This is an absolute must-read for anyone travelling in South America. The book covers all aspects of the history of the continent. From Columbus’ discovery, the colonisation by the Spaniards and Portueguese and the resistance offered by the local populations to the struggle for independence in the 19th century and from there to an in depth sociopolitical analysis of the 20th century.
We first read the chapters around Columbus’ discovery and early colonisation by the Spanish before we moved to the chapters dedicated to the 19th and 20th century Chile. We then moved on to examine recent Argentinian history.
As we go through different countries we take it in turns to read out loud to each other over long drives. It enables us to understand the countries we are in far better than the brief historical accounts of guide books allow.