Kategoria BISAC: History >> Latin America - South America

In examining the history of a 19th-century boundary dispute between Chile and Argentina, Dr. Rauch offers insights into the motivations and processes of governments vis-a-vis the rationale and support of national military power. As he shows, a military establishment brings enormous costs to developing economies, leads to the formation of military elites, and has profound implications for a geographical region.

Following a discussion of Spanish colonization in the southern cone of Latin America, Rauch moves to the intercountry dispute; each country's search for allies; internal...

Since pre-Incan times, native Andean people had worshipped their ancestors, and the custom continued even after the arrival of the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. Ancestor-worship however, did not exclude members of other cultures: in fact, the Andeans welcomed outsiders as ancestors. Invaders as Ancestors examines how this unique cultural practice first facilitated Spanish colonization and eventually undid the colonial project when the Spanish attacked ancestor worship as idolatry and Andeans adopted Spanish political and religious forms to challenge indigenous rulers.

Latin America is developing rapidly. As the authors see the region, a small group of countries has found a fast-forward button. In these countries change is exciting, occurring at such a rapid pace that a major breakthrough hi economic growth appears within grasp. After an almost decade-long period of recession and stagnation, many Latin American economies now have elected governments. With a few exceptions, most have also improved their socioeconomic conditions beyond meeting basic human needs. Yet few North Americans or Europeans are aware of these advances. How does Latin America fit...

Beyond Bogota is framed around the eleven hours that Leech was held captive by the FARC, Colombia's largest leftist guerrilla group, in August 2006. Drawing on unprecedented access to soldiers, guerrillas,...