Puerto Rico - by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A panoramic history of Puerto Rico from pre-Columbian times to today Puerto Rico is a Spanish-speaking territory of the United States with a history shaped by conquest and resistance. For centuries, Puerto Ricans have crafted and negotiated complex ideas about nationhood. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo provides a new history of Puerto Rico that gives voice to the archipelago's people while offering a lens through which to understand the political, economic, and social challenges confronting them today. In this masterful work of scholarship, Meléndez-Badillo sheds light on the vibrant cultures of the archipelago in the centuries before the arrival of Columbus and captures the full sweep of Puerto Rico's turbulent history in the centuries that followed, from the first indigenous insurrection against colonial rule in 1511--led by the powerful chieftain Agüeybaná II--to the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952. He deftly portrays the contemporary period and the intertwined though unequal histories of the archipelago and the continental United States."--

Book Synopsis

A panoramic history of Puerto Rico from pre-Columbian times to today

Puerto Rico is a Spanish-speaking territory of the United States with a history shaped by conquest and resistance. For centuries, Puerto Ricans have crafted and negotiated complex ideas about nationhood. Jorell Meléndez-Badillo provides a new history of Puerto Rico that gives voice to the archipelago's people while offering a lens through which to understand the political, economic, and social challenges confronting them today.

In this masterful work of scholarship, Meléndez-Badillo sheds light on the vibrant cultures of the archipelago in the centuries before the arrival of Columbus and captures the full sweep of Puerto Rico's turbulent history in the centuries that followed, from the first indigenous insurrection against colonial rule in 1511--led by the powerful chieftain Agüeybaná II--to the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1952. He deftly portrays the contemporary period and the intertwined though unequal histories of the archipelago and the continental United States.

Puerto Rico is an engaging, sometimes personal, and consistently surprising history of colonialism, revolt, and the creation of a national identity, offering new perspectives not only on Puerto Rico and the Caribbean but on the United States and the Atlantic world more broadly.

Available in Spanish from our partners at Grupo Planeta

Review Quotes

"The author's clear advocacy for the people of Puerto Rico intersperses the historical account with a personal and passionate thread. . . . Well crafted and well written."-- "Choice"

"Finalist for the PROSE Award in North American/U.S. History, Association of American Publishers"

"As revolutionary for Latin American history as Bad Bunny's newest album was for reggaeton.... Puerto Rico: A National History provides an overview of Puerto Rican history from the Taíno civilization to the present in easy-to-understand language.... a must-read for anyone who would like to learn more about the archipelago and will be a key text in the field of Latin American history for years to come."---Cruz Bonlarron Martínez, Jacobian

"

A much-needed primer on the history of Puerto Rico, showcasing how its people have long cultivated a tradition of resilience and resistance. . . . [Meléndez-Badillo] offers readers a critical understanding of how the island came to exist as it does today and how its future may yet unfold. [He] succeeds in not just recounting historical events from a distance as other historians might but in using the stories of real people--both from history and from the present, including his own--to spark something deeper in the reader. I found it impossible to read this book and not be overwhelmed with emotion at times, not just feeling like I learned something new but that I also wanted to do something more.

"---Jasmine Gonzalez, Porchlight

"A panoramic introduction to the island's colonial history and contemporary political movements. . . . A history attentive to marginalized groups: queer, Black and the working class that have shaped the idea of Puerto Rico as a nation and a diaspora."---Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times

"A stunning account of Puerto Rico's history that invites readers to understand how Puerto Ricans negotiate, resist, and construct their identities within and in defiance of their colonial position. Consulting an exhaustive breadth of interdisciplinary scholarship within Puerto Rican studies. . . . Meléndez-Badillo captures the attention of the reader with clear storytelling, historical rigor, and emotional care of the subject matter. . . . Handled with care, [the book] asks readers to consider how the multiple visions of Puerto Rico within the context of colonialism inspires future struggles for a better tomorrow."---Manuel A. Grajales, H-Caribbean Reviews

"At the heart of Puerto's Rico's many problems . . . is the relationship between a corrupt, entitled and all-but transnational elite and their imperial masters. This makes Meléndez-Badillo's history of Puerto Rico refreshing, focusing as he does on the travails and travels of its working-class emigrants who over time have been the main losers of a colonial political process built upon corruption"---Gavin O'Toole, Latin American Review of Books

"The changing figuration of the nation that Meléndez-Badillo writes about has been nothing more than a precise response to the challenges imposed by the arbitrary gaze of those who introduced the place we call Puerto Rico into the European-Western cultural and material circuits. . . . The nation is an impulse that responds to the challenges of those diverse modernities to which communities are introduced: it is an act of resistance. . . . The 'history of a nation' that [Meléndez-Badillo] claims as his own is something more than a mere academic exercise. It is true that the nation is formulated through 'history, ' but it is also a lived experience. Puerto Rico . . . is a work that deserves numerous readings. I hope mine will help stimulate a broader discussion on the subject."---Mario Cancel Sepúlveda, Siglo 22

"As an academic with roots in Puerto Rico, Meléndez-Badillo delves deeply into the island's national history, providing a nuanced perspective on its unique, complex, and evolving national identity. His expert analysis sheds light on the intricate interplay between cultural, political, and social forces that have shaped Puerto Rico over the centuries. Meléndez-Badillo's work stands out for its depth of insight and its honest examination of both the challenges and opportunities in Puerto Rico's past and future."---Jwahr Alotaibi, H-Ethnic Reviews

"[Meléndez-Badillo] explores the history of . . . his native Puerto Rico in a thorough, accessible exposition. Beginning with the archipelago's Indigenous Taíno people, back when Puerto Rico was called Borikén, the book traces a history of imperialism as the land was colonized by the Spanish and then by the United States."-- "Library Journal"

"[Puerto Rico] has a nuanced political history of conquest and struggles for freedom from imperial rule. Puerto Rico: A National History covers this history with clarity, honesty, and compassion. . . . A great choice for . . . anyone looking to learn more about modern-day imperialism."---Alyssa Parssinen, Shelf Awareness

"Meléndez-Badillo's fresh perspective illuminates the context and the ongoing challenges that the colony faces at this critical moment. Framing the narrative with his own family's story adds compelling insights into the island's history and the reasons for the inhabitants' to-ing and fro-ing throughout the years since the fateful encounter of 1492. Meticulously referenced with notes, an annotated bibliography, and a comprehensive index, this much needed and clarifying overview is rich in maps, illustrations, and images that add depth and texture. Meléndez-Badillo finds hope for a brighter future in Puerto Ricans themselves, especially in emerging leaders from a younger generation inspired by the 'collective rage' in Bad Bunny's song, 'El Apagon.'"---Sara Martinez, Booklist

About the Author

Jorell Meléndez-Badillo is assistant professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of The Lettered Barriada: Workers, Archival Power, and the Politics of Knowledge in Puerto Rico. He collaborated on Debí Tirar Más Fotos, the sixth solo studio album of Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, writing the notes for the historical slides that accompany each track of the album.