I know: A history book is not meant to be a page turner. But this book is written in such a dry and unemotional way that the reader wonders why he was originally interested in that region at all. It mainly consist of a compressed recounting of historical events the author has read about somewhere else. The book may be helpful for the fist year history student, but for the 'layman' who has a general interest in the region and its history, this book isn't worth buying. Sorry!

Ralph Woodward's Central America: A Nation Divided, has been the best introductory book to the region. This third edition is a clear improvement over the previous editions. Both the chronology and the bibliography have been updated and expanded. (The Bibliography is now 77 pages long!) The book is strong on the era of independence and the early national period (1780's to 1840's). It is excellent for the 1970's to the present. All of the countries are evenly covered, including Belize. However, it is not as comprehensive for the rest of the 19th century when coffee and bananas permanently shaped the economies and societies of the region. It is also weak on the Indian cultures prior to the Spanish conquest.