The Great Depression in Latin America

"In The Great Depression in Latin America, leading Latin Americanists address an important and timely topic from new perspectives, paying more attention to the cultural and social repercussions of the Depression in Latin America than have previous studies. A number of the essays take strong revisionist stands that will garner a lot of attention, and Paulo Drinot's introduction and Alan Knight's conclusion do a wonderful job of framing and enhancing the already strong essays."
- Steven Topik, coeditor of From Silver to Cocaine

"At last we have a broad new look at the impact of the Great Depression in Latin America, the most comprehensive and penetrating in a generation. Chapters by top scholars challenge past accounts of the economic collapse itself as well as its impact on politics and policymaking, the eruption of social movements, and the salience of class, race, and gender in the process. Without sacrificing the immense differences across countries and regions, this volume points to a much needed new synthesis."
- John Coatsworth, Columbia University

"This impressive collection breaks new ground in its treatment of the Great Depression's impact on Latin America. Gone are over-simplified emphases on populism, state cooptation of the masses, and the replacement of export-driven economies. In their place we have a more complex treatment of regional differences in the scale and impact of the Depression and of state responses to economic dislocation, as well as of the agency of protagonists like local bourgeoisies, foreign investors, workers, and women. This is obligatory reading for students of twentieth century Latin American political, economic and social history."
- Barry Carr, coeditor of The Cuba Reader: History, Culture, Politics

“[A]n excellent collection of essays by an accomplished group of Latin American, US, and UK scholars.  Breaking new ground in its treatment of the Great Depression's impact on Latin America, in nine country-focused chapters, contributors examine issues illuminating the impact of the Depression on the six largest economies (Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico) as well as Chile, Cuba, and Central America. . . . In sum, the collection provides a wealth of detail and undermines the idea that there was a single set of responses to the Great Depression or a uniform impact across countries and regions. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.” - J. Gerber, Choice

“The Great Depression, it would seem, remains an essential source of the debates that we are still having about the role of the state in the economy and monetarism. This book, therefore, is of real value to students and teachers of Latin American history. The collection offers a full picture of the impact and consequences of the Depression across much of the region, with chapters focusing on individual countries, from Mexico to Argentina.” - Eugene Carey, Latin American Review of Books

"The excellent book, again, does not concertedly recast the decade into a new overarching interpretation; rather, it successfully diversifies and deepens the 1930s beyond its fairly well-known economic determinants and dimensions. This book will prove highly useful to specialists and other readers looking for a broad updated background on Latin America’s active engagement with the 1930s crisis." - Paul Gootenberg, Journal of Latin American Studies

"Drinot, Knight, and their contributors have produced an impressive volume. Not only is it of interest to economists and scholars of economic shocks from every discipline, but those with an interest in—or responsibility for policy toward—Latin America will find it a rich source of insights."  - David S. C. Chu, Journal of Economic Literature

"[T]he book succeeds in grounding the Great Depression in broader political, social, economic, and cultural processes, dismissing easy generalizations and revealing similarities and differences among Latin American countries.... [T]his book is a significant addition that will be of interest to scholars and general public alike on a topic whose contemporary relevance, once again, has been highlighted by the recent global economic crisis." - Jorge A. Nállim, Labour/Le Travail

"All the chapters make thought-provoking arguments that historians will find useful when discussing the period." - James P. Brennan, American Historical Review

"With The Great Depression in Latin America, Paulo Drinot and Alan Knight provide students and teachers of Latin American history with a valuable survey of a pivotal period. . . . [T]his volume does an admirable job of representing the diversity of experience that was Latin American in the 1920s and 1930s." - Julia Sloan, History Teacher

"Here are new histories of political economy which give rich contrasts and comparisons for those studying fascism, communism and corporatism in Europe and North America." - William Booth, History

"[A]n informative and worthwhile read. Comprising a wealth of both political and economic information, it is suitable reading for the expert and non-expert alike." - N. Clark Capshaw, International Dialogue