Given the tremendous growth of Latin American and Caribbean studies in the last three decades and the explosion of scholarly writings on these areas, a comprehensive guide to the literature and research trends was overdue. The present volume provides a massive review of, and a guide to, reference and bibliographic sources on Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as descriptions of specialized resources.
The guide’s principal virtue is its interdisciplinary nature. The volume is divided into 15 chapters, each consisting of essays about research trends and available information followed by annotated bibliographies, including essential sources and reference works. For instance, “History”, one of the longer chapters (pp. 291-441), features outstanding and insightful essays on early colonial history by Lyman Johnson and Susan Socolow, on the 1750-1850 period by Frank Safford, on the era since 1850 by Richard Slatta, and on Brazilian history by Steven Topik. Each essay is accompanied by essential bibliographic listings, which include periodical references, by David Block, Russ Davidson, Deborah Jakubs, and Ludwig Lauerhass, and a well-designed general bibliography by David Block. The history chapter is a much-needed, albeit partial, updating of Charles Griffin and Ben Warren’s Latin America: A Guide to the Historical Literature (1971) and to Robin Humphreys’ Guide to Latin American History (1958).
Another substantial chapter deals with literature (pp. 443-38). Comprehensive and insightful essays were contributed by Enrique Pupo Walker and Roberto Gonzáles Echevarría on Spanish American literature, by K. David Johnson on Brazilian letters, and by Laurence Hallewell on the literary production of the English-speaking Caribbean. The chapter on economics by William Glade (pp. 155-234) provides a partial updating to Roberto Cortés Conde’s seminal Latin America: A Guide to Economic History (1977). Glade traces the development of the field through CEPAL, the rise of structuralism, and the most recent research trends. This especially valuable overview is accompanied by a useful bibliography by César Rodríguez.
A welcome addition is Harold Colson and Peter Stem’s chapter on databases. They point out that “the 1990s have seen the emergence of both dedicated area subject databases on Latin America [in the United States] and the development of indigenous databases in Latin America itself” (p. 139). For instance, as of the publication of volume 50 in 1991, The Handbook of Latin American Studies’ entire editorial process is totally automated. The Handbook database—which is now available on the Internet—includes approximately 45,000 bibliographic records for books, serial articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. It is growing annually by about 10,000 bibliographic records.
Researchers will find the chapter “Women’s Studies” by Asunción Lavrin both thorough and timely, featuring the latest research trends. The section on politics by Gary Wynia, with a superb bibliography by Peter Johnson, draws attention to “the new scholarship focused on the Cuban revolution” (p. 629) and the sophisticated interdisciplinary studies on political elites. The other chapters in the volume address anthropology, art and architecture, education, geography, performing arts, religion, and sociology.
A veritable tour de force of organization and coordination, given the many contributors and the variety of libraries consulted, this guide is an indispensable research tool for everyone who investigates Latin America or the Caribbean. For libraries and research centers, this work is a must.
