Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America

John Charles Chasteen

W W Norton & Company Incorporated, 2001 - History - 352 pages

This Amazingly brief history of Latin America will delight any reader. Fully informed by the latest scholarship, this cleverly written survey spans six centuries and covers twenty countries. John Charles Chasteen presents a compelling narrative of the Latin American experience, animated by stories about men and women from all walks of life, and enriched by insightful analysis. The famous and not so famous characters of Latin America are here: Cortes, Malinche, Moctezuma, Sister Juana Ines de la Cruz, Bolivar, Father Manual Hidalgo, Juan and Evita Peron, and, of course, Che Guevara. This is a story of despair and hope, the processes of conquest and colonization, race mixing and class construction, revolution and republic formation, and the elusive quests for sustained economic growth and political and social equality.

This beautifully written, concise history will be especially valuable for business and recreational travelers on their way to Latin America.

What people are saying

Review: Born in Blood & Fire: A Concise History of Latin America

User Review  - Osvaldo - Goodreads

Pretty good intro book to Latin America and the road to its contemporary state. Very easy to read.

Review: Born in Blood & Fire: A Concise History of Latin America

User Review  - Eddy Allen - Goodreads

Drawing on the most current scholarship, this concise text presents a direct, compelling narrative that spans six centuries and twenty countries. Carefully revised in light of recent Latin American ...

About the author

John Charles Chasteen is associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the highly acclaimed translator of Tulio Halperin Donghi's The Contemporary History of Latin America.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America
• Author: John Charles Chasteen
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: W W Norton & Company Incorporated, 2001
• ISBN: 0393050483, 9780393050486
• Length: 352 pages
• Subjects: History / Latin America / General; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / General