Bolivar

American Liberator

De: Marie Arana

Narrado por: David Crommett

It is astonishing that Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator of South America, is not better known in the United States. He freed six countries from Spanish rule, traveled more than 75,000 miles on horseback to do so, and became the greatest figure in Latin American history. His life is epic, heroic, straight out of Hollywood: he fought battle after battle in punishing terrain, forged uncertain coalitions of competing forces and races, lost his beautiful wife soon after they married and never remarried (although he did have a succession of mistresses, including one who held up the revolution and another who saved his life), and he died relatively young, uncertain whether his achievements would endure.

Drawing on a wealth of primary documents, novelist and journalist Marie Arana brilliantly captures early 19th-century South America and the explosive tensions that helped revolutionize Bolívar. In 1813 he launched a campaign for the independence of Colombia and Venezuela, commencing a dazzling career that would take him across the rugged terrain of South America, from Amazon jungles to the Andes mountains. From his battlefield victories to his ill-fated marriage and legendary love affairs, Bolívar emerges as a man of many facets: fearless general, brilliant strategist, consummate diplomat, passionate abolitionist, gifted writer, and flawed politician.

A major work of history, Bolívar colorfully portrays a dramatic life even as it explains the rivalries and complications that bedeviled Bolívar’s tragic last days. It is also a stirring declaration of what it means to be a South American.

©2013 Marie Arana (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Absolutely fantastic book!

Marie Arana wrote a great biography of Bolivar, she covered not only the positive but the negative aspects of the man. Arana's prose is often beautiful, it is apparently from the writing she is a novelist turned biographer. The story almost reads as a historical novel, she keeps your attention to every word. Arana brings the story to life, the reader feels as if one is there and part of the action. Bolivar was a 19th Century leader, born in Venezuela.
He was born into a wealthy family and received education both in his home country but also in Spain and France. What he accomplished is mind boggling! The military action lasted twice as long as the U.S. revolution and territory cover was 7 times larger. He led both a revolution and a civil war. Bolivar evicted Spain from a million square miles of territory in an eleven year campaign. Battles fought against a trained Spanish army of superior numbers. His army had to go on superhuman marches though rain swollen jungles and over snow-capped Andes Mountains to fight the battles often with only a few days rest. He freed the area now called Venezuela, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The book explains why Bolivar thought the U.S. type of democracy would not work in South America with it mixed races of creole, indigenous Indians, black slaves, Spanish and other Europeans. Arana explains Bolivar belief, the three hundred years of tyranny by Spain and how, Spain deliberately kept the people un-educated and pitted against each other, were not ready to govern themselves. He thought that at a later date, a British type of government was better, but he made the mistake of setting up the area for rule by dictators . Arana explains how he ended up dying poor and hated by the people but later brought back to hero status. David Crommett did a good job narrating the story and all the Spanish names. If you are interested in history and would like to learn more about our neighbors to the south you will enjoy this book.

Great liberator of the Americas

Fascinating story of the great liberator of South American nations. From revolution to politics to demise he stayed true to the idea of unified America.

An Incredible Life

If you are only tangentially aware of this American icon, this is a perfect place to learn the amazing story of the "Liberator". Sweeping in scope, and detailed in the telling, this biography combines historical sweep with a great storyline. The narration is crisp and clear. Recommended.

A True Hero

Loved the book from beginning to end. My admiration for The Liberator has increased tremendously for wanting to make South America a world power. Unfortunately the nay sayers persevered, and his dream could not be realized. The narrator was terrific.

The best historical account of Bolivar’s legendary life

The best history book of Bolivar, the warrior, the Liberator, the man of great ideals, the human being... fascinating, enthralling. Worth the 20+ hours
The history of Latin America and its fight for freedom, but sadly also the petty fights for power that prevented it from becoming one Nation, The United States of South America

Incredible

What a story. Real life is more unbelievable than fiction. Bolivar la story is one that all should know. Very well put together by the author. Bravo to her.

Excellent!

The authors have wonderfully assembled their painstaking research into an excellent piece of historical literature. In addition to that, the narrator is one of the best I've ever heard and an audible novel. Excellent!

Fascinating and instructive

Remarkably detailed account of Bolivar’s life. So much I never learned in school, but so much that helps explain how South America is today. Narrator has beautiful accent!

Detailed and riveting

Absolutely amazing detailed account of Bolivar. It is shocking that we do not learn much of him during our history classes in the United States.

Humanizing

First to the performance: The narrator was great but there were too many garbles throughout the book. Was it the file, the audible player, the phone, the car? Who knows but since this doesn't happen to me all the time I'm inclined to blame the file.

Simon Bolivar is one of those names everybody knows while knowing little of the person. In the US he is normally summarized as "The Spanish George Washington who liberated South America." which is equal parts of true, false and misleading. This biography, like Bolivar, is wrapped in the wars of liberation and their aftermath as the two are inseparable but the focus does stay tightly on Bolivar, his strengths, weaknesses, triumphs and failures.

It is obvious that Bolivar was a great man who lived, acted and accomplished much with a great deal of accompanying controversy. I do not know enough to judge the accuracy of the book but while the author is an obvious partisan of Bolivar she does bring out many flaws of character and mistakes in judgement. I would say this is a good general biography that will help one better understand the difficulties and troubles of South America as well as its intended subject, the Liberator-Simon Bolivar.