I just finished a book by Maria Arana that explores characteristics of South and Central american countries over a span of hundreds of years up to the present day. She divides her discussion into three segments. 1. "Silver" or the significance of mining and the lust for what those mines produce and how it resulted in the slaughter of millions of indigenous people, both before and after the Spanish invasions of Cortes and those who followed; 2. "Sword" or the use of force to impose rules upon the bulk of society by those who had the military might to do so, and the willingness and even eagerness to kill entire tribal nations to impose that rule; and 3. "Stone," by which she means religion in its many aspects from worship of rocks and mountains to worship of images like the cross or elements of nature like the sun or the moon, and even the deification of individuals, be they rulers of the Incas or the legendarized hero Che Guevera or the leader of the Shining Path, Abimael Guzman.
Told from primarily a Spanish/Latin American perspective, not a more generalized European or U.S. perspective, it is a good compliment to the iconic book by Hemming The Conquest of The Incas since it explains as well as describes some of the history and covers many countries, not just Peru and Ecuador.
If you feel your education is not complete without a basic understanding of the some of the currents of South and Central America, this book is a good place to start.
Told from primarily a Spanish/Latin American perspective, not a more generalized European or U.S. perspective, it is a good compliment to the iconic book by Hemming The Conquest of The Incas since it explains as well as describes some of the history and covers many countries, not just Peru and Ecuador.
If you feel your education is not complete without a basic understanding of the some of the currents of South and Central America, this book is a good place to start.