The Colombia Reader: History, Culture, Politics

The Latin America Readers

by Ann Farnsworth-Alvear (Editor), Marco Palacios (Editor), Ana María Gómez López (Editor)

Containing over one hundred selections—most of them published in English for the first time— The Colombia Reader presents a rich and multilayered account of this complex nation from the colonial era to the present. The collection includes journalistic reports, songs, artwork, poetry, oral histories, government documents, and scholarship to illustrate the changing ways Colombians from all walks of life have made and understood their own history. Comprehensive in scope, it covers regional differences; religion, art, and culture; the urban/rural divide; patterns of racial, economic, and gender inequalities; the history of violence; and the transnational flows that have shaped the nation.   The Colombia Reader expands readers' knowledge of Colombia beyond its reputation for violence, contrasting experiences of conflict with the stability and significance of cultural, intellectual, and economic life in this plural nation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

648 pages, Hardcover

Published January 3, 2017

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one seemed a lot more scattershot than The Peru Reader: History, Culture, Politics or The Chile Reader: History, Culture, Politics, which is saying something.

[Thomas P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent, but long read. Seems disjointed at times, as this is a series of essays and stories of Colombia, starting with the time before the arrival of the Spanish, up to present day. One thing to be gotten out of the book though for sure, is that Colombia seems to have turned the corner somewhat these days, in comparison to the civil wars, drug trafficking, and other conflicts of the past that ripped the country apart ...3 1/2 stars of 5.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice overview!