Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Paperback)

by Nikolas Kozloff (Author)
Key Phrases: Simón Bolívar, Acción Democrática, oil lockout, United States, Latin America, South America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Hugo Chavez has put Latin America back on the U.S. radar with his outspoken attacks on American imperialism and his leadership in forming economic ties among Latin American nations outside U.S. influence. To many in the southern hemisphere, he represents a welcome alternative to the U.S., whose efforts to heal the region's economic woes through the World Bank and the IMF have largely failed. In the northern hemisphere, he is often seen as a threat to free-trade agreements and democracy in the Americas. Kozloff, a senior research fellow for the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, tries to neutralize the latter image as he recounts recent Venezuelan history and analyzes Chavez's rise to power. Paying equal attention to Chavez as a man and as a political phenomenon, he inserts slow-moving anecdotes among dense historical details, making for an uneven read. Kozloff's use of sources like the Nation, the New Left Review and the International Socialist Review, as well as his participation in the antiglobalization movement, also reveal a leftist bias toward Chavez. He offers little criticism of Chavez's policies or the nondemocratic means—a 1992 failed coup—through which he first garnered public favor, before winning office in a 1999 election and 2002 reelection. But while this bias might make for some one-sided storytelling at times, it also makes for a thoughtful, well-researched alternative to the majority of information available on Chavez in the English-speaking world. (Sept. 19)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"A thoughtful, well-researched alternative to the majority of information available on Chávez in the English-speaking world."--Publishers Weekly

"A reasoned, historical presentation of Chávez's rise to power and the social context which produced him."--Political Affairs

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 7, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 1403984093 ISBN-13: 978-1403984098 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #488,359 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
Simón Bolívar, Acción Democrática, oil lockout, geopolitical weapon, oil diplomacy, against neoliberalism

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Latin America, South America, Hugo Chávez, New Tribes, Bolivarian Circles, White House, Mar del Plata, Plan Bolivar, International Monetary Fund, Washington Consensus, Pérez Recao, All Rodriguez, George Bush, North American, President Bush, Barranco Yopal, Fidel Castro, Plan Colombia, School of the Americas, State Department, Southern Command, World Bank, Fort Tiuna, Free Trade Area of the Americas

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	73% buy the item featured on this page: Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. 3.1 out of 5 stars (16) $11.21
	12% buy Hugo!: The Hugo Chavez Story from Mud Hut to Perpetual Revolution 4.8 out of 5 stars (15) $15.61
	8% buy Revolution!: South America and the Rise of the New Left 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) $18.44
	4% buy Changing Venezuela by Taking Power: The History and Policies of the Chavez Government 4.0 out of 5 stars (5) $19.67

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below. neoliberalism(2) venezuela(2) dictator(1) hegemony(1) justice(1) left fascism(1) socialism(1) See all 8 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

