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World » Americas » Latin America

Browse book recommendations:

Latin America

  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Cuba
  • Mexico

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We have a variety of interviews discussing books on Latin America. James Dunkerley chooses his best books on Latin American history, Patricio Navia chooses his best books on Latin American politics, and William LeoGrande his best books on US relations with Latin America. John King chooses his selection of the best Latin American novels. Oscar Guardiola-Rivera chooses his best books on the rise of Latin America.

On individual countries, Hugh Thomson chooses, his best books on Mexico, Oscar Hijuelos his best books on Cuba, Larry Rohter his best books on Brazil and Chris Moss chooses his best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis.  Alan Angell chooses his best books on Pinochet and Chilean politics.

Regina Marchi chooses her best books on the Latin American celebrations of the Day of the Dead.

    The best books on The Day of The Dead, recommended by Regina Marchi

  • Read
    The best books on The Day of The Dead - The Skeleton at the Feast by Elizabeth Carmichael and Chloë Sayer

    1

    The Skeleton at the Feast
    by Elizabeth Carmichael and Chloë Sayer

  • Read
    The best books on The Day of The Dead - The Days of the Dead by John Greenleigh and Rosalind Beimler

    2

    The Days of the Dead
    by John Greenleigh and Rosalind Beimler

  • Read
    The best books on The Day of The Dead - Chicanos en Mictlan by Tere Romo

    3

    Chicanos en Mictlan
    by Tere Romo

  • Read
    The best books on The Day of The Dead - Day of the Dead in Mexico by Mary J Andrade

    4

    Day of the Dead in Mexico
    by Mary J Andrade

  • Read
    The best books on The Day of The Dead - El Corazon de la Muerte by Oakland Museum of California

    5

    El Corazon de la Muerte
    by Oakland Museum of California

The best books on The Day of The Dead, recommended by Regina Marchi

The Latin American holiday commemorating dead relatives is characterised by altars decorated with skulls and marigolds, explains the author of a book on how the festival has now migrated to the American mainstream

    The best books on Cuba, recommended by Oscar Hijuelos

  • Read
    The best books on Cuba - Havana Red by Leonardo Padura

    1

    Havana Red
    by Leonardo Padura

  • Read
    The best books on Cuba - Learning to Die in Miami by Carlos Eire

    2

    Learning to Die in Miami
    by Carlos Eire

  • Read
    The best books on Cuba - Three Trapped Tigers by Guillermo Cabrera Infante

    3

    Three Trapped Tigers
    by Guillermo Cabrera Infante

  • Read
    The best books on Cuba - Aura by Carlos Fuentes

    4

    Aura
    by Carlos Fuentes

  • Read
    The best books on Cuba - Paradiso by Jose Lezama Lima

    5

    Paradiso
    by Jose Lezama Lima

The best books on Cuba, recommended by Oscar Hijuelos

In 2011, two years before his death, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Oscar Hijuelos told us about books that evoke the land of his parents, from a noirish take on contemporary Havana to the cabaret scene of pre-Castro Cuba

    The best books on Latin American Politics, recommended by Patricio Navia

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American Politics - The Contemporary History of Latin America by Tulio Halperín Donghi

    1

    The Contemporary History of Latin America
    by Tulio Halperín Donghi

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American Politics - Forgotten Continent by Michael Reid

    2

    Forgotten Continent
    by Michael Reid

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American Politics - Left Behind by Sebastian Edwards

    3

    Left Behind
    by Sebastian Edwards

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American Politics - The Economic History of Latin America since Independence by Victor Bulmer-Thomas

    4

    The Economic History of Latin America since Independence
    by Victor Bulmer-Thomas

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American Politics - Leftovers by Jorge G Castañeda and Marco A Morales

    5

    Leftovers
    by Jorge G Castañeda and Marco A Morales

The best books on Latin American Politics, recommended by Patricio Navia

Political scientist Patricio Navia discusses how the identity of Latin America is inextricably bound up with its colonial history, why Latin American voters elect left-wing leaders, and how social inclusion is necessary for Latin America to realise its full potential

    John King recommends the best Latin American Novels

  • Read
    John King recommends the best Latin American Novels - Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges

    1

    Labyrinths
    by Jorge Luis Borges

  • Read
    John King recommends the best Latin American Novels - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

    2

    One Hundred Years of Solitude
    by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

  • Read
    John King recommends the best Latin American Novels - Conversation in the Cathedral by Mario Vargas Llosa

    3

    Conversation in the Cathedral
    by Mario Vargas Llosa

  • Read
    John King recommends the best Latin American Novels - The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector

    4

    The Hour of the Star
    by Clarice Lispector

  • Read
    John King recommends the best Latin American Novels - 2666 by Roberto Bolaño

    5

    2666
    by Roberto Bolaño

John King recommends the best Latin American Novels

From magical realism to political upheaval, John King, Professor Emeritus at Warwick University, recommends five essential works of Latin American fiction – and reveals what Jorge Luis Borges was like in person.

