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"Our Hemisphere"?: The United States in Latin America, from 1776 to the Twenty-First Century
An accessible exploration of U.S.–Latin American relations. from the colonial period to the present day
“‘ Our Hemisphere’? is a balanced and nuanced portrayal of the history of U.S.–Latin American relations. The attention given to more recent episodes on immigration, the drug war and U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela, is especially welcome.”—Allen Wells, author of Tropical General Trujillo, FDR and the Jews of Sosúa
“Our Hemisphere”? uncovers the range, depth, and veracity of the United States’ relationship with the Americas. Using short historical vignettes, Britta and Russell Crandall chart the course of inter‑American relations from 1776 to the present, highlighting the roles that individuals and groups of soldiers, intellectuals, private citizens, and politicians have had in shaping U.S. policy toward Latin America in the postcolonial, Cold War, and post–Cold War eras. The United States is usually and correctly seen as pursuing a monolithic, hegemonic agenda in Latin America, wielding political, economic, and military muscle to force Latin American countries to do its bidding, but the Crandalls reveal unexpected yet salient regional interactions where Latin Americans have exercised their own power with their northern and very powerful neighbor. Moreover, they show that Washington’s relationship with the region has relied, in addition to the usual heavy‑handedness, on cooperation and mutual respect since the beginning of the relationship.
“‘ Our Hemisphere’? is a balanced and nuanced portrayal of the history of U.S.–Latin American relations. The attention given to more recent episodes on immigration, the drug war and U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela, is especially welcome.”—Allen Wells, author of Tropical General Trujillo, FDR and the Jews of Sosúa
“Our Hemisphere”? uncovers the range, depth, and veracity of the United States’ relationship with the Americas. Using short historical vignettes, Britta and Russell Crandall chart the course of inter‑American relations from 1776 to the present, highlighting the roles that individuals and groups of soldiers, intellectuals, private citizens, and politicians have had in shaping U.S. policy toward Latin America in the postcolonial, Cold War, and post–Cold War eras. The United States is usually and correctly seen as pursuing a monolithic, hegemonic agenda in Latin America, wielding political, economic, and military muscle to force Latin American countries to do its bidding, but the Crandalls reveal unexpected yet salient regional interactions where Latin Americans have exercised their own power with their northern and very powerful neighbor. Moreover, they show that Washington’s relationship with the region has relied, in addition to the usual heavy‑handedness, on cooperation and mutual respect since the beginning of the relationship.
- GenresHistory
504 pages, Paperback
Published November 30, 2021
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April 12, 2024
What? It only took me four months to finish this book. And in the meantime, I also read over forty other books, so maybe that speaks to this tome's motivational abilities?
In all seriousness, I read this book in preparation for an exam. The scope of the exam is limited to the period from the inauguration of FDR to the end of Obama's second term (1933-2017). That means that there were quite a few chapters in "Our Hemisphere?" that I ended up reading purely for context (fun?). At first, the vignette format was very appealing to me, but in the long run, I found that it rather detracted from a kind of bird's eye view of US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. The similarities and differences in treatment of various coups and regime changes were inevitably harder to put together in the shuffle between countries. One notable exception were the three chapters about the US's "Supply Side" strategy in the War on Drugs in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, respectively. The juxtaposition of the three different efforts and the fact that they happened within 10-15 years of each other made comparisons and parallels easier to draw.
In all seriousness, I read this book in preparation for an exam. The scope of the exam is limited to the period from the inauguration of FDR to the end of Obama's second term (1933-2017). That means that there were quite a few chapters in "Our Hemisphere?" that I ended up reading purely for context (fun?). At first, the vignette format was very appealing to me, but in the long run, I found that it rather detracted from a kind of bird's eye view of US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. The similarities and differences in treatment of various coups and regime changes were inevitably harder to put together in the shuffle between countries. One notable exception were the three chapters about the US's "Supply Side" strategy in the War on Drugs in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, respectively. The juxtaposition of the three different efforts and the fact that they happened within 10-15 years of each other made comparisons and parallels easier to draw.
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