File under the category that something is better than nothing. Neill Lochery is most concerned with examining how World War II was a turning point for Brazil, and how that conflict gave Pres. Getulio Vargas and his circle the opportunity to leverage Brazilian participation into a real increase in that nation's international power and influence. That said, I have to admit that the tone of the book (particularly in the early chapters) verges on the over-enthusiastic and there is no doubt that it could have been better edited. Lochery also often adopts a "you are there" pose in terms of conversation and motivations that I'm a skeptical he can back up. Be that as it may the real core of this book is tracing the diplomatic dance between Rio and Washington and how this had to work in time with the efforts of the "Estado Novo" regime of Vargas to secure domestic support, and that is a useful thing. ( )