Simon Bolivar: A Life - Softcover

John Lynch

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300126042 ISBN 13: 9780300126044

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2007

Synopsis

Simon Bolivar was a revolutionary who freed six countries, an intellectual who argued the principles of national liberation, and a general who fought a cruel colonial war. His life, passions, battles, and great victories became embedded in Spanish American culture almost as soon as they happened. This is the first major English-language biography of "The Liberator" in half a century. John Lynch draws on extensive research on the man and his era to tell Bolivar's story, to understand his life in the context of his own society and times, and to explore his remarkable and enduring legacy. The book illuminates the inner world of Bolivar, the dynamics of his leadership, his power to command, and his modes of ruling the diverse peoples of Spanish America. The key to his greatness, Lynch concludes, was supreme will power and an ability to inspire people to follow him beyond their immediate interests, in some cases through years of unremitting struggle. Encompassing Bolivar's entire life and his many accomplishments, this is the definitive account of a towering figure in the history of the Western hemisphere.

About this title

Review:

"This impressive biography reveals a complex man not easily moved to pity..." -- The Guardian, September 22, 2007

'This, the first major study of Bolivar in English for 50 years, is, arguably, the definitive account of the life and legacy of El Libertador. John Lynch brilliantly analyses Bolivar's ideas and ideals -- liberty and equality -- as well as the realism of the revolutionary on social reform and his efforts to build a post-colonial independent state.' -- Tribune, October 19, 2007

About the Author:

John Lynch is emeritus professor of Latin American history and former director of the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0300126042
• ISBN 13: 9780300126044
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368