16 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:  (7) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (5)           Average Customer Review 3.1 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 38 of 46 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars a good antidote to the lies, October 10, 2006 By  J. Anderson (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Hardcover) This book is an excellent primer on Chavez, warts and all. The challenge to the US Kozloff delineates fully and articulately, not least by spending ample time revealing his subject's severe awakening to political and global realities through prison, failure, and a lightning quick mind. The first three chapters patiently define the origins of Chavez's political consciousness, and make the rest of the book more important and substantial. Chapter 3 - 'TINA - There Is No Alternative' - is especially helpful in getting to the root of who Chavez is, and who he might become, and why his appears to be a success with unlimited possibilities in terms of resisting the hegemony of American foreign policy. True, Kozloff is an admirer of sorts, but he pulls no punches. There is much to be admired in Hugo Chavez, as the world witnessed during his recent no-nonsense address to the UN, where he clearly distinguished himself as a determined, even poetic, global thinker. Chapter 4 takes its time outlining the nefarious meddling of Gustavo Cisneros, documenting along the way Cisneros' cozying up to George Herbert Liquor Bush. This is one of the few books around casting a clear-headed overview of the IMF, the disastrous effects of NAFTA, and the early White House plots against Chavez involving Otto Reich (Lockheed Martin), Pedro Carmona, and the CIA. These ideas are fully documented throughout the book with 65 pages of scrupulously detailed notes. One of the most interesting findings in the pages of this book is the struggle against racism represented by Hugo Chavez. His grasp of world affairs and his love for Venezuela come to be seen as inseparable from that honorable struggle. An excellent antidote to the prevailing American government line, it's also an essential look at the aiding and abetting committed by American corporate media in conformist manipulation. A must read. 40 of 52 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Good Review of Chavez's Struggle with Imperialism, August 18, 2006 By  H. Campbell (houston, texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Hardcover) This is a well written study of Chavez's rise and battle with American inspired/directed/financed efforts to destabilize his regime. Clearly, the author is sympathetic with the global efforts to resist IMF (i.e., US) hegemony and sees Chavez as a prime leader. Of course, most Americans blindly believe the lies that routinely emerge from our corrupt governement sources, but Kozloff paints a picture, perhaps sometimes too rosey, of Chavez's efforts to socialize his deeply-divided country. Maybe a little more discussion of Chavez's sometimes repressive methods (completely justified in my view when one considers how insidious American subversive efforts have been and still are) would have been warranted also. Though I despise Bush as much as any red-blooded American patriot should, I found Kozloff's constant references to how scared/terrified/concerned Bush and his gang would be by such and such an action of Chavez's to be off-putting and tediously redundant. I thought Kozloff should have devoted more space to Venezuela's dealings with OPEC since oil is part of the title and would have liked more on Chavez's foreign policy maneuverings outside Latin America, but obviously he decided to limit the size of the book. All in all, a sound and somewhat personal recounting. 8 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Kozloff's Book on Hugo Chavez, April 2, 2007 By  Gibbous Maan - See all my reviews This review is from: Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Hardcover) Nikolas Kozloff's "Hugo Chavez" is a worthwhile, informative read. The author is well-versed in Latin American history and politics, having studied them extensively. As well, he has lived in Venezuela and other parts of South America and traveled frequently throughout the region. The book is concise (there are actually fewer than 200 pages excluding endnotes) and covers the topic admirably. The subject of the book, Hugo Chavez, is currently the preeminent symbol of the ideological battle pitting the "Washington consensus" or "neoliberal" policies championed by the IMF versus the widespread populist push to the left seen today throughout much of Latin America. While one can point to apparent IMF success stories in Asia, one must also acknowledge that the IMF agenda has done little to benefit most residents of the Latin American nations. Kozloff's book does an excellent job of showing the reasons why so many in the region are discontented and anxious for a new economic and political direction. Regardless of a reader's ideological leanings, Kozloff's examination of the region can only help inform one's own opinions. For me, the latter chapters were particularly beneficial. There the discussion expands beyond Chavez and Venezuela to the regional indigenous peoples movement, as well as to the lives and political careers of many of Chavez's South American counterparts: Lula of Brazil, Kirchner of Argentina, Morales of Bolivia, Vazquez of Uraguay, Uribe of Columbia, and Correa's predecessors in Ecuador. This information taken in sum creates a good big picture view of the political currents moving across Latin America today. While I recommend this book, I feel I should point out that it sometimes suffers from poor editing. I spotted 15 or 20 obvious typos. A paragraph in chapter four reappears in chapter six with only slightly altered wording. Some paragraphs have conflicts in tense or are otherwise poorly worded. The reader's concentration is broken far too often, and as a result, the flow of the book suffers. Having said that, I feel the information contained in the text more than offsets the flawed editing.		Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars An Alternative View Provides an alternative view of Chavez from that of our government and the corporate media. Chavez was elected and re-elected democratically by the Venezuelan people with strong... Read more Published 15 months ago by Jon Thomas 5.0 out of 5 stars You will be better informed If mainstream news leaves you with more questions than answers, read this book. It's accurate and informative. Read more Published 16 months ago by Bob 1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly Written, Inaccurate, and Absurd This book is one of the worst books I have read in recent years. Nikolas Kozloff, a self-proclaimed anarchist, analyzes the history of Chavez through an inaccurate... Read more Published 17 months ago by T. Chandler 1.0 out of 5 stars Dreadful Book Hugo Chavez, Oil Politics and the Challenge to the U.S. by Nikolas Kozloff lacks focus, is confusing and ultimately is not worth the time or effort to read. Read more Published 20 months ago by Kenneth J. Miller 2.0 out of 5 stars Semi-good read This book is an incredible piece of investigative work. Nikolas Kozloff delves deeper into critical issues than most other authors do by presenting vast background information on... Read more Published 20 months ago by Steve 5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging neoliberalism With all the criticism of neoconservativism (which is appropriate), it's good that Chavez and this book bring up the issue of neoliberalism. Read more Published 22 months ago by Preston C. Enright 1.0 out of 5 stars WORST BOOK EVER-- This book is beyond HORRIBLE. I even went and consulted with the Oxford's alumni office and checked if the credentials of this author were genuine. Read more Published 23 months ago by A. Quevedo 4.0 out of 5 stars For Chavez-watchers Very good history of HC, also good facts about current situations. Very approving of Latin American shift to the Left! Published 23 months ago by M. Stallings 5.0 out of 5 stars Honest Writings Most books involving such notorious figures are often disgustingly bias. This book is written by a leftist who does not allow his stance impact his writing much. Read more Published on June 3, 2007 by G. Sanchez 1.0 out of 5 stars horrible Judging by the author's credentials and the book cover I was certain this would be a good read. I was definitely mistaken as the author constantly rants about meaningless things... Read more Published on April 14, 2007 by scooter Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)   Discussion Replies Latest Post   No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post history Most important drug user? Why? 8172 1 minute ago politics What if it had been Bush? 25 1 minute ago politics Forced Abortions, Mass Sterilizations! Only in Obamaland! 79 8 minutes ago history Why does Holocaust Denial Exist? 5174 18 minutes ago biography What are some of the best biographies of women you've ever read. 45 7 hours ago biography what is the best biography you've ever read? 399 14 hours ago socialism Is Barack Obama a Socialist? 23 2 days ago

