Historical dictionary of U.S.-Latin American relations /

According to the preface, this dictionary by Dent (Towson Univ.) offers more than 260 entries on "terms, Washington policy makers, U.S. presidents, Latin American politicians, policies, doctrines, films, covert operations, treaties, and major events--that help define the history of U.S.-Latin American relations beginning in the early years of the nineteenth century." It includes recent developments, with entries for people and topics in today's headlines (George W. Bush, Vicente Fox, Guantanamo Bay, drug trafficking, NAFTA). Additionally, references to those not accorded their own entries (Hugo Chavez, Carlos Menem) may be located through the detailed index. Supplementing the general selective bibliography are references to suggested readings at the end of each entry. A "Timeline of U.S.-Latin American Relations" covers 1794-2005. This work, especially useful for its variety of coverage and inclusion of current material, complements three older reference tools: the author's The Legacy of the Monroe Doctrine (CH, Jul'99, 36-6051), which takes a country-by-country approach; The United States in Latin America: A Historical Dictionary, by David Shavit (CH, Nov'92, 30-1287), which emphasizes biographical data for leaders from missionaries to politicians; and U.S.-Latin American Policymaking: A Reference Handbook (1995), a collection of articles that provide background, written by a number of scholars and edited by Dent. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Academic libraries supporting upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers interested in Latin America, US history, or foreign relations; general readers. A. Hartness University of Texas at Austin

Dent surveys U.S.-Latin American relations from the federal period through the presidency of George W. Bush. There are more than 200 entries in dictionary format. Some entries are a paragraph or two, but many are longer. Each entry has extensive cross-references indicated by boldface type and concludes with suggested readings. A long bibliography is accompanied by a list of Internet resources. Topics range from the Monroe Doctrine0 (1823)0 to North American Free Trade Agreement0 (NAFTA), Good neighbor policy0 to Gunboat diplomacy,0 and include obscure treaties and individuals as well as major programs and political figures. Reference aids include a "Guide to Related Topics" and a chronology from 1794 to November 2005. The title has the virtues and vices of a one-author reference book. A reviewer of Dent's Encyclopedia of Modern Mexico0 (Scarecrow, 2002) observed that "the author's prejudices do break through," and they do here as well. In the article on diplomats, Dent refers to "pin-striped plenipotentiaries." In many articles (for example, Operation Condor0 ), quotation marks are too often used for emphasis. Some facts could have used checking, most notably the reference to the 1817-1925 presidency of James Monroe in the introduction (p. xxii), although his dates are correct in the main text. The book would be most suited to an academic library's Latin American collection or a large public library with a strong interest in Latin America. --Kathleen Stipek Copyright 2006 Booklist

The events of 9/11 certainly changed the world, but the effect the terrorist attacks had on U.S. relations with Latin America in particular was profound. An already difficult border situation with Mexico took a diplomatic back seat, as did attempts to curb the influx of drugs from countries like Colombia. Considering the current state of foreign affairs with Latin America, this reference work by Dent (political science, emeritus, Towson Univ., Baltimore; Encyclopedia of Modern Mexico) couldn't be more timely. The 260 A-to-Z entries range between one paragraph to several pages in length and include suggested readings as well as See Also links to other relevant references. They cover terms, policies, doctrines, films, covert operations, treaties, major events, and various groups of individuals (e.g., Washington policymakers, U.S. presidents, Latin American politicians). The entries on topics such as the School of the Americas, the United Fruit Company, and W.R. Grace are essential for a resource such as this. Bottom Line The strength of this book is the succinct writing and the inclusion of concepts, strategies, ideologies, doctrines, conflicts, and processes. The 20-page index is also excellent. Although some may not agree with Dent's arguably liberal bias, his treatment of the topics is for the most part fair and balanced. Recommended for all academic and larger public libraries.-Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., AL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.