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+ Interesting how Napoleon's rise affected outcomes in the liberation of SA. England supported Bolivar to get rid of Spain's cruel colonialism until they needed Spain to get rid of Nap.
+Bol wanted freedom and equality for all, which is why his government could not mirror US
+He formed and named Bolivia
-Harvey was clearly biased. At least 3 x he called Bol a prima donna
-Why did I choose a bio from a Welsh dude instead of a bio written from a SA?

Whew! The mail arrived just in time! Now I officially have three years worth of TBR on my shelves again 😂

“One of his private teachers called him a ‘keg of dynamite.‘”

Except that dynamite wasn‘t invented for another 70-75 years. 🙄 Why not a keg of gunpowder? Carelessness on the author‘s part.

That last chapter title is also the the title of the Gabriel Garcia Márquez novel that led me here.

This is a terrific book - well written to capture the nuances. Enthusiastic but constrained. His life was an adventure story. What can an author do but ride through it: fantastic failures and miraculous successes, depopulating violence and an end of slavery, one devoted with integrity to liberty, his legacy of corrupt dictatorships. A new world.

For me, reading a Marquez novel is one of the most consistent experiences from start to finish, and this is no exception. I never get really excited at different parts- the end is no more thrilling than the middle. But there's also no weak sections- if you tune out you risk missing some of his signature comic-poetry. And in this one, you get to learn some interesting history of the origins of modern South America through Bolivar's reminiscing.

Seriously, in the 1810‘s Bolívar was fighting (and lost to!!) the Legions of Hell, straight out of a Cormac McCarthy novel. A blond European madman led and accumulated thousands of mixed race and minority troops to overwhelm all other armies and literally wipe out entire villages through rape, pillage, and mass torturous executions. And they were unstoppable. It‘s hard to remember this is nonfiction sometimes.

Admittedly, my first question about Bolívar was why couldn‘t he replicate the northern American revolution. Then I read this, on Caracas - and took a skeptical view. I‘m only now realizing how painfully true was this comment above.

The Sky Over My Mother‘s House by Jaime Manrique. This is new to me thanks to this week‘s Teach this Poem from the Academy of American Poets.
#newtoyou #poetrymatters #nationaltranslationmonth #teachersoflitsy