Dr. Michael LaRosa, associate professor of history at Rhodes, teamed up with Colombian historian Dr. Germán Mejía to publish the second edition of An Atlas and Survey of Latin American History (Routledge, August 2018). Originally published in 2006, the book provides topical overviews of the key developments and movements in Latin American history, ranging from the earliest human settlement to the present day.
The fully updated second edition includes a new chapter on Latin America in the 21st century, featuring maps and essays on topics from sports and telenovelas to the growth of the Latin American middle class and the rise and ebb of left-leaning political movements. “Highly readable and beautifully designed, An Atlas and Survey of Latin American History remains an engaging resource for students and others interested in Latin American history, politics, and culture,” according to the publishers. Rhodes history student Derek “A.J.” Sessions assisted with research and editing, and he helped compile the index. The cover concept was developed by LaRosa but executed by Carlos Ramirez, a Santa Fe-based painter, and his daughter, Genina Ramirez, who is a graphic designer.
LaRosa, who also is series editor of Routledge’s “Latin American Tópicos,” focuses his research on the social, political, and religious history of Latin America, specifically Colombia. Much of his work has been conducted in collaboration with historians in Latin America and social scientists in the U.S.
LaRosa and Mejia have worked together before, and in 2012, they published Colombia: A Concise Contemporary History. The second edition of that book published in 2017 (in the U.S.) and in a Spanish-language edition in Bogotá. Their new book is available here.
