The Guatemala Reader: History, Culture, Politics [Paperback]

"The Guatemala Reader is captivating both because Guatemalan history is so compelling, and because the editors have done a fantastic job of choosing the texts and images to include. Their selections offer great variety in terms of vision, perspective, and genre, and their introductions to those pieces are uniformly superb." Steve Striffler, co-editor of The Ecuador Reader "I wish that I had found a book like this one thirty years ago, when I first came to Guatemala. This reader is a fresh and exciting constellation of documents, essays, investigations, real voices, and compelling visuals, its depth as multilayered as Guatemala itself. Anyone curious about the fascinating and complex land, the most populous in Central America, will find an incomparable introduction in The Guatemala Reader. Others will keep the collection close for reference and the sheer joy of reading." Mary Jo McConahay, author of Maya Roads: One Woman's Journey Among the People of the Rainforest "This excellent and comprehensive collection of historical and contemporary materials about Guatemala is a seminal addition to the literature. It is brilliantly put together, and it will be useful not only as an introduction for students but also as a reference source for scholars."--Beatriz Manz, author of Paradise in Ashes: A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Terror, and Hope "A lively, literate sourcebook on the politics, economy and society of Guatemala, with selections ranging from historical accounts to newspaper articles, essays, memoir excerpts and modern analysis. A volume the excellent series of Latin American Readers, aimed at students, travelers and scholars." - Longitude: Recommended Reading for Travelers "With an appeal to travelers, students, and scholars, The Guatemala Reader is a useful volume. As an introduction to the country and its people, it drives home some of the stark realities behind its beautiful facade." - Ralph Lee Woodward, The Latin Americanist

Greg Grandin is Professor of History at New York University and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of "Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City," a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History.

Deborah T. Levenson is Associate Professor of History at Boston College and the author of "Trade Unionists against Terror: Guatemala City, 1954-1985" and "Adios Nino: Political Violence and the Gangs of Guatemala City," forthcoming from Duke University Press.

Elizabeth Oglesby is Associate Professor of Geography and Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona. She previously worked as the editor of "Central America Report" and the associate editor for "NACLA Report on the Americas."