Praise for the previous editions: ..".well researched...concise...interesting..."--American Reference Books Annual

John Baily was an Englishman who lived for many years in Central America. He was employed in 1837-38 by the government of Nicaragua to survey a potential canal route from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. In 1850 Baily published this book and a separate map of Central America that showed four proposed routes for an isthmian canal. Central America begins with an introductory chapter on the geography, history, and economy of the region as a whole, followed by individual chapters devoted to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mosquito Territory (in present-day Nicaragua and Honduras), Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Each chapter describes physical features and boundaries and provides information about inhabitants, products, and other features. The chapter devoted to Nicaragua is by far the longest and contains a detailed discussion of the proposed route for an inter-oceanic canal through the country. As indicated in the subtitle, Baily was convinced of the "remarkable capacity for colonization" of the Central American countries. The book concludes with a section on immigration. Baily compared agricultural conditions in Central America to those in southern Texas and argued that European farmers who settled in the region and worked hard would prosper and "prepare a handsome inheritance for their posterity."

In this remarkable and engaging book, William LeoGrande offers the first comprehensive history of U.S. foreign policy toward Central America in the waning years of the Cold War. From the overthrow of the Somoza dynasty in Nicaragua and the outbreak of El Salvador's civil war in the late 1970s to the final regional peace settlements negotiated a decade later, he chronicles the dramatic struggles--in Washington and Central America--that shaped the region's destiny. For good or ill, LeoGrande argues, Central America's fate hinged on decisions that were subject to intense struggles among, and within, Congress, the CIA, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the White House--decisions over which Central Americans themselves had little influence. Like the domestic turmoil unleashed by Vietnam, he says, the struggle over Central America was so divisive that it damaged the fabric of democratic politics at home. It inflamed the tug-of-war between Congress and the executive branch over control of foreign policy and ultimately led to the Iran-contra affair, the nation's most serious political crisis since Watergate.

This popular text surveys the history of the Central American region, covering Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, from pre-Columbian times to the present. It emphasizes the common characteristics of the Central American states as well as their potential for political union. Now completely updated, the third edition of Central America: A Nation Divided encompasses the significant new research and tumultuous events that have taken place since the last edition was published. The text now includes coverage of the civil wars in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, as well as the restoration of peace to the region under the Central American peace accords. It also recounts and analyzes the substantial changes that have occurred in the economic and social arenas as Central American states have turned increasingly to neoliberal policies that emphasize the private sector and the development of exports while reducing government entitlement programs. Students will find this text enormously helpful for sorting through the vast amounts of significant research that has been written and compiled in the past decade. In addition, the Selective Guide to the Literature section has been completely revised to reflect the great increase in research and writing on Central America. Comprehensive and incisively written, Central America: A Nation Divided is an essential text for Latin American History courses.

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