John Charles Chasteen, Patterson Distinguished Term Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
John Charles Chasteen is Patterson Distinguished Term Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both a writer and a translator, his books include Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America.

Preface
Discovering América, 1799-1805
Pillars of the Crown, 1806-1810
Not-so-Civil Wars, 1810-1812
A Lost Cause?, 1812-1815
Independence Won, 1816-1824
Nation-Building Begins, 1824-1850

"John Chasteen is a terrific storyteller, and the protagonists in this epic narrative are vivid and fascinating. Along with the usual cast of characters--Bolívar, Hidalgo, San Martín, José Bonifácio--we are also introduced to men of color from modest backgrounds and women, from the elite and popular classes, who made significant contributions to the struggles for independence. Moreover, he consistently chronicles their participation within the context of new transatlantic political and cultural trends. The result is a book that marvelously demonstrates how scholarly research redefines the way we narrate historical events."