Latin America is attracting increasing interest due to the strong economic performance of the last decade and to the political changes that are taking place. This book gives a unique, comprehensive, and up to date view of Latin America economic development over the two centuries since Independence. It considers Latin American economies within the wider context of the international economy, and covers economic growth, international trade, capital flows, and trends in inequality and human development. With chapters that cover different eras, it traces the major developments of Latin American countries and offers a novel and coherent interpretation of the economic history of the region. It combines a wealth of original research, new perspectives, and empirical information to provide a synthesis of the growing literature that both complements and extends previous studies.

About the Author
Luis Bertola is Visiting Professor at Gothenburg University and Editor of the Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History Review, and the Montevideo-Oxford Latin American Economic History Database. He is a member of the bureau of the International Economic History Association. ; Jose Antonio Ocampo is former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Economic and Social Affairs, former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and former Minister of Finance, Agriculture, and Planning of Colombia.

Reviews
The development failures and challenges of Latin America today are deeply rooted in its past. This lucid and authoritative book by two of the continents leading scholars is the place to start to understand how that past was formed and has evolved to shape the present in all its complexity. Indispensable. * James Robinson, David Florence Professor of Government, Harvard University *
A superb study of two centuries of Latin American economic history, bringing together fresh data and modern development thinking. For the first time we can track the shifts in inequality over time, while the global context and the instability it causes are brilliantly handled. The country variations are delicately traced but never at the expense of the overall pattern. * Rosemary Thorp, Oxford University *
Bertola and Ocampo have written the most up-to-date synthesis of the economic history of Latin America. The authors write with vigor and clarity on the leading issues that dominate current debates on the long-run development of Latin America, including convergence and divergence, income distribution, the institutional framework and instability. They base their findings on an impressive set of historical data covering all countries in different time periods. This book is destined to become not only the basic textbook on Latin American economic history but also an excellent platform for intellectual discussions on the challenges for development in historical perspective. * Carlos Marichal, El Colegio de Mexico *
Bertola and Ocampo have produced a penetrating, original, and clear-headed economic history of Latin America from Independence to 21st century globalization. Indispensable reading for understanding Latin Americas late development, historic inequalities, evolving institutions, and contemporary economic challenges, all brilliantly compressed into a single volume. * John Coatsworth, Provost, Columbia University *
This is a welcome addition to our understanding of Latin America's economic history since independence. ... this book demonstrates how much progress has been made in the last few decades in terms of our understanding. * Victor Bulmer-Thomas, Journal of Latin American Studies *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199662135
Author Luis Bertola
Format Hardback
Page Count 330
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 672g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 162mm * 24mm