I still remember being chastised in Spain when I referred to myself as an American instead of a North American. The memory remained with me when Pope Leo XII was referred to as the first American pope (what about the Argentinian Francis?). Along with thinking of ourselves as "America", present-day US attention is largely focused across the oceans towards Europe and Asia. With a few exceptions (e.g. Mexican-American war, Panama Canal), the US history we are taught in school drops our neighbors to the south once Columbus, Cortez and Pizzaro have left the scene.

Greg Grandin's America, América filled many gaps in my knowledge about our neighbors to the south and the inextricable links between the US and Latin America. Grandin's big thesis is that Latin America has been as big a source of ideas regarding revolution, governance, treatment of indigenous, emancipation, racial equality and the relations between nations as has the US. The early Spanish debates regarding the indigenous were particularly interesting.

It seems that US relations with Latin America have always involved a battle between the uplifters and the exploiters, with the exploiters usually winning out. Major exceptions were the Wilson and FDR administrations when our southern neighbors were given freer reign to develop policies that went against powerful moneyed interests of the US. While the advocates of these policies seemed to be true altruists, it also appears they were only able to win out because of the US need for support in two world wars.

The postwar era was particularly dark as brutal right-wing regimes were allowed free reign to suppress the entire left including social Democrats in the name of anti-Communism. Grandin pays particular attention to Colombia; it makes me want to read more Marquez now that I have some context. The role of the Catholic Church here is also interesting, with priests on the ground favoring liberation theology despite a hostile hierarchy. John Paul II and Benedict fiercely opposed these priests, but Francis (who of course is Argentinian) showed more sympathy. In some sense, Leo XIII's service to the poor in Peru makes him the second Latin American pope; it will be interesting to see how this Pope who in some sense represents both America and América balances religion and social justice.

This is definitely a noteworthy read that will significantly broaden most US reader's knowledge of our hemisphere. Thanks to Penguin Press and NetGalley for providing a pre-release ebook for early review.

I love learning more about history, especially history that I wasn't taught in school. This book provides that. I learned more about the history of the Americas and greater context surrounding many historical events that helped me understand them better.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes history and wants to learn more than the standard mythology taught in the United States.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

This was my non-fiction bedtime read for the last few months. Read in snatches after getting the kids to bed every few nights and felt like I learned a bunch every time I curled up with this book. I definitely enjoyed this one but DID find it a bit dense (or maybe it's just the exhaustion of 3 kids under 7) for pleasure reading (even as someone who frequently reads nonfiction). This one is probably best approached by someone with a base knowledge of American (the whole continent) history who is interested in diving in deep and learning plenty more. I am bookmarking this to save for our high school continent studies in our homeschool so I can remember to buy it when the kids are older and need a deep dive.

This book, no this tome, is worth every page. In his usual propulsive writing style, Grandin takes us on a centuries long look at the different ways North America and South America have worked together and how they have moved ideologically apart.

From the conquest to the 2024 electoral results, there is little of hemispheric history that Grandin does not evaluate. While this is a long work, it is a cohesive examination of this geographic area concerning the idea of what it means when we say 'America' and the ways the Americas have and have not changed since their founding.

Another excellent work by Grandin with insightful ideas and a South American focus that is often missed in the analysis of what 'America' was, is, and can be.

Greg Grandin's contribution to readers is to help them understand places, so often linked to their identity, in a new way. His new book, in some ways, is an amalgamation of larger themes from earlier books on Latin America and the idea of the frontier. Here, the United States' conception of America is juxtaposed with Latin America's view of America. It is a history that is wide in scope, but not one that is stretched too thin. What one will come away with is a larger sense of identity; how at times America fits into a larger western hemisphere narrative, and at times tries to stand apart from it.
The book begins with a dive into the social relationships between European immigrants and native tribes. This usually isn't a new story for many, but again, Grandin "zooms out" to look at the larger impact and connections of colonizers both in present-day U.S. and other places. I was left wanting some deeper social history about what linked these groups together (what food did they eat? What interactions did they have?), what the impact of the Columbian exchange was on their livelihood, and how the Puritans viewed the Spanish. Parts 3 through 5 are much stronger, detailing the revolution and early republic years. There's some interesting discussion of the Treaty of Paris and Spain's decision making and consideration of their interests in helping colonists. The subject of manifest destiny and exceptionalism in the US is linked to Bolivar in a fascinating way. Similarly, Grandin links the Monroe Doctrine to independence movements within the hemisphere as a whole. Topics like the American Party and the Texas issue, along with the Panama Conference, are placed in context to show larger trends in the hemisphere. I kept thinking about just how much we try to separate ourselves, but an honest history may show we are more similar than we thought. The highlight of Pt. 5 was the discussion over Wilson sending troops to Mexico. Looked at from an America standpoint, it's often seen as a liberating, peace-keeping mission. Grandin makes the case that there's a deeper story here about identity and belonging that may be the true foundation.

This book challenges typical historiography. Readers may think of it in this sense: European history, Asian history, African history are all typical historiographical schools of study. Less popular is the idea of American history at large. Grandin's book is a narrative that does not overturn all that we have come to understand, but instead adds to our understanding by providing a new, more nuanced perspective. It links ideas that will be familiar to American historians and readers, with those that certainly would not.

I would have loved to have continued to read this narrative past the point at which Grandin ends. Little mention of Reagan and the Cold War, and although it is recent history, the story is being written more now. I would like to read some history about globalization and the impact of NAFTA and free trade has had on the hemisphere and views of America. For that, I'll wait for the updated edition.