The Revenge of History

At its peak, the Spanish Empire had colonies on almost every continent in the world. One of the regions most affected by Spanish colonialism was Latin America. In The Revenge of History: Reflections on the Spanish Colonial Heritage and Social Revolution in the Americas, Mark T. Berger argues that the fortunes and misfortunes of former Spanish colonies in the Americas today are still a result of their Spanish colonial heritage with an admixture of US hegemony.

He begins by discussing the many theories of development that have been used to study Latin America over the past 100 years. He then presents the strengths and weaknesses of those theories with regard to how the countries have fared from colonial times to the end of the Cold War. Berger goes on to provide case studies that look into some of the most significant social revolutions in the region, such as the Mexican and Cuban revolutions. As the United States was quite involved in Latin America during the Cold War, its history and influence are also addressed throughout the book.

If you're interested in learning more about how the Spanish colonial heritage influenced-and continues to influence-Latin America, this book provides an in-depth look at the region from the colonial era to the post-Cold War period.