SIMON BOLIVAR

Born into a wealthy Venezuelan Creole family, Sim n Bol var grew up petulant, capricious, bossy, and accustomed to getting his own way at every turn. By the age of 22, however, he had matured to the point of committing to the liberation of northern South America from Spanish rule. To do so, the George Washington of Latin American independence, known as El Libertador, traveled 20,000 miles on horseback and fought in almost 300 battles and skirmishes. One of the greatest military geniuses of all time, Bol var, at his peak, controlled close to three million square miles in South America, more than Eastern and Western Europe combined. Yet, at the time of his death, when seeking voluntary exile from the land of his birth, Bol var was denounced as a demagogue by elites of the six countries he had liberated. Nonetheless, Sim n Bol var lives today in the hearts of millions of Latin Americans who see El Liberator as a hero. This new biography of Sim n Bol var includes engaging text, photographs, and illustrations, as well as reference features such as a chronology and timeline, further resources, and an index for quick reference.