Inspired by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's sharing of "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" with President Barack Obama, a UK publisher will rush out a new edition of Eduardo Galeano's study of colonization and American influence in Latin America.

Serpent's Tail will publish the book as as £10.99 paperback on May 21st with an introductory essay by novelist Isabel Allende. The book rocketed from #54,000 to #2 on Amazon's bestseller list in a single weekend, exceeding the publisher's wildest dreams.

Here's more from Bookseller: "[The book] was bought by Pete Ayrton, publisher, in a pre-emptive deal for "high four figures" during the London Book Fair ... The deal was struck via Mary Clemmey, who acted on behalf of the Monthly Review Press."