Francisco Solano Lpez and the Ruination of Paraguay: Honor and Egocentrism by Ja

Description: Francisco Solano Lpez and the Ruination of Paraguay by James Schofield Saeger Tells the story of Paraguays most notorious ruler Francisco Solano L-pez. Despite the heroic stature he gained after his death, L-pez was a monumentally flawed leader who made the disastrous decisions in 1864 and 1865 to invade Brazil and Argentina. This work offers an analysis of Paraguayan politics and L-pezs life and erratic rule. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description The first serious biography of Francisco Solano López in English for decades, this richly researched book tells the dramatic story of Paraguays most notorious ruler. Despite the heroic stature he gained after his death, López was a monumentally flawed leader who made the disastrous decisions in 1864 and 1865 to invade Paraguays powerful neighbors, Brazil and Argentina, initiating the most devastating interstate conflict in South American history. Drawing on a trove of primary sources, James Schofield Saeger offers a critical analysis of Lópezs personality and often-irrational persecution of enemies, adherents, and siblings. He traces Lópezs preparation for high public office, work habits, control of his nation and army, propaganda, and execution. Concluding with an examination of Lópezs posthumous rehabilitation, Saeger shows how the tyrant who ruined his nation became its most highly honored hero, crowning a campaign by revisionist publicists from 1870–1936, and a useful symbol for later authoritarians. Still largely unchallenged in Paraguay today, this glorification of a martial president is definitively put to rest in Saegers meticulous study. Author Biography James Schofield Saeger is professor of history at Lehigh University. Table of Contents PrologueChapter 1: Los López, Father and Son, Family and NationChapter 2: Francisco Visits Europe and New DeparturesChapter 3: Lópezs War: Diplomacy, Combat, and HonorChapter 4: López InvadedChapter 5: The Final AgoniesChapter 6: The López Legacy Review Saegers text is an important contribution to a greater understanding of the creation of Paraguayan nationalism in the twentieth century. His work sheds light on one of the darkest periods in Paraguayan history while resurrecting the mindset of one of its heroes. Ultimately, Saegers work will stimulate more work on the War of the Triple Alliance and the men who led all four nations to the bloody battlefield. * The Americas: A Quarterly Review of Latin American History *This concise, well-written biography accurately reflects the authors assessment of the man who . . . has been officially exalted by Paraguayans as the nations most admired national hero. . . . Francisco Solano López and the Ruination of Paraguay is a masterful portrait of a nation, an extraordinary dictator, and the evolution of a hero cult that can be debated and read with pleasure by scholars and undergraduates alike. * The Latin Americanist *Jim Saeger has penetrated the dark heart of one of Latin Americas most ruinous caudillos, Solano López, with on-site research in Paraguay and simpatico insights. This is auténtico political history, written with grace and from years of study. -- Allan R. Millett, Eisenhower Center for American Studies and The Ohio State UniversitySaeger has provided us with a critical biography of Francisco Solano López that places the man in his times, reveals his character defects, and clarifies how the myth of the nationalistic hero emerged. -- Vera Blinn Reber, Shippensburg UniversityWas Francisco Solano López a madman or a national hero? James Saeger answers this question forthrightly, undermining the conventional view and reviving a rational yet novel judgment of the man who dragged his Paraguayan countrymen through a misbegotten war against their far larger and more powerfully endowed neighbors with sad consequences for a population that did not deserve such punishment. Saeger has crafted a thoughtful, solidly documented biography of a deranged figure whose bizarre life is a classic example of the surreal Latin American dictator of literary notoriety. He deploys the sources carefully and fairly and provides his audience, undergraduates and general readers alike, with a compelling story of power gone awry in the pivotal middle decades of nineteenth-century Latin America. An uncompromising new assessment of a long-standing, self-deluding national mythology, this book surpasses biography. It will provoke many a classroom debate on any number of themes. Among them will be the timeless question of the dangers of a surrender of public power to irresponsible central authority and the dire national consequences of political self-delusion. -- Vincent C. Peloso, Howard UniversityAt last, an informative and well-written biography of Francisco Solano López. Saeger gives us a finely drawn picture of this national hero in the context of his time and place. Bravo! -- Susan M. Socolow, Emory University Long Description The first serious biography of Francisco Solano L Review Quote Was Francisco Solano Lpez a madman or a national hero? James Saeger answers this question forthrightly, undermining the conventional view and reviving a rational yet novel judgment of the man who dragged his Paraguayan countrymen through a misbegotten war against their far larger and more powerfully endowed neighbors with sad consequences for a population that did not deserve such punishment. Saeger has crafted a thoughtful, solidly documented biography of a deranged figure whose bizarre life is a classic example of the surreal Latin American dictator of literary notoriety. He deploys the sources carefully and fairly and provides his audience, undergraduates and general readers alike, with a compelling story of power gone awry in the pivotal middle decades of nineteenth-century Latin America. An uncompromising new assessment of a long-standing, self-deluding national mythology, this book surpasses biography. It will provoke many a classroom debate on any number of themes. Among them will be the timeless question of the dangers of a surrender of public power to irresponsible central authority and the dire national consequences of political self-delusion. Details ISBN0742537552 Author James Schofield Saeger Language English ISBN-10 0742537552 ISBN-13 9780742537552 Media Book Format Paperback Illustrations Yes Year 2007 Subtitle Honor and Egocentrism Place of Publication Lanham, MD Country of Publication United States Short Title FRANCISCO SOLANO LOPEZ & THE R Series Latin American Silhouettes Imprint Rowman & Littlefield Publishers DOI 10.1604/9780742537552 AU Release Date 2007-07-20 NZ Release Date 2007-07-20 US Release Date 2007-07-20 UK Release Date 2007-07-20 Pages 252 Publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publication Date 2007-07-20 Alternative 9780742537545 DEWEY 989.2050092 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:128515089;

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