Professor Leslie Bethell is Emeritus Professor of Latin American History in the University of London and an Emeritus Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford. He was Director of the University of London Institute of Latin American Studies from 1987 to 1992 and the University of Oxford Centre for Brazilian Studies from 1997 to 2007. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centro de Pesquisa e Documentacao de Historia Contemporanea do Brasil at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"A particularly commendable feature of this scholarly undertaking lies in the fact that the corps of historians who have contributed to these volumes have, in many cases, read one another's essays, and have commented critically and offered helpful suggestions as the project went forward. This has resulted in an optimum degree of competency and high level of scholarship. The material presented and the varying interpretaions offered combine to form a highly readable text and most enjoyable experience for the reader. A carefully detailed index is to be found in each volume. In addition, all three tomes, taken together, contain more than 200 pages of richly documented bibliographic materials, based on the subject matter of each chapter." - Revista Canadiense De Estudios Hispanicos

"The essays ... are generally of high quality ... the overall impression is one of solid scholarship and sound judgement, a reflection on both the authors and editor Leslie Bethell ... likely to serve as an indispensable reference for scholars, as a convenient summary of recent scholarship ... and as standard statements of current conventional wisdoms against which future research and writing will be framed and judged. In short, these volumes amply justify the vision that launched them." - American Historical Review

"Leslie Bethell's grand enterprise ... so far so good, indeed, so far so very good. This newest (and fastest appearing) of the multi volume Cambridge histories is as authoritative as any of its predecessors ... Bethell has succeeded in putting together as good a collaborative history of Latin America as is conceivable right now... These two volumes will take their place alongside the preceding three as indispensable reading matter for Latin Americanists (and, one hopes, many others) for a long time to come." - Bulletin of Latin American Research

"The two volumes are to be warmly welcomed. They are an undoubted success. They will be a great value for reference and teaching ... There is simply no text available which comes anywhere near these two volumes in breadth and quality of coverage. Leslie Bethell is to be congratulated in maintaining ... the same form, control and sense of direction displayed in the first three volumes of the series." - Journal of Latin American Studies

"Professor Bethell has done his job sensitively and well ... I find it hard to believe that a better collaborative history of Latin America could be assembled at the present time." - Times Literary Supplement

"... maintains the high standards and exceptional usefulness of other [volumes]... include many of the world's leading authorities on Latin American history...superb bibliographical essays... a monumental contribution... should be in every library and on the shelves of all serious specialists on Latin America." - Choice

"A genuine classic in the same scholarly, authoritative and comprehensive tradition as its predecessors." - Library Journal Best Reference Books of 1986

"... volumes merit a readership beyond historians ... the substantial contribution to the subject made by scholars from other disciplines economics, literature and political science is reflected in. these two volumes ... scholarly synthesis of ... quality ... the multi volume Cambridge histories have often come under heavy criticism for lacking a clear purpose or editorial continuity. Neither criticism can fairly be made of these volumes." - International Affairs

"... cohesive, satisfying and thorough. They give a real sense of the state of the latest historiography." - Canadian Journal of History

"Two indispensable volumes which go far beyond the minimum requirement of providing a standard work of reference." - Bulletin of Hispanic Studies

"When publication is complete the Cambridge History will stand alone as a commanding survey of historical knowledge of the region and guide to its bibliography. Individual chapters are never less than authoritative, while some are models of concise scholarship. The editor has shown enormous determination in pursuing his contributors and shaping their contributions to fit in the overall design. On the basis of what has appeared so far, it is a remarkable achievement that demands congratulations and gratitude... a wealth of scholarship, of careful generalization, authoritative judgement and helpful direction... These volumes are a major historiographical achievement." - Economic History Review