The Socialism community Latest activity 11 hours ago 797 customers have contributed 906 products, 71 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Politics community Latest activity 24 minutes ago 10,573 customers have contributed 8,621 products, 1,023 discussions and more... › Explore the community The Justice community Latest activity 13 hours ago 998 customers have contributed 767 products, 72 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums biography (36 discussions) history (661 discussions) justice neoliberalism politics (1023 discussions) socialism (1 discussion) venezuela (1 discussion) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

"Democracy Now!" - the authors and ideas of independent radio: A list by Preston C. Enright   Peoples History of Latin America: A list by sergio jimenez "we have nothing to lose, but our chains!"   venezuela, the real story: A list by Megan Morrissey Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Protest a war on Iran.: A guide by Preston C. Enright Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Political
• Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Oil & Energy
• Books > History > Americas > South America
• Books > Nonfiction > Politics > International > Diplomacy
• Books > Nonfiction > Politics > International > Relations
• Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Political Doctrines

---

Cut Wood Down to Size Split wood with ease using a log splitter from the Outdoor Power & Lawn Equipment Store. ›Shop all log splitters

Best Books of 2008 Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.

FREE Super Saver Shipping on Select Power Tools Check out our extensive selection of power and hand tools. Shop now and save on power tools, and take advantage of FREE Super Saver Shipping to save even more. ›Shop Power & Hand Tools

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (190)$0.00 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (245)$6.59 Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich 2.6 out of 5 stars (190)$9.99 My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent $0.00

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings

Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403984093
• ISBN-13: 978-1403984098
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #488,359 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a good antidote to the lies, October 10, 2006

