"Politics in Brazil...", as the name implies, is a summary of the political and economical life in Brazil from 1930 to 1964. It means the book covers the most important period of Brazilian Histoy in this century, when a rural and almost feudal country began to make a real transition to the Industry Age. Although the subject may seem arid sometimes, Skidmore achieves to make a good and straightforward account of the transformations which made the country a good part of what it is today. His covering of Getulio Vargas' government is very objective and easy to understand, and the author even seems to have a little admiration for our great Macchiavelli.

In short this a fine book, but just for those who already have a basic knowledge of Brazilian history. I even think that every Brazilian high school student should read it -- it explains thing which still affect us today. On the other hand, if the only thing you know about Brazil is that it is Carmen Miranda's land, forget it and try to find another book.

The merit of Professor Skidmore's books on Brazilian history come from the fact that he has painstakingly ammassed the secondary evidence on modern Brazilian history he has been collecting since the 1960s and has sewn all of it into a coherent whole that no one who wants to have a go at the subject- Brazilian or foreign - could skip. Surely, no small merit. However, I would like to point that Professor Skidmore has, above all, been influenced by the views of Brazilian scholars like professor Helio Jaguaribe, one of the founders of the famous 1950s Brazilian think-thank ISEB (Higher Institute of Brazilian Studies) who see Brazilian history mostly in terms of economic "modernization", therefore does not paying that much attention to the blend of economic modernization _and_ political backwardness that makes so much of Brazilian history past and present - something stressed better by Marxist historians like Mario Pedrosa, Livio Xavier, and Florestan Fernandes. However, no one can blame Professor Skidmore for having chosen a given ideological outlook, and it's meritoriously enough that his books will remain, for a long time, necessary stumblin-blocks in the study of Brazilian history.

This is not the book I would recommend as a one volume introductory history of Brazil. The book contains way too many inaccuracies and overlooks many important aspects of Brazil's History. It gets better with the 1930 revolution though. On the book cover's advanced praise the book is welcomed as a standard textbook on Brazil's history for the years to come; I hope not.

The book starts well with an overall introduction of Brazil's regions with geographical, economic, historic and demographic information. it brings good maps including a very interesting one with other countries' maps draped inside Brazil's map showing how huge is the territory (bigger than the continental US). From page 5 it goes downhill only recovering at around page 130. The way the book covers the colonial period is plain useless. The 322 years of Colonial Brazil are rushed in only 31 pages. Important events are forgotten and others are distorted. The Dutch invasion is described in the traditional single sided way. The Dutch occupation and posterior expulsion is regarded as the "Birth of Brazilian Nationalism" without considering the fair amount of Brazilians that saw in the occupation an opportunity of a better future under the rule of the Dutch. Domingo Calabar, in my opinion one of the few Brazilian heroes is not even mentioned.

The episode known as the "Inconfindencia Mineira" is once more glamorized and reported with a pomp that surpass the real importance of the movement. The Imperial period is a little bit better than the Colonial period but not quite. Many glitches can be found. Important popular upheavals like the so called "Confederacao do Equador" didn't receive more than one paragraph in the book. After the advent of the republic the dominance of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais with a minor participation of RioGrande do Sul is not mentioned. Therefore the situation that culminated with Vargas coup d'etat cannot be understood only by reading the book. The book gets better with the 1930 "revolution" and presents good insights on Brazil's society during the following 65 years.

Inaccuracies are found in way too many places. Brazil's discovery date is mistakenly reported as April 23 1500 when it was actually April 22. The "Dia do Fico" (I shall stay day) is confusingly reported as September 7, 1822. The "Dia do Fico" was actually January 9, 1822 and the subsequent half year of pressure and negotiation that culminated on Brazil's independence, now September 7, is totally ignored. Dom Pedro I, the first ruler for the newly independent Brazil is said to return to Portugal to assume the Portugal crown. In fact he had abdicated his right to Portugal throne a few years before in benefit of his daughter, Maria da Gloria but the desire of Dom Pedro I's brother, Don Miguel, to assume himself the control over Portugal led to the so called "War Of The Two Brothers". Princess Isabel is called Princes Isabella. One sack of 60 Kg of coffee in 1909 is said to be worth 33.5 pounds of gold or about 150,000 dollars in today's prices. That would be over a thousand dollars a pound, off by a few orders of magnitude. The first military institutional act is said to expire in 1996. It would expire in 1969.

