Liberators: Latin America's Struggle for IndependenceTreated with contempt by their Spanish overlords, given to dissipation and grandiose proclamations, these fearless men nonetheless achieved military feats unsurpassed elsewhere in history. The aristocratic Simón Bolívar led his guerilla armies through swamp, jungle, and Andean ice to surprise his enemies and liberate most of northern South America. The inarticulate San Martín joined Bernardo O'Higgins, illegitimate son of a Spanish viceroy, to do the same in the south. These and five others waged the war for freedom against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the American Revolution, the collapse of the Spanish Empire, and the revolutionary ferment of the nineteenth century. Despite the success of their revolutions, all seven liberators died in poverty, disgrace, or oblivion. This fascinating and dramatic story takes in a vast range of martial experience, from butchery in the torrid Orinoco basin to a cavalry fought with lances 13,000 feet up in the mountains of Peru. It is one of the greatest and least-known epics of history, told here in unprecedented detail. |
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Common terms and phrases
Admiral Angostura Argentina Argentinian army arrived attack battle Bernardo Bogotá Brazil Britain British Buenos Aires Callao captured Caracas Carrera cavalry Chile Chilean coast Cochrane Cochrane's Colombia Colonel colonies commander Concepción Congress criollo death declared defeat despatched Emperor enemy exile expedition father Fé de Bogotá fight fleet forces France French garrison Gran Colombia Granada Guayaquil honour horses hundred independence Indians Itúrbide João José Juan killed land later Latin America leader Liberator Lima llaneros Maria Mariño Mendoza Mexico Miguel military Miranda Morillo mountains Napoleon O'Higgins officers ordered Orinoco Páez patriots Pedro Peru Peruvian Piar political Portugal Portuguese prison Puerto Cabello Quito rebels revolution river royalist sail San Martín Santa Fé Santander Santiago seemed seized sent ships Simón Bolívar slaves soldiers South America Spain Spaniards Spanish Empire Sucre thousand took town troops Valparaíso Venezuela Viceroy victory wrote young
References to this book
Apocalypse: Earthquakes, Archaeology, and the Wrath of God Amos Nur,Dawn Burgess Limited preview - 2008 |
Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre: Fiction for Children and Adults Mike Cadden No preview available - 2004 |