A panorama of Puerto Rican life from the 15th to the 21st century
For 50 years thousands of students, and readers interested in the history of Puerto Rico based on facts and documents have turned to this book. During these years the text was updated and expanded in eight editions. 50th anniversary edition 1973-2023. This expanded edition covers 500 years of Puerto Rico’s history, providing a kaleidoscopic view of the island’s past. It begins with a preface by the editors celebrating the 50th anniversary of the book’s first printing and includes new sections on the debt crisis and the end of the bankruptcy procedure in 2022, the COVID pandemic and its consequences, the hurricanes from Maria to Fiona and their aftermath, The 2022 elections and the upcoming plebiscite
An essential sourcebook for a better understanding of the Puerto Ricans. The editors believe that their experience as a people has been obscured by propaganda and that a subtle brand of colonialism still endures. They prove both points. . . . Their book [has] a kaleidoscopic, fast-paced rhythm that makes it engrossing reading. It is a welcome addition to both Puerto Rican historicity and to American ethnological literature.”— The New York Times
“An excellent ‘documentary history’ of Puerto Rico, its problems, present status, tensions, and prospects.”— The Nation
“A pleasure to read. Each page provides a fresh glimpse into the unfolding story of a people. The book captures the human and personal component of sweeping historical changes.”
— International Migration Review