A History of Chile, 1808-1994 (Cambridge Latin American Studies) [Paperback]

Simon Collier (Author), William F. Sater (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521568277 | ISBN-13: 978-0521568272 | Publication Date: July 26, 1996

A History of Chile traces the nation's political, economic, and social evolution from its independence until the 1994 inauguration of President Eduardo Frei. This book explains how Chile evolved politically from a nation dominated by a small aristocracy into a democracy, and how it created an economy which increasingly relied on its factories rather than solely on its mines. Finally, it describes the development of Chilean culture, which is a unique fusion of European and Latin American sources.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is a most enjoyable book. The author's intentions are clearly set out in the preface where they state their aim to provide a general account of modern Chilean history and they have done so most successfully. The overriding tone of the book is one of immense affection and respect for Chile and its people, and there is an overwhelming sense that the authors enjoyed writing this book very much. Such sentiments are communicated to the wide range of readers to whom this book will appeal ... a rich history of Chilean political, economic and cultural life which is in no way diminished by being a 'basic narrative' rather than a complex interweaving of theory and empiricism which can frequently cloud an appreciation of history.' Journal of Latin American Studies

Book Description

A History of Chile explains how Chile evolved politically from a nation dominated by a small aristocracy into a democracy, how it created an economy which increasingly relied on its factories rather than solely on its mines, and how Chilean culture developed from a unique fusion of European and Latin American sources.

Product Details

• Paperback: 447 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 26, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521568277
• ISBN-13: 978-0521568272
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a review, November 28, 2005

By 

J. Savala - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Chile, 1808-2002 (Cambridge Latin American Studies) (Paperback)

This review is more of a response to two of the other reviews thus far. One review writes completely of the chilean road to socialism section of the book (and everything thereafter in the book), and never mentions anything before this last section of the book, despite that section only being the last 80 pages, thus leaving the first 330 pages to obscurity; it seems as though this reviewer read the last 80 pages of the book and left the rest untouched. Beyond this, the section the reviewer commented on was unbelievably balanced, pointed out clearly the economic difficulties of the Unidad Popular era, but also pointed out the money dedicated to social programs.

As this same reviewer wrote, it is important for foreigners to study the history of Chile. And as Collier wrote in the introducion, "a fresh eye can sometimes be cast over the changing chilean scene from outside" (p. xv). From this perspective, I think Collier and Sater do a wonderful job covering the history of chile from 1808 to 2002. In fact, they have done such a good job that I have seen this book (in spanish translation) on college syllabi in Chile.

Another reviewer wrote that the book semmed as though it was "written by an undergraduate: A compilation of a bunch of facts from many sources (usually without a reference)." Im not sure what this person knows about Simon Collier, but he was visiting professor in chile in 1994 and 2002 and was so important to the writing of Chile from outside of chile that in 2000, he recieved from the Chilean state la orden Bernardo O'Higgins en el grado de 'Comendador', and was a Miembro Correspondiente de la Academia Chilena de la Historia. When he died, a book and conference (in Chile) were due to his great importance in Chilean history.

The reviewer also remarks on the lack of citations, although in the introduction they write exactly what the book will foot note and what they will not. With the amount of imformation in this book, it is comforting to have a well organized at the end of the book on suggested further reading with comments by the authors on most books suggested.

Overall, this book, although dry at times (as a history student, I know that it is hard to find a history book that doesnt drift into dryness every now and then), was enjoyable and gives any person that wants a general overview of the history of chile, just that: a general overview. And Collier and Sater knew this, as they wrote in their introduction: "Our aim in this book is to present a general account of Chile's history as an independent nation-state for English-language readers...." The suggested reading secion is great for furthering your insight into chilean history, as well. Also, the added sections on "culture" add a lot to the book, such as the section that talks about Nueva Cancion, something any person visiting Chile should know about (I have been in gatherings here in Chile where the entire night was spent singing Nueva Cancion music).

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Competent Academic History, October 24, 2006

By 

Thomas J. E. Schwarz (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A History of Chile, 1808-2002 (Cambridge Latin American Studies) (Paperback)

As some of the reviews indicate, recent history of Chile is controversial and an effort like this one will not find universal approval. The authors have written a concise, readable history of Chile for the general reader (e.g. without giving sources to everything they cite). The stated aim of the authors is to give a "basic narrative of political events" combined with "descriptions of broader economic and social tendencies" and occasional sections on culture. I think they succeeded well. Throughout the work, the authors'quest for fairness shines through.

The work is very readable with occasional instances of wit and humor, but the writing is not brilliant and fascinating. The very last chapter was added in the second edition and is not completely integrated, but still brings up the history of Chile to almost the present. Despite rare typo's, the editing is competent.

I personally found it a good read about a fascinating topic.

5.0 out of 5 stars Chilean history, December 14, 2010

By 

Carl Algo "Carl" (Katy, Tx USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A History of Chile, 1808-1994 (Cambridge Latin American Studies) (Paperback)

Great book. I was born in Chile, 66 years ago. So to me the book is a very detailed narrative of main events that constitute the history of Chile. A language ease to read.