Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution

Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution by Richard Gott

Only about 300 pages, this book is a great introduction to Chavez, his ideological views and the politics of Venezuela. While it talks a lot about the events leading up to Chavez being elected President and the past goverments, it also touches on the social environment and economics of Venezuela.

The author is a former correspondent for the Guardian and is a specialist in Latin American affairs, so its written pretty objectively. Reading the history of a country can get boring but Gott does a good job to give details to understand the current conditions but not too much detail to put you to sleep.