Reviews

Smith, the coauthor of a widely read text on Latin American history, provides a well-written, provocative exploration of the relationship between Latin America and the United States since independence. Synthesizing other works, the author uses an international relations approach to illuminate the posture of each toward the other and to speculate about the consequences of their interaction. Although Smith explores many variables in explaining the relationship, he considers extrahemispheric actors fundamental, seeing the relationship as having traveled through three stages: imperial, Cold War, and uncertainty. He concludes that over time this relationship responded to prevailing international rules but that these rules are as yet undefined for the immediate future. An excellent overview; highly recommended for academic collections.‘Roderic A. Camp, Latin American Ctr., Tulane Univ., New Orleans