Revolution!: South America and the Rise of the New Left

by Nikolas Kozloff

In the past few years, South America has witnessed the rise of leftist governments coming into power on the heels of dramatic social and political unrest. From Hugo Chávez in Venezuela to Evo Morales, the indigenous head of state of Bolivia, and Michelle Bachelet, the first woman president in Chile, the faces of South American politics are changing rapidly and radically.
In this timely and insightful analysis, acclaimed journalist and Latin American authority, Nikolas Kozloff explores the continent's new path and its affect on the U.S. New initiatives, such as Telesur, the satellite network with links to Al Jazeera, an oil-exporting consortium, and a regional currency, are coalescing South America into an emerging global player. With access to top political brass and a lively reportage style, Kozloff shows how we can secure and protect our ties with our close neighbors.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent over view of recent South American developments in the areas of the military, society and economy.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be educational and resourceful in terms of dates, events, and major players in South American political history, however I do take notice of the clear biases in the book. While I'm aware this is the product of a left-leaning author and it is to be expected, I felt it necessary to do extracurricular research to understand the full picture. Outside of that issue, I also felt there were some sections of the book that were poorly organized and left me asking "wait what?". The author brought up previously mentioned figures with little context, leaving me flipping through pages to try and remember who they were. There were also a few paragraphs that came a little out of left field in terms of the actual topic of discussion feeling irrelevant to the rest of the chapter. Overall, not a bad book, but certainly one you have to look at with a close eye.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

One is tempted to announce a new literary genre: that of the radical-minded gringo who totes his reporter's notebook around sultry South American capitals to get to the bottom of whether the continent's revolutionary sex appeal is more rhetoric or reality. Just below the surface seem to be lurking riddles like, how is it that poor Bolivian peasants could stick it to the elite by pushing Evo Morales into the presidency (twice!), while popular forces in the US haven't even been able to coax Obama into backing a health plan with a "robust public option" (whatever that means)?

While short on in-depth analysis, Kozloff's journey is a solid introduction to the restless continent's political promise and pitfalls, and he avoids falling into easy answers about Chavez and whether the South American political swing to the left is really everything it's cracked up to be. Those who follow the region closely won't find much that's new here, though others may find this a suitable introductory text.

[X · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less of a primer, more of an expanded look at S. America (particularly Venezuela and its chavistas). The organization of the book needs help; articles/interviews seem pasted together haphazardly.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a weird semi-fondness for reading about leftist governments in Latin America. Go figure.

[Ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but poorly structured and poorly written.