 40,000 B.C.E. to late 1999 C.E. Entries are arranged regionally and nationally, and then chronologically in each division by historical period. The entries range from a few lines to more than one double-column page, and the use of bold type makes it easy to identify main points. Bold type also serves to cross-reference entries with those in the biographical section. The topical chronology is arranged in much the same way, being divided by subject, then chronologically, and then regionally. It covers topics in society, politics and government, economics, and both high and popular culture, including radio, television, cinema and sports, as well as art, music, and literature. The biographical section contains entries on 300 individuals ranging from artists and religious figures to politicians and rascals. Most entries are one or two paragraphs long. Others, such as those for Che Guevara and Juan Peron, cover two or three columns.There are more than 30 good black-and-white maps that will photocopy well. A few are overly busy with symbols, but in general they are clear and legible. The book is well-laid-out and sturdy and will lie flat for copying. There is a good index with personal names in boldface. The bibliography, which includes titles published in 1999, is a bonus; libraries that need to bolster their Latin American collections will find it a useful selection tool although it is not annotated.The price puts the volume out of the range of smaller budgets, but larger public libraries and libraries serving undergraduates will find it useful for quick historical information. RBB
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