Father of the Poor?: Vargas and his Era

by Robert M. Levine

Overview

This book examines the life and times of Getúlio Vargas, Brazilian dictator and president for most of the period from 1930 to 1954. It asks how Vargas' legacy influenced Brazil, and to what extent his social legislation affected people's lives. Vargas ignored individual rights and devoted as much effort to manipulating workers as to benefiting them. He did not perceive the unequal distribution of power as a problem that needed to be solved. Although Vargas promised much and delivered little, Brazilians idolized him. Ordinary people would shrug and say, "The President always thought about us."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521585156
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/28/1998
Series:	New Approaches to the Americas
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.51(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Vargas as Enigma; 2. In the Saddle, 1883–1937; 3. The Estado Novo, 1937–1945; 4. Populism Vargas-style, 1945–1954; 5. Different Getúlios; 6. Vargas' Incomplete Revolution; Appendices.

Editorial Reviews

"Father of the Poor is a compelling portrait of contemporary Brazil drawn from Brazilian archives, Vargas's personal diary of and suicide note, oral history testimony and photography, as well as recent Brazilian and non-Brazilian social history, anthropological and sociological scholarship." Michael LaRosa, H-Net Reviews

"Levine provids a good picture of the extension of government social services under Vargas. The volume also has an excellent set of photographs and reprints interesting contemporary documents." Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"...concise yet lively overview of the legacy of Vargas's government and the significance of his social policies. Levine's analysis moves adroitly between the voices of workers and their views of events and the musings of Brazil's most influential political, economic, and cultural leaders in the 1900s." Peter M. Beattie, Latin American Research Review

"...a concise yet lively overview of the legacy of Vargas's government and the significanceof his social policies. Levine's analysis moves adroitly between the voices of workers and thier views of events and the musing of Brazil's most influential political, economic, and leaders in the 1900s." Peter M. Beattie, Latin American

From the Publisher