Books Required for HI 216

Many of your assignments will require reading online primary sources (historical documents). You'll find a link from the course home page. In addition, two books must be purchased for HI 216. The first is Latin America and its People, vol 2, 1800 to Present by Cheryl E. Martin and Mark Wasserman (Pearson Education. paperback, 2d ed., 2008, ISBN: 0205520502 about $48). It lays out the general themes and main events that we will analyze. It's interpretive, focusing on the lives of the common people of Latin America, not a collection of dry facts, so pay attention to the ideas and concepts as well as the events. If you think that you need more background information, check out one of these additional textbooks, most available at D. H. Hill Library .

Every student should read a brilliant book during his/her college career. Here it is! (modesty never got an author anywhere!): The second book, a case study of 19th-century elite-mass conflict, is Richard W. Slatta, Gauchos and the Vanishing Frontier (Univ. of Nebraska Press, rev. paperback ed., 1992, ISBN: 0-8032-9215-5, paperback, 271 pages, app. $27).

The book won the Hubert Herring Book Prize by the Pacific Coast Council on Latin American Studies as the best book on Latin American history. Ride with the colorful, wild cowboy of Argentina's plains or pampas-- the gaucho. You'll see the impact on the rural masses of elite policies and actions as well as important socioeconomic changes that occurred during the nineteenth century. Don't take my word for it: Read several review excepts at the University of Nebraska Press website. Here are two complete, short reviews of the book . Also read this short guide on how to navigate a scholarly monograph. It will help you use the Gauchos book effectively and efficiently. Curious? Learn more about all the books that Dr. Slatta has written.