News From the End of the Earth: A Portrait of Chile [Hardcover]

John Hickman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312215673 | ISBN-13: 978-0312215675 | Publication Date: December 15, 1998

This in-depth study of Chile's history, politics, and economics is written by a man who was British ambassador there from 1982-87. John Hickman witnessed first hand the economic transformation wrought by the "Chicago Boys" in the later Pinochet years and the return from military dictatorship and terror to democracy. The radical left-wing regime of Allende in 1970-3 and its violent overthrow put Chile on the world stage as never before, and its great economic success has kept it there. Hickman traces Chile's emergence and evolution as a state and conveys the unique characteristics and personalities of its leaders.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Chile is a country with an interesting and, especially under Pinochet after the 1973 coup, controversial past. This volume examines that past in two parts: a brief history of the place, and a somewhat personal diplomatic memoir and description of its recent transition years. Hickman was the British ambassador to Chile from 1982 to 1987. His book is a readable and well-written introduction to the history of the country for non-Chileans; its strength lies in its description of the past ten years and Chile's return from dictatorship to democracy. Here the author relies more on personal experience than historical research. Though Hickman has a clear Anglocentric slant, this will be of interest to public and academic libraries with Latin American collections.?Mark L. Grover, Brigham Young Univ. Lib., Provo, UT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John Hickman is the author of The Enchanted Islands.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (December 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312215673
• ISBN-13: 978-0312215675
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,782,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Readable and Informative, March 4, 2003

By 

John C. Cutting (Sudbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: News From the End of the Earth: A Portrait of Chile (Hardcover)

This is a very well written book that provides a lot of historical information in an easy to read manner. I have travelled to Chile twice and have found it difficult to obtain books that write about Pinochet in an objective manner, because contrary to most books on the subject he is not universally reviled within the country. I think the author covered the subject well, not hiding warts but giving credit for the positive aspects of the Pinochet regime -- i.e., preventing a civil war and instituting the foundations of Chile's successful free market econmomy. I disagree with the other review to some extent, in that the author relies on his personal experience only in a few instances in the second half of the book, and most of that writing comes from his well documented research. There is a lot of information here in one book.

1.0 out of 5 stars poor research and bias, November 7, 2011

By 

matt b. (london) - See all my reviews

This review is from: News From the End of the Earth: A Portrait of Chile (Hardcover)

The opening chapters flash through Chilean history in a badly written and poorly researched haze. Later the author gives a one-sided view of the Allende and Pinochet years. Anybody who apologises for a leader who orders the murder of 3000 of their own citizens should be ashamed of themselves.