The Puerto Ricans: A Documentary History (Paperback)

by Olga Jimenez De Wagenheim (Author, Editor), Kal Wagenheim (Editor) "In 1493, during his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus discovered a "very beautiful" island that possessed a "most luxuriant soil..." (more)
Key Phrases: Muńoz Marín, status dilemma, commonwealth relationship, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An essential sourcebook for a better understanding of the Puerto Ricans" -- The New York Times

"An essential sourcebook for a better understanding of the Puerto Ricans. -- The New York Times

"An excellent 'documentary history' of Puerto Rico, its problems, present status, tensions and prospects." -- The Nation

"A pleasure to read. . . . Each page provides a fresh glimpse into the unfolding story of a people. The book captures the human and personal component of . . . sweeping historical changes." --New York Times

"An essential sourcebook for a better understanding of the Puerto Ricans" -- The New York Times <br /><br />"An essential sourcebook for a better understanding of the Puerto Ricans. -- The New York Times<br /><br />"An excellent 'documentary history' of Puerto Rico, its problems, present status, tensions and prospects." -- The Nation<br /><br />"An essential sourcebook for a better understanding of the Puerto Ricans. The editors believe that their experience as a people has been obscured by propaganda and that a subtle brand of colonialism still endures. They prove both points. . . . Their book [has] a kaleidoscopic, fast-paced rhythm that makes it engrossing reading. It is a welcome addition both to Puerto Rican historicity and to American ethnological literature." -- The New York Times<br /><br />"An excellent 'documentary history' of Puerto Rico, its problems, present status, tensions and prospects." --The Nation

"An essential sourcebook for a better understanding of the Puerto Ricans. The editors believe that their experience as a people has been obscured by propaganda and that a subtle brand of colonialism still endures. They prove both points. . . . Their book [has] a kaleidoscopic, fast-paced rhythm that makes it engrossing reading. It is a welcome addition both to Puerto Rican historicity and to American ethnological literature." -- The New York Times

"An excellent 'documentary history' of Puerto Rico, its problems, present status, tensions and prospects." -- The Nation

"An excellent 'documentary history' of Puerto Rico, its problems, present status, tensions and prospects." --New York Times

Review
"An excellent 'documentary history' of Puerto Rico, its problems, present status, tensions and prospects." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 335 pages
• Publisher: Markus Wiener Publishers; Revised edition (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558762914
• ISBN-13: 978-1558762916
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #870,877 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for U.S. Puerto Ricans!, October 27, 1999

By	Ivette Rodriguez (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puerto Ricans: A Documentary History (Paperback)

This book is a beautiful, engrossing documentary on the history of the Puerto Ricans. It gives the reader an insight into the real history of the island and it unfolds as you turn each page by sharing actual excerpts from letters written by people who were there from when the island was first discovered by Columbus through the days when it became a Common Wealth of the U.S. Every Puerto Rican or person interested in Puerto Rico who is not familiar with its history must read this book! I always look for books by Wagenheim and Jimenez de Wagenheim who truly have such passion for Puerto Rico and who feel it is the readers god given right to know as much as they can about the truth and not the propaganda. This book should be part of the history curriculum at all schools and especially those that have a large number of Puerto Rican children.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete documentaty textbook on Puerto Rican history, July 20, 2001

By	"felix_loves_books" (Ponce, Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puerto Ricans: A Documentary History (Paperback)

It is a very well documented book, and provides proof or evidence of each historic event. It is objective and is not biased toward any political view. The best thing of the book is that it fills those empty spaces I had from my years studying PR history. With this book, I was able to see the "whole picture" or in other words "tie those loose ends".

A real gem, in my opinion. I still refer to it a lot. When my kids have questions about Puerto Rico, I read passages from the book to them. I absolutely recommend it.

There is one recommendation I would like to give to the editors. Given the number of significant historic events about the Puerto Ricans that have happened since the book was last published in 1994, I recommend the editors to revise this wonderful documentary to bring it up-to-date.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An eye opener, July 6, 2001

By	Christopher J. Caraballo (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puerto Ricans: A Documentary History (Paperback)

This book was amazing. I love the format the author used. Unlike other history books the author uses actual documents from Puerto Rico's history to tell her story. After reading this book, I now have an understanding of where my family came from, and more pride in us. Thank you Kal!