Narrative of Services in the Liberation of Chili, Peru and Brazil,

Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, Earl of, 1775-1860Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.8

Word count: 522K words
Chapters: 53

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Narrative of Services in the Liberation of Chili, Peru and Brazil, by DundonaldAuthor: Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, Earl of, 1775-1860,Language: English, Class: F2201: Latin America local history: South America. General, Release Date: Dec 27, 2004

Editor's review

This is a first-person memoir of the nineteenth-century South American wars of independence by a participant, Lord Thomas Cochrane, a British naval officer who commanded maritime operations for Chile, Peru, and Brazil. The book recounts his service in the first person, offering detail on naval engagements, political maneuvering, and transatlantic cooperation during the South American liberation movement. It is a primary source for understanding the early nineteenth-century Latin American independence process and the role of British volunteers. The prose bears the clear marks of its era and the author's personal stance; the narrative is direct, and the book is suitable as supplementary reading for those interested in military history, Latin American history, and maritime history. Because it was written long ago, the style and proper nouns pose some difficulty for modern readers, and reading alongside relevant historical background materials is recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students and scholars researching or studying the history of Latin American wars of independence
Military history enthusiasts interested in nineteenth-century naval warfare and maritime history
General history readers who want a participant's perspective on the South American liberation movement
Researchers who need English-language primary sources for topical reading or citation in papers

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a systematic general history or a concise introduction
Readers impatient with nineteenth-century English prose and naval terminology
Casual readers who prefer literary narrative or modern biographical writing

Reading tips

Begin with an overview of the historical background of the Chilean, Peruvian, and Brazilian wars of independence before entering the main text.
Read in sections by geographical region, using a map to mark the ports and routes mentioned in the book.
Take notes on personal names, ship names, and archaic spellings to aid cross-referencing.
Read alongside other Latin American independence sources from different perspectives, noting the author's personal stance and the limitations of his era.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What was the author's background?

The author, Lord Thomas Cochrane (1775–1860), was a British naval officer who commanded maritime operations for the independence causes of Chile, Peru, and Brazil. This book is his first-person account of that service.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The original is nineteenth-century English, with long sentences, archaic spellings, and many naval and place-name proper nouns. It is best suited to readers with university-level English reading ability who are willing to consult background materials.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Latin American history?

Not really. It is a participant's memoir focused on the naval operations in which the author took part, not a systematic general history. Readers should first grasp the basic outline of the wars of independence, then read it as a supplementary source.

What is the publication status of this book?

The book is released by Project Gutenberg as a free e-book in English and is categorized under Latin American local history. Readers can use this to understand its electronic source and classification.

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About the author

Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane, Earl of, 1775-1860 Author · British · 1775–1860

Thomas Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald (1775–1860), was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a radical politician. He was known for his boldness in naval warfare, and his career extended to the South American wars of independence. The library holds two of his works, both centering on his services in the liberation of Chile, Peru, and Brazil. They are firsthand documentary narratives: written in the first person, they record operations and observations in concrete detail, with a distinct personal stance and the flavor of their era. Such texts offer a British naval participant's perspective on the South American wars of independence and remain readable for their outspoken tone. Public information on his early life and full biography is limited, so this note is based only on the facts available in the library.