I have the 5th edition paperback. This is the best book on Latin America that I've ever read. The text is clear and repetative in such a way that it is easy to cross-reference. Most of the chapters are about specific countries, which are then divided and organized into topics (i.e. economy, political history, etc).

Great survey of Latin America history. Really enjoyed learning more about the United States' interaction with the Latin American world. Fascinating and frightening implications and results.

I'm reading the 1992 3rd edition. This is a good basic review of Latin America after independence to 1990.

I read this book for my Latin American Government and Politcs class at UTK and it was a very good introduction to LA politics and helped me feel more in touch with my families situation abroad. WE specifically focused on initial democratic transitions and the dynamics that currenly shape politics there. The edition I was reading was written in 2013 so I'm still lagging behind a bit but it was overall a great read and kept me from taking any and all "venezuela" arguments online seriously.

spring '11

Great overview of Latin American history. Pretty easy to read and a great starting point for anyone interested in Latin America.

this is a great book and i recommend it to everyone

For any novice headed to or just interested in Latin America, this is the perfect prelude to understanding the region. Given the complexities of the various countries that make up Latin America - its history, economics, politics, culture - it's impossible to write about everything in one book, but the authors do an excellent job highlighting key points and messages, and do not always take a pro-U.S. view. The information is easily digestable and not just a listing of facts and figures; it provides insight that will trigger your interest in this fascinating region.

7th edition 2010

En pocas palabras el libro cumple, ofrece una primera aproximación introductoria que permite comprender generalidades a lo largo y ancho del continente tal como se lo propone.
El objetivo de demostrar que los procesos económicos provocan cambios sociales y estos llevan a cambios políticos es consistente a lo largo de todo el libro, y yo diría que es también su mayor fortaleza. Sin embargo, tiene un par de problemas claves, en general no describe a los sistemas políticos (si las elecciones son directas o indirectas, y cada cuánto se elijen presidentes/renuevan los parlamentos) democráticos por lo que se torna difícil saber cuando han sido violentados o interrumpidos a menos que específicamente lo diga, también flaquea en los procesos populares sin líderes claros. Para cerrar con algo positivo, destaco que le dedique un apartado a los países del Caribe ya que salvó por Cuba y tal vez Puerto Rico, suelen ser ignorados por la historiografía.

if you want to Latin America You have to read this book

This is written like a textbook that would be used in a college class. It was very interesting to me given my experience of having gone to Mexico and Brazil and having lived in Brazil. After the first few chapters that talk about Latin America as a whole, there are specific chapters that detail the history of the major countries in the area, which I found the most interesting. It is more of a economic and political history and while there were a few snippets about the culture and lifestyle, it would have been nice to have more of that in this book.