The Soul of Latin America

Wiarda's scope, to say the least, is wide: he covers a broad range of Iberian and Latin American history in a rather compact text, swiftly and with a surprising and impressive amount of detail. It is a puzzle and a paradox, then, that he can at once provide many specifics concerning, say, Jos‚ Enrique Rod¢, the early 20th century Uruguayan writer, while at the same time insisting on treating Latin America "as a whole, as a civilization, as a culture area," often returning to the idea that his efforts are "aimed at presenting the big picture." Something about Wiarda's tone becomes quickly irksome. His explanations are at times too generalized to swallow whole. His theory, simply put, is that the Latin American political structure grew out of the Spanish and Portuguese structures that were based primarily on feudal, top-down philosophies of government. Latin America has continued this tradition, he says, as well as the El Cid/Don Quixote tradition of the caudillo the military leader riding his great white charger, saber raised high which is how Wiarda describes Fidel Castro. What stands out in Wiarda's text, however, is his analysis of the revolutions, why they succeeded, and why they more often failed, and his descriptions of the four major "ism"s present in 19th- and 20th-century Latin America positivism, nationalism, Marxism, corporatism. Clearly, Wiarda, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, hopes to clarify the Latin American political situation, making it easier for North Americans to understand. With his strengths in political, rather than historical, analysis, he provides an insightful beginning text for anyone interested in Latin America or any of its very different countries.
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"Detailed and sweeping, this book provides a provocative account of the distinctive character of the Latin American political tradition." -- Paul E. Sigmund, Princeton University
[A] comprehensive synopsis of defining ideas in Latin America. . . Highly recommended. -- Choice