The Penguin History Of Latin America: New Edition

Beginning with the aftermath of Columbus' arrival, the conquest of Cuba and Hispaniola and the period of the Conquistadors, the author traces the history of Latin America through the heyday of the Spanish and Portuguese empires and the independence struggles of the 19th century, to the difficulties and dilemmas of the independent states today, weaving into the narrative a masterly synthesis of the economic, political and cultural problems and achievements of the region. Edwin Williamson traces 500 years of history from the time of Columbus and the Spanish Conquest to the present day. Developments within Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Cuba are also looked at in detail. Now fully updated to 2009, this acclaimed history of Latin America tells its turbulent story from Columbus to Chavez. Beginning with the Spanish and Portugese conquests of the New World, it takes in centuries of upheaval, revolution and modernization up to the present day, looking in detail at Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Cuba, and gives an overview of the cultural developments that have made Latin America a source of fascination for the world. 'A first-rate work of history ... His cool, scholarly gaze and synthesizing intelligence demystify a part of the world peculiarly prone to myth-making ... This book covers an enormous amount of ground, geographically and culturally' Tony Gould, Independent on Sunday Pt. 1. The Age Of Empire. 1. Discovery And Conquest. 2. Indians And Iberians. 3. Spain In America. 4. The Spanish Indies. 5. Colonial Brazil -- Pt. 2. The Challenge Of The Modern World. 6. Reform, Crisis And Independence. 7. The Quest For Order: Conservatives And Liberals In The Nineteenth Century. 8. 'civilization And Barbarism': Literary And Cultural Developments I -- Pt. 3. The Twentieth Century. 9. Nationalism And Development: An Overview. 10. Mexico: Revolution And Stability. 11. Brazil: Order And Progress. 12. Cuba: Dependency, Nationalism And Revolution. 13. Argentina: The Long Decline. 14. Chile: Democracy, Revolution And Dictatorship. 15. Identity And Modernity: Literary And Cultural Developments Ii. Edwin Williamson. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 576-602. Traces 500 years of history from the time of Columbus and the Spanish Conquest to the present day. Shows how the turbulent modernization which started in the eighteenth century continued into the twentieth century. After enduring a long and testing voyage across unknown regions of the Atlantic Ocean, the Genoese mariner Christopher Columbus came within sight of land in the early morning of 12 October 1492. Covers the discovery and conquest of Latin America by Spain, colonialism, and independence. Also provides an overview of the twentieth-century scene