    The best books on U.S. relations with Latin America, recommended by William LeoGrande

  • Read
    The best books on U.S. relations with Latin America - Beneath the United States by Lars Schoultz

    1

    Beneath the United States
    by Lars Schoultz

  • Read
    The best books on U.S. relations with Latin America - Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene

    2

    Our Man in Havana
    by Graham Greene

  • Read
    The best books on U.S. relations with Latin America - Inevitable Revolutions by Walter LaFeber

    3

    Inevitable Revolutions
    by Walter LaFeber

  • Read
    The best books on U.S. relations with Latin America - Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba by Tom Gjelten

    4

    Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba
    by Tom Gjelten

  • Read
    The best books on U.S. relations with Latin America - The Empire's Old Clothes by Ariel Dorfman

    5

    The Empire's Old Clothes
    by Ariel Dorfman

The best books on U.S. relations with Latin America, recommended by William LeoGrande

U.S. government adviser and Dean of the American University School of Public Affairs leads a book-bound tour that takes us from the Bacardi dynasty in Cuba to American military interventions in Central America

    The best books on Latin American History, recommended by James Dunkerley

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American History - Puritan Conquistadors by Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra

    1

    Puritan Conquistadors
    by Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American History - Andrès Bello by Ivan Jáksic

    2

    Andrès Bello
    by Ivan Jáksic

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American History - The Dictator’s Seduction by Lauren Derby

    3

    The Dictator’s Seduction
    by Lauren Derby

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American History - The First America by D A Brading

    4

    The First America
    by D A Brading

  • Read
    The best books on Latin American History - The Blood of Guatemala by Greg Grandin

    5

    The Blood of Guatemala
    by Greg Grandin

The best books on Latin American History, recommended by James Dunkerley

Professor James Dunkerley at Queen Mary’s, University of London, says that ‘Latin America’ is a term that only dates from the 1830s. He chooses five books that illuminate the cultural and political history of the continent.

    The best books on Brazil, recommended by Larry Rohter

  • Read
    The best books on Brazil - Child of the Dark by Carolina Maria de Jesus

    1

    Child of the Dark
    by Carolina Maria de Jesus

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    The best books on Brazil - The Theater of Nelson Rodrigues by Nelson Rodrigues

    2

    The Theater of Nelson Rodrigues
    by Nelson Rodrigues

  • Read
    The best books on Brazil - Backlands by Euclides da Cunha

    3

    Backlands
    by Euclides da Cunha

  • Read
    The best books on Brazil - Carnivals, Rogues and Heroes by Roberto Da Matta

    4

    Carnivals, Rogues and Heroes
    by Roberto Da Matta

  • Read
    The best books on Brazil - Tristes Tropiques by Claude Levi-Strauss

    5

    Tristes Tropiques
    by Claude Levi-Strauss

The best books on Brazil, recommended by Larry Rohter

The former Rio de Janeiro bureau chief for the New York Times, Larry Rohter, discusses five books that explore the strain of tragedy lurking just beneath Brazil’s ‘happy’ image.

    The best books on The Rise of Latin America, recommended by Oscar Guardiola-Rivera

  • Read
    The best books on The Rise of Latin America - The Secret History of Costaguana by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

    1

    The Secret History of Costaguana
    by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

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    The best books on The Rise of Latin America - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

    2

    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
    by Junot Díaz

  • Read
    The best books on The Rise of Latin America - The Many-Headed Hydra by Marcus Rediker and Paul Linebaugh

    3

    The Many-Headed Hydra
    by Marcus Rediker and Paul Linebaugh

  • Read
    The best books on The Rise of Latin America - Of Divine Warning by Jane Anna and Lewis R Gordon

    4

    Of Divine Warning
    by Jane Anna and Lewis R Gordon

  • Read
    The best books on The Rise of Latin America - Time for a Visible Hand by Stephany Griffiths-Jones, Jose Antonio Ocampo & Joseph Stiglitz

    5

    Time for a Visible Hand
    by Stephany Griffiths-Jones, Jose Antonio Ocampo & Joseph Stiglitz

The best books on The Rise of Latin America, recommended by Oscar Guardiola-Rivera

