This book provides over 260 entries on U.S. presidents, Latin American politicians, covert operations, policies, and major events since the early 1800s that define the contentious relations between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region.

From the Monroe Doctrine to NAFTA, the tone of U.S.-Latin America relations has been set by the United States, and largely to its benefit. Dent compiles more than 260 A-to-Z entries that detail the key people, events, treaties, wars, and concepts that have gone into the making of the often contentious relations between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region. Entries conclude with suggested readings and are thoroughly cross-referenced. A thematic index guides users to related entries, and an extensive bibliography includes a list of key works central to the study of U.S.-Latin American relations. There is also a separate list of relevant online resources. The entire work is also thoroughly indexed.

Useful for students and researchers of international politics within the Western hemisphere, Dent's historical dictionary covers items ranging from pro-slavery filibusterers adventuring in Central America, Dollar Diplomacy, Anti-Americanism, Banana Wars, the Reagan Doctrine, Sandinistas, friendly Dictators, Che Guevara, to the impact of the events of September 11, 2001 on Latin America, among many others.

"According to the preface, this dictionary by Dent offers more than 260 entries on terms, Washington policy makers, U.S. presidents, Latin American politicians, policies, doctrines, films, covert operations, treaties, and major events--that help define the history of U.S.-Latin American relations beginning in the early years of the nineteenth century. It includes recent developments, with entries for people and topics in today's headlines (George W. Bush, Vicente Fox, Guantanamo (Guantanamo) Bay, drug trafficking, NAFTA). Additionally, references to those not accorded their own entries (Hugo Chavez (Chavez) , Carlos Menem) may be located through the detailed index. Supplementing the general selective bibliography are references to suggested readings at the end of each entry. A Timeline of U.S.-Latin American Relations covers 1794-2005....Recommended. Academic libraries supporting upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers interested in Latin America, US history, or foreign relations; general readers." - Choice
"The stength of this book is the succinct writing and the inclusion of concepts, strategies, ideologies, doctrines, conflicts, and processes. The 20-page index is also excellent. Although some may not agree with Dent's arguably liberal bias, his treatment of the topics is for the most part fair and balanced. Recommended for all academic and larger public libraries." - Library Journal
"Dent surveys U.S.-Latin American relations from the federal period through the presidency of George W. Bush....[s]uited to an academic library's Latin American collection or a large public library with a strong interest in Latin America." - Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"College-level students of international politics will find Historical Dictionary of U.S.-Latin American Relations lends to a blend of history and politics in quick reference format, allowing for both thematic reference and biographical or political study. These aren't just brief passages either: in-depth overviews are accompanied by bibliographic references for further reading." - MBR Bookwatch

David W. Dent is Professor emeritus of political science at Towsen University. He the author of Encyclopedia of Modern Mexico (2002), The Legacy of the Monroe Doctrine: A Reference Guide to U.S. Involvement in Latin America and the Caribbean (Greenwood, 1999), the co-author of Historical Dictionary of Inter-American Organizations (1998), and the editor of U.S.-Latin American Policymaking: A Reference Handbook (1995) and Handbook of Political Science Research on Latin America: Trends from the 1960s to the 1990s (1990). Dent is the author of over 100 articles, essays, and chapters on Latin American and U.S.-Latin American relations. For the past 30 years he has been a contributing editor for the Handbook of Latin American Studies, a biannual reference book published by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress.