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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book on S. America's bloodiest war
Review: One of Latin America's bloodiest wars is the subject of this book. For most, the war is either obscure or unknown, which makes it a great buy for those who like to read about little known wars. As a student of South American history, I found the book very detailed in covering the early history of the region and the events that lead to the conflict. And, his coverage of the early military campaigns is excellent. I've read Kolinski's "Independence or Death", which is good for starters, but Whigham's book answered all the questions I had after reading Kolinski's work. The author's chapters on the Mato Grasso Campaign and the Battle of Riachuelo were of particular interest to me. As with the previous reviewer an appendix with orders-of-battle would be nice,and that is my only complaint. The maps help for those not familiar with the area. I highly recommend this book for those either interested in a little known war or for those who want the best English language book on the subject. I anxiously await volume 2.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on S. America's bloodiest war
Review: One of Latin America's bloodiest wars is the subject of this book. For most, the war is either obscure or unknown, which makes it a great buy for those who like to read about little known wars. As a student of South American history, I found the book very detailed in covering the early history of the region and the events that lead to the conflict. And, his coverage of the early military campaigns is excellent. I've read Kolinski's "Independence or Death", which is good for starters, but Whigham's book answered all the questions I had after reading Kolinski's work. The author's chapters on the Mato Grasso Campaign and the Battle of Riachuelo were of particular interest to me. As with the previous reviewer an appendix with orders-of-battle would be nice,and that is my only complaint. The maps help for those not familiar with the area. I highly recommend this book for those either interested in a little known war or for those who want the best English language book on the subject. I anxiously await volume 2.
Rating:
Summary: A Needed contribution
Review: The Paraguayan war which lasted from 1864-70 was one of the bloodiest wars in Latin American history. More then 70% of the men of Paraguay perished in a terrible war that destroyed the country to such an extent that it has not recovered to this day. The Paraguayan was launched due to political machinations involving a civil war in Uruguay and this wonderful book delves into the root causes and opening campaigns. This is simply a must read and a needed contribution to a period of history that has been totally neglected by historians. Any student of Ltin American history will be happy with this work. Seth J. Frantzman
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening study on a rather obscure subject
Review: This history of the Paraguayan War is probably the only one available in English, and it reads very well. It starts with an in-depth analysis of the political background starting with the Spanish/Portuguese colonization and how it led to the formation of the different South American nations, which I found very interesting. The author obviously knows the history of the area very well and has conducted research in all involved countries. This volume ends on December 31, 1865, with the withdrawal of the Paraguayans from Argentinian territory. Be aware that this book is not a military history: I found the military study a bit disappointing, and it was difficult to keep track of the size of the armies and navies involved. There is not much on armament, tactics, organization or equipment. It would have been nice to have an Order of Battle for the Paraguayan and Brazilian armies in particular. I understand from the author that this could appear in the second volume (to be published in a few years).
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