Jerry Dávila is Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor of Brazilian History at the University of Illinois. He is the author of Diploma of Whiteness: Race and Social Policy in Brazil, 1917–1945 (2003) and Hotel Trópico: Brazil and the Challenge of African Decolonization, 1950 – 1980 (2010), both of which have been translated into Portuguese and published in Brazil. Dávila has taught in both the United States and Latin America, where he held the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Studies at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica in Rio de Janeiro and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of São Paulo.

"In this thoughtful, well-organized, and readable textbook, [the author] illuminates this period of South American history by comparing three of the most flagrant cases of military rule: Brazil (1964-1988), Chile (1973-1990), and Argentina (1976-1983). ...Dávila seeks to capture the urgency of this extraordinary period for contemporary readers and to help them to understand that if 'the stakes were enormous, so were the costs.'Since the book forms a part of Wiley-Blackwell's Viewpoints/Puntos de Vista series, which seeks to introduce students to a significant theme or topic in Latin American history, the author has designed the narrative in ways to enlighten and engage an undergraduate audience.An extremely helpful and thorough bibliography enhances the value of the text as a reference source not just for undergraduates but for scholars at all levels.In short, at a time when many professors are abandoning textbooks to rely on scattered internet materials, those who deal with twentieth century Latin America will find that this one compact volume will bring to the fore enough challenging questions and useful information to engage their students throughout a semester." - The Latin Americanist“This concise history of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile from the mid-20th century until its end is excellent... Invaluable for undergraduate collections. Summing up: Essential. All levels/libraries.”  (Choice, 1 October 2013)

• List of Illustrations viiiSeries Editor’s Preface xiPreface and Acknowledgements xiiiIntroduction 11 Dependency, Development, and Liberation: Latin America in the Cold War 92 Brazil: What Road to Development? 203 Argentina: Between Peronism and Military Rule 554 Chile: From Pluralistic Socialism to Authoritarian Free Market 825 Argentina: The Terrorist State 1126 Brazil: The Long Road Back 1377 Chile: A “Protected Democracy”? 156Conclusion 179Sources 185Index 201