The Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano — Galeano was Uruguayan and this is his most famous work: a polemic history of Latin America's exploitation by colonial and imperial powers. Essential background reading for the region, and a window into the political culture that shaped Uruguay's progressive politics.
Memory of Fire (trilogy) by Eduardo Galeano — A more personal and literary work, blending history, myth, and fiction to retell the story of the Americas from pre-conquest to the 20th century.
Voices of Time by Eduardo Galeano — Short pieces on Latin American politics and culture, accessible and beautifully written.
The Soccer War by Ryszard Kapuściński — Includes an account of the 1966 World Cup in Uruguay among its dispatches on conflict and politics in Latin America.
A Miracle, A Universe: Settling Accounts with Torturers by Lawrence Weschler — Documents the human rights abuses under Uruguay's military dictatorship (1973–1985) and the fraught process of reconciliation that followed. Illuminating for understanding modern Uruguayan politics.