The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 52, July 1948 - April, 1949 Page: 252

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

Latin America: An Historical Survey. By John Francis Bannon,
S.J., and Peter Masten Dunne, S.J. Milwaukee (The Bruce
Publishing Company), 1947. Pp. vii+944. $6.oo.
Fathers Bannon and Dunne have created in their new textbook
on Latin America a most readable volume. While it is almost
encyclopedic in proportions, it remains, in spite of its size, a
compact and readable survey of the field of Latin-American his-
tory. The authors have used the chronological type of organiza-
tion, dividing the work into two main sections. The first section,
the Colonial Period, was under the general supervision of Father
Bannon; while the second, the National Period, was under the
direction of Father Dunne. The Colonial Period is treated as a
unit, with the exception of a separate section dealing with the
Portuguese colony of Brazil. The National Period is divided into
separate sections, each division dealing with an individual coun-
try. The various national states that developed after independ-
ence had individual characteristics, making the treatment of the
second division of the book as a unit impractical.
Each chapter contains a brief chronological table at the com-
mencement of the chapter and a brief bibliographical section at
the conclusion. The nature of the volume is such as will allow
extreme freedom of action in selection of materials to both the
instructor and student.
The authors, both members of the Society of Jesus, handle
the question of the church in Latin America ably and impar-
tially, endeavoring to present the vital question of church and
state in its proper light. The volume should prove most welcome
to instructors of general courses dealing with Latin America, as
it answers the long-felt need for an adequate survey text of this
growing field of history.
V. MITCHELL SMITH
New Mexico College of
Agricultural and Mechanic Arts
A Guide to Historical Method. By Gilbert J. Garraghan, S.J.
Edited by Jean Delanglez, S.J. New York (Fordham Uni-
versity Press), 1946. Pp. xv+482. $4.50.
The foreword, written by Jean Delanglez, S.J., by whom this

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