By	J. Anderson (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent primer on Chavez, warts and all. The challenge to the US Kozloff delineates fully and articulately, not least by spending ample time revealing his subject's severe awakening to political and global realities through prison, failure, and a lightning quick mind. The first three chapters patiently define the origins of Chavez's political consciousness, and make the rest of the book more important and substantial. Chapter 3 - 'TINA - There Is No Alternative' - is especially helpful in getting to the root of who Chavez is, and who he might become, and why his appears to be a success with unlimited possibilities in terms of resisting the hegemony of American foreign policy. True, Kozloff is an admirer of sorts, but he pulls no punches. There is much to be admired in Hugo Chavez, as the world witnessed during his recent no-nonsense address to the UN, where he clearly distinguished himself as a determined, even poetic, global thinker. Chapter 4 takes its time outlining the nefarious meddling of Gustavo Cisneros, documenting along the way Cisneros' cozying up to George Herbert Liquor Bush. This is one of the few books around casting a clear-headed overview of the IMF, the disastrous effects of NAFTA, and the early White House plots against Chavez involving Otto Reich (Lockheed Martin), Pedro Carmona, and the CIA. These ideas are fully documented throughout the book with 65 pages of scrupulously detailed notes. One of the most interesting findings in the pages of this book is the struggle against racism represented by Hugo Chavez. His grasp of world affairs and his love for Venezuela come to be seen as inseparable from that honorable struggle. An excellent antidote to the prevailing American government line, it's also an essential look at the aiding and abetting committed by American corporate media in conformist manipulation. A must read.

40 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Review of Chavez's Struggle with Imperialism, August 18, 2006

By	H. Campbell (houston, texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Hardcover)

This is a well written study of Chavez's rise and battle with American inspired/directed/financed efforts to destabilize his regime. Clearly, the author is sympathetic with the global efforts to resist IMF (i.e., US) hegemony and sees Chavez as a prime leader. Of course, most Americans blindly believe the lies that routinely emerge from our corrupt governement sources, but Kozloff paints a picture, perhaps sometimes too rosey, of Chavez's efforts to socialize his deeply-divided country. Maybe a little more discussion of Chavez's sometimes repressive methods (completely justified in my view when one considers how insidious American subversive efforts have been and still are) would have been warranted also. Though I despise Bush as much as any red-blooded American patriot should, I found Kozloff's constant references to how scared/terrified/concerned Bush and his gang would be by such and such an action of Chavez's to be off-putting and tediously redundant. I thought Kozloff should have devoted more space to Venezuela's dealings with OPEC since oil is part of the title and would have liked more on Chavez's foreign policy maneuverings outside Latin America, but obviously he decided to limit the size of the book. All in all, a sound and somewhat personal recounting.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kozloff's Book on Hugo Chavez, April 2, 2007

By	Gibbous Maan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hugo Chavez: Oil, Politics, and the Challenge to the U.S. (Hardcover)

Nikolas Kozloff's "Hugo Chavez" is a worthwhile, informative read. The author is well-versed in Latin American history and politics, having studied them extensively. As well, he has lived in Venezuela and other parts of South America and traveled frequently throughout the region. The book is concise (there are actually fewer than 200 pages excluding endnotes) and covers the topic admirably.

The subject of the book, Hugo Chavez, is currently the preeminent symbol of the ideological battle pitting the "Washington consensus" or "neoliberal" policies championed by the IMF versus the widespread populist push to the left seen today throughout much of Latin America. While one can point to apparent IMF success stories in Asia, one must also acknowledge that the IMF agenda has done little to benefit most residents of the Latin American nations. Kozloff's book does an excellent job of showing the reasons why so many in the region are discontented and anxious for a new economic and political direction. Regardless of a reader's ideological leanings, Kozloff's examination of the region can only help inform one's own opinions.

For me, the latter chapters were particularly beneficial. There the discussion expands beyond Chavez and Venezuela to the regional indigenous peoples movement, as well as to the lives and political careers of many of Chavez's South American counterparts: Lula of Brazil, Kirchner of Argentina, Morales of Bolivia, Vazquez of Uraguay, Uribe of Columbia, and Correa's predecessors in Ecuador. This information taken in sum creates a good big picture view of the political currents moving across Latin America today.

While I recommend this book, I feel I should point out that it sometimes suffers from poor editing. I spotted 15 or 20 obvious typos. A paragraph in chapter four reappears in chapter six with only slightly altered wording. Some paragraphs have conflicts in tense or are otherwise poorly worded. The reader's concentration is broken far too often, and as a result, the flow of the book suffers. Having said that, I feel the information contained in the text more than offsets the flawed editing.