The Banana Men: American Mercenaries and Entrepreneurs in Central America, 1880-1930

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About The Banana Men: American Mercenaries And

Product Description Ambitious entrepreneurs, isthmian politicians, and mercenaries who dramatically altered Central America's political culture, economies, and even its traditional social values populate this lively story of a generation of North and Central Americans and their roles in the transformation of Central America from the late nineteenth century until the onset of the Depression. The Banana Men is a study of modernization, its benefits, and its often frightful costs. The colorful characters in this study are fascinating, if not always admirable. Sam "the Banana Man" Zemurray, a Bessarabian Jewish immigrant, made a fortune in Honduran bananas after he got into the business of "revolutin," and his exploits are now legendary. His hired mercenary Lee Christmas, a bellicose Mississippian, made a reputation in Honduras as a man who could use a weapon. The supporting cast includes Minor Keith, a railroad builder and banana baron; Manuel Bonilla, the Honduran mulatto whose cause Zemurray subsidized; and Jose Santos Zelaya, who ruled Nicaragua from 1893 to 1910. The political and social turmoil of the modern Central America cannot be understood without reference to the fifty-year epoch in which the United States imposed its political and economic influence on vulnerable Central American societies. The predicament of Central Americans today, as isthmian peoples know, is rooted in their past, and North Americans have had a great deal to do with the shaping of their history, for better or worse. Review "Although both historians have produced previous books on US-Central American relations, they have approached the subject from distinct perspectives and utilized different methodologies. In this study, they attempt to create a richer analysis by combining their respective strengths to examine a neglected topic"― CJLACS "A valuable addition to the bookshelf of scholars, tourists, or volunteers who wish to understand the economic and political forces and North and Central American actors that created the regions banana republics."― Historical Geographer "Recounts incredible stories within the framework of social imperialism and dependency theory."― Latin American Research Review "The heart of the book is an engaging and fascinating narrative of the entrepreneurs and mercenaries who 'ravished' Central America between 1880 and 1930. Langley and Schoonover captured the spirit of the age and the personalities of those who walked across it by letting their characters speak for themselves and including descriptive passages in their traditional narrative."― The Americas "An important addition to the literature of the United States' intervention in Latin America during the period after 1880."― Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science From the Back Cover Ambitious entrepreneurs, isthmian politicians, and mercenaries who dramatically altered Central America's political culture, economies, and even its traditional social values populate this lively story of a generation of North and Central Americans and their roles in the transformation of Central America from the late nineteenth century until the onset of the Depression. The Banana Men is a study of modernization, its benefits, and its often frightful costs. The political and social turmoil of modern Central America cannot be understood without reference to the fifty-year epoch in which the United States imposed its political and economic influence on vulnerable Central American societies. The predicament of Central Americans today, as isthmian peoples know, is rooted in their past, and North Americans have had a great deal to do with the shaping of their history, for better or worse. About the Author Lester D. Langley is professor of history at the University of Georgia. He is the author of The Cuban Policy of the United States: A Brief History, Struggle for the American Mediterranean: United States-European Rivalry in the Gulf-Caribbean, 1776-1904,