Book excerpt: Where are Gran Colombia, La Plata, and Dutch Guiana? And where are New Granada, the Isle of the True Cross, and the River of Silver? What makes them important? And why should anyone care about them? The answers to all these questions and many more are nestled between the covers of this book. Few things excite the imagination more than the lure of faraway places. The call of strange-sounding names stirs the spirit of adventure in even the most timid among us. Nothing unlocks new vistas like a fresh look at old times and places. So, delve into the pages of this fascinating mini-history of Latin America and fly down to Rio on the wings of imagination. Settle revolutions in New Spain. Chart the waters of the Spanish Main. And climb the mountains known as the Andes. By journey's end you will find that big books sometimes come in small sizes.