From Frontiers to Football
An Alternative History of Latin America since 1800
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- $37.99
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- $37.99
Publisher Description
With Brazil hosting the FIFA World Cup this summer and the Olympic Games in 2016, all eyes are on Latin America. But what vision of these countries will we be given? Will our airwaves be full of cultural stereotypes about Latin Americans and inaccurate interpretations of the region’s position in the world? In From Frontiers to Football, Matthew Brown provides a much-needed historical analysis to rebut misconceptions about Latin America’s past while giving readers the tools with which to understand the region’s complex present.
Telling the story of Latin America’s engagement with global empires from 1800 to today, From Frontiers to Football is as much a narrative of repeated cycles, continued dependency, and thwarted dreams as it is a tale of imperial designs overthrown, colonial armies defeated, and other successes that have inspired colonized peoples across the globe. Brown restores a cultural history to the continent, giving as much attention to pop singer Shakira and retired footballer Pelé as he does to coffee producers, copper miners, government policies, and covert imperialism. Latin America, Brown shows, is no longer a frontier or periphery, but rather is at the forefront of innovation and a global center for social, cultural, and economic activities. Clear and readable, From Frontiers to Football presents a compelling introduction to the history of Latin America’s interactions with the world over the last two centuries.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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 Pel , novelist and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Rigoberto Mench , cyclist Lucho Herrera, and musical superstar Shakira alongside political figures such as Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Brazilian President Luiz In cio 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.
