Francisco Solano Lopez and the Ruination of Paraguay (Electronic book text)

The first serious biography of Francisco Solano Lopez in English for decades, this richly researched book tells the dramatic story of Paraguay's most notorious ruler. Despite the heroic stature he gained after his death, Lopez was a monumentally flawed leader who made the disastrous decisions in 1864 and 1865 to invade Brazil and Argentina, initiating the most devastating interstate conflict in South American history. Drawing on a trove of primary sources, James Schofield Saeger offers a critical analysis of Paraguayan politics and Lopez's life and erratic rule in this meticulous study.