But don't get me wrong I don't want to be picky about dates or events that are more significant to Portugal History than to Brazilian History. I enjoyed the book. Not that much the Colony and Empire periods but certainly the 20th century after the 1930 "revolution". The book paints a vivid image of Brazil bringing me memories like the parrot Ze Carioca, (Walt Disney's Saludos Amigos), the soccer victories, "Bossa Nova", the "Cinema Novo" the armed guerilla during the military dictatorship years, the popular movement for direct presidential elections in 1983 and all the emotional roller coaster that followed: Tancredo's election and latter demise the dismay brought by Sarney's administration; Fernando Collor de Melo raise and impeachment; The short (thanks God) government of Itamar and finally Fernando Henrique Cardoso's administration with his now long lasting stabilization plan.

The book is OK. It's written more like a short essay compilation so the connection between two historical episodes is usually very weak. I definitely don't like the book before 1930 but I think it gets pretty good after that. I would suggest Boris Fausto's A Concise History of Brazil instead. But the cultural and social aspects of Brazilian life during the 20th century presented in this book are certainly worth the whole book.

Leonardo Alves November 2000

I just completed the last semester of my MBA at Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo and this was the best book of all my materials for my Brazilian history class -- in English or Portuguese! It is comprehensive, entertaining and an easy read all at the same time. He also had the respect of my very critical Brazilian prof!

Of the three short (one-volume) histories of Brazil I've read recently, I consider this the best. Although I agree with Leonardo Alves that the early history is treated too briefly and with minor errors, the book is quite good on the modern history of Brazil. I have one minor criticism, and a wish.

Prof. Skidmore uses the words "left" and "right" regularly to describe the political orientation of important individuals and groups in Brazil. I found this confusing and misleading, until I realiized that I could get a coherent view by replacing "left" by "reformist" and "right" by "conservative" wherever they occur. The problem is that although "left" and "right" are a useful classification in some countries, they do not fit Brazil. For example, Cardoso is frequently considered to be a former leftist who has become a centrist liberal, but this is misleading. Cardoso has consistently been a reformer, wanting to make major changes in the political and economic structure of Brazil, and his only shifts have been tactical; his values and underlying views have not changed. Similarly, it's very confusing to try to classify Goulart and his supporters into "left" and "right." Goulart himself would have been considered a rightist in Europe; he wanted to return to the policies of Vargas; most of his supporters would have been considered "leftists" in Europe. To understand what happened during Goulart's presidency and why it was ended by a military coup, it's more useful to think of Goulart and all his supporters as "reformist" and the Army leadership as "conservative." I recommend that other readers mentally substitute "reformist" for "left" and "conservative" for "right" when reading Skidmore's book.

My wish and hope is that some day soon a capable historian will write a longer and more comprehensive history of Brazil in English. Brazil is nearly as large as the USA and has nearly as many people; it has been settled by Europeans longer than the USA, and its culture throughout its history has been extremely diverse. It is just plain impossible to do justice to the history of Brazil in a short (250 or 300 pages) book; I think it would take something with two or three times as much material. Brazil is becoming more important in world affairs than most people in the USA realize, and it would be good to have a thorough text on Brazil's history in English.

Skidmore and Smith deliver a great historical review of the development of Latin America covering the span between the precolonial period and present time. These authors further engage in individualized analysis of some countries, though leave out some with great historic importance, like Bolivia. Overall however, this book serves as an outstanding reference guide to those interested in Latin American Studies.

Great companion to any intro course of study of Latin American history. You will find easy to follow and clear accounts of the regions and their occastionally hostile beginnings, the political, social and religious climates as well as the traditions and beliefs handed down through the centuries.

There is much to appreciate in this book and I'd recommend it for anyone interested in delving deeper into this region which is rich in history and development.

This is a great book for thoes who know little about Latin American and want to get both snipits as well as the general feel of the past 150 years of Latin American history. As a history major I highly recomend it.

This is a great book and it access most of the important nuances of the role of the media in Brazil's political system. It also addresses the slow process of redemocratization after the end of military rule.