Charles J. Shields

"Written when she was just twenty-eight, Lorraine Hansberry's landmark A Raisin in the Sun is listed by the National Theatre as one of the hundred most significant works of the twentieth century. Hansberry was the first Black woman to have a play performed on Broadway, and the first Black and youngest American playwright to win a New York Critics' Circle Award. Charles J. Shields's authoritative biography of one of the twentieth century's most admired...

The world's longest country, the ribbon-like Republic of Chile extends for about 2,650 miles (4,265 km) along the Pacific coast of southwestern South America. A land of great beauty and contrasts, Chile features the snow-capped volcanic peaks of the Andes to the east, the extremely dry Atacama Desert to its north, and rainy, thick forests to the south. Most of the approximately 18 million Chileans live in the mild climate of the Central Valley, where...

In 1499, the Spanish navigator Alonso de Ojeda explored the coast of South America. When his ships entered a gulf, he found that Amerindians had built their homes on stilts along the swampy shore of what became known as Lake Maracaibo. This reminded the explorers of the city of Venice, in Europe, so they named the region Venezuela (Spanish for "Little Venice"). The socialist government of Hugo Chávez, who ruled from 1999 until his death in 2011,...

Nicaragua is the largest Central American country by area, covering more than 50,000 square miles (130,000 sq. km). It is a land of beaches lapped by sparkling seawater, deep forests, long winding rivers, colonial cities, ancient Amerindian temples and cities, and a huge freshwater lake - the only lake in the world with sharks in it! From the 1920s until 1979, Nicaragua was ruled by the corrupt Somoza family, which was supported by the United States....

With more than 15 million residents, Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. It is bordered to the north by Mexico, and to the east by Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. In Guatemala the ruins of ancient Mayan temples rise above jungle vegetation, and churches and forts from the Spanish colonial period stand next to modern architecture in cities like Guatemala City, Mixco, and Villa Nueva. From 1960 until 1996, Guatemala was torn...

Uruguay, a small country of about 3.3 million people, is located between Brazil and Argentina along South America's southeastern coast. Today, it is considered one of South America's most stable and prosperous countries. With its mild climate and vast pasturelands, Uruguay has sustained a strong agricultural economy based mostly on raising sheep and cattle. Most of Uruguay's citizens live in urban areas that have risen on the country's narrow coastal...

Belize, a small country that became independent in 1981, possesses lush forests, a beautiful coastline, and a lifestyle that appeals to vacationers. It is bordered to the north by Mexico, and to the south and west by Guatemala. Off the coast of Belize, in the Caribbean Sea, is a 190-mile (300 km) long barrier reef that is home to many unusual plants and animals. It is the only country in Central America where English, not Spanish, is the official...

Honduras is located in the heart of Central America. It is bordered to the south by Nicaragua and El Salvador, and to the west by Guatemala. Once a center for the Mayan civilization, Honduras was colonized by Spain during the 16th century. Three centuries of colonial rule produced a civilization that blended Spanish and native customs and culture. Since gaining independence from Spain in 1821, Honduras has experienced a great deal of political instability,...

Nearly 500 years ago the representatives of two great, but very different, civilizations clashed in the Andes Mountains of modern-day Peru. The Incas who lived in the region had established a highly advanced civilization and built great cities and temples of stone. From Europe, Spanish soldiers led by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro came seeking the Incas' gold. In the five centuries since then, the blend of Spanish and Amerindian cultures has...