Fire down below

Harvey, a British House of Commons member and former Economist correspondent for Latin America, here provides a useful overview of the contrasting natures of the area's individual countries and people, from the primitive to sophisticated, including three distinct Indian nations, many of whose members are victims of displacement and mistreatment. More probing than most travel books, the author's acute sense of observation, analysis of complex economic and political matters and evocative prose convey not only the flavor and variety of often spectacular scenic beauty but the suffering, horror and poverty inflicted on the people by civil wars, dictators and natural disasters. In each country Harvey interviewed representatives of opposing political factions, and although he asserts that earlier U.S. involvement could have prevented or alleviated many Latin American problems, he is guardedly optimistic about the future of democracy south of the border.--Publisher's Weekly.