Chapters of Brazil's Colonial History, 1500-1800

In its choice of topics, this book is simliar in many ways to other history books from the early 20th Century. A lot of attention is paid to battles, and to catalogues of geographical data or descriptions. It's not an easy book to start with, if you're interested in understanding modern Brazil or its history. But the descriptions of people and of the social climate, especially in the early and later parts of the book, are surprisingly fresh. There are some especially nice touches in the last chapter of the book, such as a few stanzas from a popular song written from the point of view of a famous steer. Also, the author has a wicked sense of humor that made me laugh out loud in a few places. Capistrano de Abreu's sentences are shorter than typical for academic historians of a hundred years ago, with more punch and less purple prose. The translation is fluid and easy to read. The previous reviewer is right, though, about the sorely-felt absence of a map. I tried to follow along using a wall-sized folding map (1:5 million scale) and was able to muddle through, though many of the historical place-names didn't appear on my modern version. In any case, most of the passages where the place-names come fast and furious are less essential for enjoying the book.

With many books written by American or other authors, this book has its own flavor: a brazilian flavor. Written by a Brazilian, he tells a story that does not embelish or take sides. A rather fine book!!