ROBERT M. BUFFINGTON, LILA CAIMARI
The tenth edition of Keen’s Latin American Civilization inaugurates a new era in the history of this classic anthology by dividing it into two volumes. This first volume retains most of the colonial period sources from the ninth edition but with some significant additions, including new sets of images representing Brazilian cannibals and “casta paintings” of mixed race families, an alternative conquest narrative, and five new readings on imperial governance, gender, and sexuality—including selections from the autobiography of a Spanish nun who took on a male persona to fight as a soldier in the American colonies. The 88 excerpts in Volume One provide foundational and riveting first-hand accounts of life in colonial Latin America.
The second volume retains most of the modern period sources from the ninth edition but with some significant additions including nine new readings on popular culture, ideologies of modernization, revolution and dictatorship, as well as new sources that reflect the latest events and trends. The 84 excerpts in Volume Two provide foundational and often riveting first-hand accounts of life in modern Latin America. Concise introductions for chapters and excerpts provide essential context for understanding the primary sources in both Volume One and Volume Two.