Chasteen covers the history of Latin America from 1492 to the present with an integrative approach that follows a chronological framework.
[1] The book is divided into chapters that address themes that were common throughout Latin America, such as colonialism, independence, progress, neocolonialism, nationalism, and revolution.
Later editions include updates and expansion of colonialism, nationalism, the Cuban Revolution, and current political and economic issues.
W. W. Norton and Company published Chasteen's companion reader entitled Born in Blood and Fire: Latin American Voices in 2011.
[3] This book includes narratives from a variety of sources that illustrate life in Latin America during the last six centuries.