Inside Central America: Its People, Politics, and History

by Clifford Krauss

Examines how the history and the failed U.S. policies of the past one hundred years have made Central America unsafe for democracy.

Genres: History

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1991

Reviews

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this from my local library over a month ago and haven’t gotten around to it but finally did to learn more about my background. Read 2 pages max and will not continue, I understand why it took strength to even want to open. Very poor taste in regards to the people he is speaking about, uses the word “humiliation” several times to describe how apparently hispanic countries feel about being second to the United States. Goes on and on about The united states and their presidents and how big and strong and grateful we should be more than the central americans he allegedly wishes to properly discuss. i can’t even blame it on the fact this book is old and outdated like the author, its just ill intended.

[Linus Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book, although I do wish he would concentrate on less of the recent history of central America (Iran-Contra, etc) and more on the centuries between the Spanish conquistadors and the 1900s. A useful guide for those of us who know Iran-Contra as something taught in textbooks and were never really clear on the details of what happened. Easy to read and informative; never really got bogged down in the details.

[David Bates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Central America is fascinating. The author was a freelance journalist roaming through the region in the late 1970s and 1980s. As much as the experience informs his writing, it tends to impare his writing style, which strongly resembles a series of 40 page newspaper articles. The minute attention to who was at what meeting etc., that works for an article, tends to obscure the narrative when it extends to chapter length.

There's a pattern the ranges over many works by liberals (the author's politics are on his sleeve) during this era that I find slightly annoying. The missteps of the Reagan administration are chronicled in detail, and its judgement called into question. The many ethical compromises involved in subordinating U.S. policy to strict anti-communism are given at length. But the plausibility of the administration's fears are not evaluated with the same depth. The result is while all the problems with what happened are made clear, any kind of determination of whether U.S. policy was ultimately warranted or not is a bit obscure.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative book. Slightly outdated as it's information is from the late 1980s to early 1990s but still full of great facts. It was interesting to inform myself of the government in which my parents grew up in.