Can anyone recommend a text for an overview of Latin American history?

[Karmadillo]

I'm looking for something along the lines of political and economic history starting with the Conquest/Encounter (or earlier). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[brainshrub]

1. Here it is:

1492: Columbus arrives.

1492 onward: Pain, suffering, death and destruction.

The End.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. When I want to find out about a clearly defined topic

I go to the nearest college bookstore and browse the textbooks and supplementary readings for that subject. Most colleges offer courses in Latin American history, so if you go to the nearest college bookstore after the textbook buying frenzy has settled down, you should be able to find the main textbook and supplementary readings for that course.

[LSdemocrat]

3. The Penguin History of Latin America by Edwin Williamson

It sounds like something along the lines you're looking for. It doesn't have the depth of a college text, but it's a good starting point if you want a solid basic history of Latin America.

It was a textbook in my high school's AP/IB history class.

[gold_bug]

4. John A. Crow, "The Epic of Latin America"

It's a general history. I read it several years ago and really liked it. Do an Amazon.com search for it.

Re economics, there's "Open Veins of Latin America" by Eduardo Galeano -- it's good, but a very left-leaning historical analysis.

(edited for spelling)

[Karmadillo]

5. Thanks to everyone for the responses. They've been

very helpful.

[Bridget Burke]

6. Eduardo Galeano's "Memory of Fire" trilogy

Is a non-linear history of Latin America. I wouldn't recommend it as your first source but as an excellent & entertaining supplement. He presents brief episodes--from a paragraph to several pages long--beginning with pre-Columbian creation myths & proceeding through conquest & revolution. There are full references if you wish to learn more, but many of the primary sources are in Spanish.

Galeano is a proud leftist & many of the tales he tells are grim. But he also includes culture, wit & humor. Che Guevara is prominently featured, but you can't understand Argentina without hearing Carlos Gardel's story, too.

Amazon has all three volumes--many used & affordable. I can't recommend Memoria del Fuego highly enough.

[Karmadillo]

7. Thanks. One of the local libraries has all three. I'm looking forward

to checking them out.