To the bitter end : Paraguay and the War of the Triple Alliance /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Leuchars, Chris, 1956-
Imprint:Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2002.
Description:vi, 254 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
Language:English
Series:Contributions in military studies, 0883-6884 ; no. 223
Subject:
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/4808014
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:0313323658 (alk. paper)
Notes:Includes bibliographical references (p. [245]-248) and index.
Review by Choice Review

This is a military study of the bloody conflict pitting Paraguay against the allied forces of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in the 1860s. Any work in English shedding light on Paraguay's first half century of independence, the role of its first president, Dr. Francia, its distinct autochthonous culture, or the collective will that enabled this small country to defy invaders even after half of its inhabitants had perished in the effort, is welcome. The book will satisfy those interested in actual military engagements, the technology employed, military formations, and other topics neglected by social historians. Using contemporary published accounts of the war, Leuchars (Hinchingbrooke School, UK) constructs a narrative around battles and assessments of political and military leaders, particularly the dictatorial Paraguayan president Paraguay Francisco Solano Lopez. Though a carefully constructed narrative with numerous maps, the book is lightly footnoted. Insightful comments on the nature of geopolitics in South America's southern cone and the role of Britain in these affairs are sprinkled throughout, but such observations are too few. Aside from collections emphasizing military history, curious readers and libraries should look first to Thomas L. Whigham's The Paraguayan War: v.1 (CH, Mar'03) and await volume 2 for the full story. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. General and undergraduate collections. J. Rosenthal SUNY College at Oneonta

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review