The horrors of September 11, 2001, thrust the subject of “anti-Americanism” into bold relief across the news media, the Internet, and the minds of people all over the world. Since then, the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the abuse of prisoners in Baghdad have fanned the flames of anti-Americanism to their highest level in history. Therefore, the urgency of Alan McPherson’s excellent book increases daily during these tumultuous and sanguinary times. The United States would do well to heed his conclusion, that “arrogance in the face of aggression eventually produce[s] more aggression” (p. 169). Uncovering the roots of the thing called “anti-Americanism” in Latin America, McPherson identifies the primary factors that shaped its development, such as ambivalence toward the combined promise and threat of the United States. His account goes back to the nineteenth century, when the love-hate pattern of inter-American relations first emerged. José Enrique Rodó’s turn-of-the-century critique, Ariel...

You do not currently have access to this content.