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12 January 2009
Dense, but Helpful
This was a required text for a Church History course at seminary. This is a very dense volume for only having two hundred pages. The vocabulary used is difficult and makes for some slow reading at times. That being said, George Garnett offers some keen insights into the history around Marsilius of Padua. He provides a great summary of past positions and research on Marsilius, and then marshals historical witnesses to support or contrast with those positions. This is a great volume for evaluating the existing scholarship on Marsilius of Padua.
05 October 2006
A short history of Latin America
If you are looking for a well-written, concise primer on Latin American history, this is the book. The book is fast-paced and it's 350 pages go by quickly. In covering the histories of all of Latin America post-Columbus, Chasteen paints in broad strokes by necessity. There are several useful maps throughout the book as well as an excellent summary chart in the front lining up Latin American histories side-by-side. He introduces us to many of the historical figures who were involved in Latin American history, including many who are relatively obscure. Chasteen leaves the reader with a lot of "juicy tidbits" that they can pursue in greater depth. Altogether, it is a fast-paced book that moves you through Latin American history in under 400 pages with enough detail for the reader to construct an accurate portrait of the past five hundred years in Latin America.