Bolivia is an unusually high-altitude country created by imperial conquest and native adaptions – today, it remains one of the most multi-ethnic societies in the world with one of the largest Amerindian populations in the Americas. It has seen the most social and economic mobility of Indian and mestizo populations in any country in Latin America. This work, having also appeared in Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese in its earlier editions, has become the standard survey of the history of Bolivia. In this new edition, Klein explores the changes that occurred in the past two decades under the leadership of Evo Morales and his indigenous government, and how his party has emerged in the post-Evo years as one of the most important in Bolivia. The work also expands on the changes in both the traditional mining economy and the rise of a new commercial export agriculture.

‘This book remains the standard. It incorporates social and economic as well as political history. The book is up to date, to the 2020 elections, with a new analysis of the Evo Morales period. If you want to know about the history of Bolivia, this is the book to read.’ Erick Langer, Georgetown University
‘For decades, this book has been one of the most important references about Bolivian history. This version extends the study until the tumultuous political events of October 2019 and 2020. The use of updated and diverse information, as well as the consistency of the analysis, assure that the preeminence of the book will endure.’ José Peres-Cajías, University of Barcelona

Herbert S. Klein is Gouverneur Morris Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, the former director of the Center of Latin American Studies and Professor of History, Stanford University and is currently Research Fellow and Latin American Curator at the Hoover Archives. Specializing in the social, demographic, and economic history of Latin America, he has published over 30 books and 189 articles in several languages. Among these books are four comparative studies of slavery, as well as several on Bolivia, including Parties and Political Change in Bolivia, 1880–1952, and Haciendas and Ayllus.