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David Bushnell. THE MAKING OF MODERN COLOMBIA: A NATION IN SPITE OF ITSELF. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1332. Bibliography, index, tables, maps, photos; 334 pp.
IN EARLY 1993, David Bushnell broke new ground by publishing the first comprehensive, English-language history of Colombia, the third largest country in Latin America. This book will become the required text in the United States for specialized introductory and/or graduate level courses that deal with Colombian history, and it can be used in more general courses on Latin America as an in-depth country study as well.
By characterizing Colombia as "the least studied ... and probably the least understood" (p. vii) of the major Latin American countries, Bushnell challenges the reader to think more critically and less stereotypically about Colombia and Colombians. Reflecting on more than 44 years as student and scholar of Colombia, Bushnell tells us in his preface to the book that drugs, violence, and intolerance are far from the most salient factors in explaining a rich and certainly complex political, economic and social history. The fact that Colombia has received relatively little attention from foreign scholars speaks to the significance that "drama" plays in drawing scholarly attention, especially in the case of Latin America. For instance, 20th century Colombia has -- unlike Mexico, Cuba, or Nicaragua -- remained free of revolution. And unlike Brazil, Chile, or Argentina, Colombia has not been subject to significant, or long-term, military...