As part of my research for my next novel, I purchased the book The History of Venezuela by H. Micheal Tarver and Julia C. Frederick. The 189-page book is a brief summary of Venezuela from Columbus to the initial term of Chávez. Like most history book, it focuses on government with little room for anything else.

The book has concise a timeline of historical events, an index of notable people, and a glossary of important Spanish terms. Each chapter focuses on a specific era of history with a nice summary to conclude the era and setup for the next chapter. The authors write clearly and assume little to no prior knowledge of the country.

Commentary

I’ve learned that leftism or outright communism is a common theme for most authors of Latin America. This is especially true for Venezuela. Hugo Chávez, and his Bolivarian Republic, created a cult-like following of academics, historians, and political commentators.

The good news is that Tarver and Frederick do promote leftist propaganda. The book sticks closely to facts, with out annoying commentary. Whatever their political leanings, it is impossible to judge based on their writings. Compared to other books on Venezuela, the neutral stance is welcome and rare gem.

Review

Overall, I give the book a positive review. I recommend reading this book if you need to learn some of the basics of Venezuelan history without leftist propaganda. The book includes a recommended reading list and documents the sources for its information.

The only negative is the length of the book. It covers a lot of history in a relatively short book. Because of its length, lots of subjects are lightly covered. Tarver authored a textbook on Venezuela, so the authors certainly could have given this book more depth.

The History of Venezuela

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