After failed attempts by Francisco Miranda and Admiral Home Popham to cut off the Spanish Crown’s control of Coro and Buenos Aires, Napoleon began his invasions. (42) Chasteen importantly notes that the revolution attempts by Francisco De Miranda and Home Popham were unsuccessful because they lacked popular support, which is ironic considering the revolutions that would soon spring up all over Latin America. In the years 1807 and 1808, Napolean orchestrated a large-scale invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, which changed the course of Latin American history. This invasion led to Prince Regent João VI fleeing for Brazil, and Napoleon taking control of both Portugal and Spain. (42-44) With Brazil firmly in now King João VI’s control, the rest of Latin America was still loyal to King Fernando VII, and this tension caused the “not-so-civil wars” that Chasteen illustrates in the third …show more content…
One of the best qualities of the book is its accessible prose. Chasteen’s writing is like no other historical writing I have read before. While other authors would make this thrilling story uninteresting, Chasteen found a way to make it a page-turner. Part of what made the book more interesting than other historical readings is that Chasteen gave context and background for some of the most important characters. For example, Simón Bolívar was introduced in the first section of the book even though he would not become relevant to the overarching story until much later. This allows the reader to know more than the character’s actions; it gives us a chance to see into the personal lives of the characters and adds