The History of Brazil [Paperback]

Brazil is a vast, complex country with great potential but an uneven history. This concise one-volume history will introduce readers to the history of Brazil from its origins to today. It emphasizes current affairs, including Brazil's return to democracy after more than two decades of military rule, and the economic consequences of adopting free-market policies as part of the creation of the global marketplace. The history of Brazil unfolds in narrative chronological chapters beginning with the Portuguese conquest and continues up to the present day.

Levine's book is a good starting point for anyone interested in moving beyond the popular conception of Brazil as the land of Carnival and samba. -Publishers Weekly

Preface * An Earthly Paradise * Early Brazil * Independence and Empire * The Republic (1889-1930) * The Vargas Era (1930-1954) * Dictatorship and Democracy (1954-1999) * Political Culture * Social and Economic Realities * Appendix * Glossary of Selected Terms * Bibliographical Essay * Index

Robert M. Levineis Director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Miami and the author of over a dozen books on Latin American and Cuba includingSecret Missions to Cuba(Palgrave Macmillan, 2002).