From Frontiers to Football

October 13, 2014
Brown (The Struggle for Power in Post-Independence Columbia and Venezuela) weaves together political, military, economic, and cultural realities to provide a broad look at the last 200 years of Latin American history. This examination, by necessity, focuses on interactions between South and Central American nations and foreign powers, ranging from the colonialism of the Iberian monarchies to the economic hegemony of the U.K. to the proxy conflicts supported by the Cold War superpowers. Readers will appreciate Brown's able handling of the basic historical facts, but what distinguishes this book is the connections he makes to literature, sports, dance, and other facets of culture. He describes how "it was popular culture, as expressed in music, stories, and first and foremost sport, which created positive identities based on neither violence nor victimization but instead on play and pride." Brown highlights cultural figures such as footballer Pelé, novelist and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Rigoberto Menchú, cyclist Lucho Herrera, and musical superstar Shakira alongside political figures such as Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. This book is an excellent starting point for readers looking for an introduction to Latin American history.