Bolivar: American Liberator

Marie Arana‘s Bolivar: American Liberator provides a thorough examination of the life of Simon Bolivar. While popular culture often mythologizes “The Liberator” as being a great and faultless leader, the author closely examines his immaculate successes and political shortcomings. Beginning with an overview of Bolivar’s upbringing amid the tense political environment in Caracas in the late 1700s, the author illustrates the unique circumstances surrounding the Spanish colonial occupation of South America. Stemming from Spain’s domestic political struggles, the author dives into Simon Bolivar’s early failed attempts at provoking a revolution. From there, Arana details Bolivar’s daring third campaign, culminating in a Spanish defeat at Ayacucho and the establishment of Gran Columbia. Ultimately, however, Bolivar struggled to manage this massive empire, and the author details how his political ambitions failed toward the end of his life. This biography expertly describes the complex life of South America’s most prominent revolutionary and separates modern romanticized fiction from Bolivar’s lived experience.

Historical Comprehension

The author utilizes copious primary sources to shape this narrative including correspondences between Bolivar and key figures in his life. Her research includes sourcing and translating materials in five different languages. The narrative is key to understanding the South American landscape during Bolivar’s time while humanizing his day-to-day life. Between his unfathomable travels with substandard provisions and preparation and numerous romantic encounters, this biography allows the reader to truly understand Bolivar’s decision-making processes throughout his turbulent life. More importantly, within the articulate narrative, the author clearly articulates her major points and presents a sober analysis of Bolivar’s triumphs and failures.

Modern Readability

Arana’s interweaves chronological storytelling with Bolivar’s personal interpretations of key events to bring his narrative to life. The author notes that she attempts to maintain a balance between John Lynch’s more scholarly Simon Bolivar: A Life and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s fictionalized memoire The General and His Labyrinth. Apart from major battles and political developments, Arana captures the impact of important figures in Bolivar’s life including fellow revolutionary Francisco de Miranda, his tutor Simon Rodriguez, and his prominent mistress Manuela Saenz. The inclusion of these contemporaries, teachers, lovers and enemies help the reader understand Bolivar’s modern influences apart from the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. While these personal interactions add to the density of this biography, they significantly enhance the quality of the narrative.

Unique, Balanced Perspective

With the exception of a couple of scholarly biographies, there are few detailed, engaging English biographies written about Simon Bolivar that articulate his thought processes. The healthy mix of meticulous factfinding and active narrative help the reader understand Bolivar’s perspectives on the challenges of building a unified post-colonial state in South America. While the author praises Bolivar’s incredible accomplishments, she makes sure to include the perspectives of his critics and openly acknowledges his more significant questionable decisions. Arana’s conclusions are clear and thought provoking.