An incisive and thorough analysis of United States foreign policy in Central America, Inevitable Revolutions brilliantly exposes how successive administrations wrestled with and were ultimately unable to reconcile the United States' conflicted interests in Central America and the consequences of those failures.

this is a well researched book about u.s. involvement in central america that starts with the monroe doctrine and goes through to today. the author does an excellent job of documenting and analyzing u.s. foreign policy towards the region.

Walter LaFeber clearly stands outside the liberal-conservative Cold War consensus. Critiquing the long term assumptions of American policy toward Central America from a New Left perspective, LaFeber spared neither JFK nor LBJ. In Inevitable Revolutions he outlined how the groundwork was laid by the united states in the 1960s for Central American revolutions which the Reagan administration was attempting to subvert in the 1980s.The influence of William A. Williams on Walter LaFeber is most eviden [...]

A very excellent introduction to the last 150 years of Central American history with an emphasis on the 1980's. A very clear perspective on the ability to cause unintended consequences. Sad to say, U.S.A. policy does not shine in this history, although it is fair to say that no president who thought of the area since Monroe coined the 'Monroe Doctrine' got it quite right. The Reagan years are probably the most unsettling, preferring military regimes over real democratic countries, and in the end [...]

Although the thought of something as inevitable makes me skeptical, LeFeber's Inevitable Revolutions is a classic in the field of US Foreign Relations. In terms of style, structure, and argument LeFeber offers a model of writing history by tracing United States interventions in Central America to what was a region in crisis in the 1980s. His argument, that the US dependency system leads to Revolution is one we might consider still today, but in terms of global economic ties.

in this fairly comprehensive and in many ways a brilliant synthesis, i nevertheless have to dock lafeber points for the total abandonment of any attempt at narrative, and his lax treatment of the causal relationships events in one central american country tended to have on another. i had to keep a running diary in my mind of what was happening each year in all the other countries while reading a section on any given individual country, which made this a tougher read than it had to be.

Excellent book. Difficult in some areas to get through but overall very easy to read considering it is a history book. LaFaber concludes that overall American foreign policy in Latin America has created an atmosphere where revolution is inevitable.LaFaber is excellent in looking at specific instances and countries while still capturing the overall feel of diplomatic history between the U.S. and Latin America.His idea on the "system" is also interesting. Recommended for the historian and general [...]

A thorough examination of 200 years of U.S. diplomatic, military and economic influence in Central America. Lafeber labors methodically to contrast the nuances of each succeeding administration's interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, neatly connecting these policies to his stated thesis: U.S. Central American policy fixated on maintaining regional stability, often by throwing support behind bloody authoritarian regimes, which served ultimately to foment rather than prevent the forces of revolut [...]

Good stuff. Probably the best book on the United States and Central America I've read to date. It cuts through the optics and posturing to get to the actual motivations of these rival interests, how they executed their strategies, and the results of their actions - in this case, the galvanization of anti-American sentiment in Central America.

This was one of many books picked up during the military interventions of the USA in Central America but only read much later. When my stepbrother Erik Badger and our friend Kristian went to El Salvador and Honduras several years later, I gave them this to read beforehand.

Took me a long time to get through this, but it was worth it. Great overview of the absolute insanity of U.S. policy in Central America over the past two centuries, particularly the barbarity carried out by the Reagan administration.

Iam. Not. Sure. How. To. Rate. This. Book. Ummm

clear. comprehensive. puts Central Americans at the center of their history. the best CA history book I have encountered.

My introduction to revisionist history, written by one of the most brilliant professors I ever had.

very informative, but dry to read.

Fruit growing, U.S. hegemony, and Central American revolutions mix in this story of United Fruit company's activities in the land South of the border.

A truly eye-opening account of American foreign policy in Central America. It exposes the almost imperialistic aspect of our involvement in many different countries.

good read and interesting prose

Masterpiece!