Latin America in Colonial Times
by Matthew Restall
This scholarly primer considers the history of the continent from the arrival of the first Conquistadors in the 16th century to the dying embers of empire 300 years later, giving equal weight to the histories of the colonial rulers, the African slaves brought over to work in the New World and the indigenous groups whose lives and lands were forever changed by conquest.
Our Lady of the Assassins
by Fernando Vallejo, Paul Hammond (Translator)
A vivid, cynical portrait of Medellin, Colombia's second largest city and the stronghold of ruthless drug lord Pablo Escobar. The narrator returns to the town after a long absence to find it beset by horrific violence and a chilling indifference to death.
Lonely Planet Colombia
by Lonely Planet, Lonely Planet Publications
A practical guide to Colombia featuring maps and detailed information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With a few color photographs and excellent travel information.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
by Tom Standage
A highly enjoyable chronicle of the prestige, power, politics and pleasures of key beverages through the ages. Standage argues that the drinks that have mattered, since the Stone Age, are, in chronological order: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Each chapter is a vivid history of politics, prestige, colonialism, commerce and society.
Colombia Map
by ITMB
A colorful travel map of Colombia, including an inset of Bogota, at a scale of 1:2,000,000.
Birds of Northern South America, Vol. 2: Field Guide
by Robin Restall, Clemencia Rodner, Roger Williams
This comprehensive field guide, featuring an astounding 6400 paintings and 2308 maps, covers all the birds from Ecuador to Guiana.
The Making of Modern Colombia, A Nation in Spite of Itself
by David Bushnell
A leading historian of the region, Bushnell traces the political history of Colombia from before the arrival of the Spaniards through independence and reform in the 19th century, then through to the 1980s in this thoroughly enjoyable, incisive portrait of a nation.
The Andes
by Jason Wilson
Starting out in Cuzco, heart of the Inca Empire, Wilson spreads north and south along the Andes, including excerpts from South American literary giants, travelers and his own impressions.
Culture Smart! Colombia
by Kate Cathey
A concise and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture.
Looking For History, Dispatches From Latin America
by Alma Guillermoprieto
A beautifully written, incisive collection of essays on contemporary Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Peru and Mexico.
My Colombian War, A Journey Through the Country I Left Behind
by Silvana Paternostro
Now a journalist living in New York, Paternostro travels back to her homeland in a search for the roots of Colombia's bloody civil war.
Miracle in the Land of Coffee
by Julian Rodriguez (Director)
Set in the 30’s, in the picturesque Colombian countryside, in a time of violence between neighboring towns over local resources. Felipe, a young man of the Franciscan order, has to choose between his faith and calling, or surrender his heart to the woman he loves.
Tropical Nature
by Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata
A lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest.
Love in the Time of Cholera
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Edith Grossman (Translator)
A glorious tale of great love consummated after 50 years, nine months and four days, memorably set in a dusty 19th-century town on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
Liberators, Latin America's Struggle for Independence 1810-1830
by Robert Harvey
Focused on the heroism and derring-do of seven legendary men, Harvey tells the story of Simon Bolivar, General Jose de San Martin and other greats in the fight for independence.
The Conquistadors, A Very Short Introduction
by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Matthew Restall
This provocative book by two leading historians explores who the conquistadors were and what made their adventures possible.
Living to Tell the Tale
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Edith Grossman (Translator)
Garcia's celebrated memoir, as captivating, warm and spirited as any of his fictional tales, covering his youth in Aracataca, memorably recast as fictional Macondo on Colombia's Caribbean coast.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The breathtaking, life-altering, much-celebrated tale of life and love on most everyone's list of the greatest books of all time, ours included.
News of a Kidnapping
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
In 1990, fearing extradition to the United States, Pablo Escobar -- head of the Medellin drug cartel --kidnapped ten notable Colombians to use as bargaining chips. With the eye of a poet, Garcia Marquez describes the survivors' perilous ordeal, depicting through this story the keening ache of Colombia after nearly forty years of turmoil.
