
Simon Bolivar's life makes for one of history's most dramatic canvases a colossal narrative filled with adventure & disaster victory & defeat. This is the story not just of an extraordinary man but of the liberation of a continent. Drawing on a wealth of primary documents Marie Arana brilliantly captures early 19th-century South America & the explosive tensions that helped revolutionise the young Simon Bolivar. In 1813 he launched a campaign for the independence of Colombia & Venezuela commencing a dazzling career that would take him across the rugged terrain of South America. From his battlefield victories to his ill-fated brief marriage & legendary love affairs Bolivar emerges in this compelling biography as a man of many facets: fearless general brilliant strategist consummate diplomat passionate abolitionist & gifted writer. A major work of history Arana colourfully portrays this dramatic life & explores the rivalries & turmoil that bedevilled Bolivar's tragic last days.