The author and academic says the global financial meltdown has shattered the apparently sophisticated, but in fact conceptually hollow, foundations upon which “self-regulated” markets were built

    The best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis, recommended by Chris Moss

  • Read
    The best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis - Doctor Brodie’s Report by Jorge Luis Borges

    1

    Doctor Brodie’s Report
    by Jorge Luis Borges

  • Read
    The best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis - The Slaughterhouse by Esteban Echeverria

    2

    The Slaughterhouse
    by Esteban Echeverria

  • Read
    The best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis - X-ray of the Pampa by Ezequiel Martínez Estrada

    3

    X-ray of the Pampa
    by Ezequiel Martínez Estrada

  • Read
    The best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis - Tango by Robert Farris Thompson

    4

    Tango
    by Robert Farris Thompson

  • Read
    The best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis - Freud in the Pampas by Mariano Plotkin

    5

    Freud in the Pampas
    by Mariano Plotkin

The best books on Argentina and Psychoanalysis, recommended by Chris Moss

Journalist and author Chris Moss recommends books to help us understand the Argentine people and their mindset.

    The best books on Mexico, recommended by Hugh Thomson

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    The best books on Mexico - Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

    1

    Under the Volcano
    by Malcolm Lowry

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    The best books on Mexico - The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela

    2

    The Underdogs
    by Mariano Azuela

  • Read
    The best books on Mexico - The Conquest of Mexico by Hugh Thomas

    3

    The Conquest of Mexico
    by Hugh Thomas

  • Read
    The best books on Mexico - Robbery Under Law by Evelyn Waugh

    4

    Robbery Under Law
    by Evelyn Waugh

  • Read
    The best books on Mexico - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B Traven

    5

    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
    by B Traven

The best books on Mexico, recommended by Hugh Thomson

Explorer, film-maker and writer, Hugh Thomson, picks the best books on Mexico, from the revolution in 1910, to the conquistadors, to gold mines, to the fatalism of Mexico and more.

    The best books on Pinochet and Chilean Politics, recommended by Alan Angell

  • Read
    The best books on Pinochet and Chilean Politics - The Pinochet Regime by Carlos Huneeus

    1

    The Pinochet Regime
    by Carlos Huneeus

  • Read
    The best books on Pinochet and Chilean Politics - Battling for Hearts and Minds: Memory Struggles in Pinochet’s Chile, 1973–1988 by Steve J Stern

    2

    Battling for Hearts and Minds: Memory Struggles in Pinochet’s Chile, 1973–1988
    by Steve J Stern

  • Read
    The best books on Pinochet and Chilean Politics - Fear in Chile: Lives Under Pinochet by Patricia Politzer

    3

    Fear in Chile: Lives Under Pinochet
    by Patricia Politzer

  • Read
    The best books on Pinochet and Chilean Politics - Heading South, Looking North: A Bilingual Journey by Ariel Dorfman

    4

    Heading South, Looking North: A Bilingual Journey
    by Ariel Dorfman

  • Read
    The best books on Pinochet and Chilean Politics - Victims of the Chilean Miracle: Workers And Neoliberalism In The Pinochet Era, 1973–2002 by Peter Winn

    5

    Victims of the Chilean Miracle: Workers And Neoliberalism In The Pinochet Era, 1973–2002
    by Peter Winn

The best books on Pinochet and Chilean Politics, recommended by Alan Angell

Marshalling one of the first ever televised coups, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s legacy is fraught. While some apologists try to justify the dictatorship on economic grounds, his time in office saw innumerable human rights abuses. Alan Angell, Emeritus Fellow in Latin American Politics at the University of Oxford, considers the regime of “a very cruel man.”

    The best books on The Andes, recommended by Michael Jacobs

  • Read
    The best books on The Andes - The Condor and the Cows by Christopher Isherwood

    1

    The Condor and the Cows
    by Christopher Isherwood

  • Read
    The best books on The Andes - The Conquest of the Incas by John Hemming

    2

    The Conquest of the Incas
    by John Hemming

  • Read
    The best books on The Andes - Patagonia: A Cultural History by Chris Moss

    3

    Patagonia: A Cultural History
    by Chris Moss

  • Read
    The best books on The Andes - The White Rock by Hugh Thomson

    4

    The White Rock
    by Hugh Thomson

  • Read
    The best books on The Andes - Devil in the Mountain by Simon Lamb

    5

    Devil in the Mountain
    by Simon Lamb

The best books on The Andes, recommended by Michael Jacobs

The respected author and prominent Hispanist examines the history and people of The Andes. Selects and reviews five great reads, including classics from Isherwood and Hemming

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We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

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