An exploration of the phenomenon of the caudillo figure in Latin American politics and the rise of populism through the modern histories of the continent.
Will Grant is one of the UK's leading broadcast journalists on Latin American affairs. He has been a BBC correspondent in Latin America since 2007 with successive deployments to Venezuela, Mexico and Cuba. Across his career, he has been responsible for covering the region from Patagonia to the Rio Grande and has travelled to every part of the continent in that time. He is currently based in Havana and Mexico City.
'An ambitious, riveting and essential book that has much to teach
us about the recent history of this region, and about the human
impulse towards populism that continues to shape the world' -- Ben
Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of The World As It Is
'A tour-de-force of reportage and analysis that makes sense of
historic, complex forces that shook Latin America ... A lucid,
important book' -- Rory Carroll, author of Comandante
'A valuable and timely guide ... Grant's !Populista!
describes how the playbook of charismatic autocrats and chronic
cronyism can unfold anywhere' -- John Paul Rathbone, author of The
Sugar King of Havana
'Will Grant moves deftly from palaces where he heard presidents
claiming they embodied the will of the people to the barrios where
their policies had most impact' -- Maurice Walsh, former BBC Latin
America correspondent
'Will Grant writes with close knowledge, admirable balance, and the
verve of a natural storyteller. A must-read for today's volatile
world' -- Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary
Life
'Will Grant is one of the BBC's great scholar-correspondents, and
without peer when it comes to explaining Latin America. In
Populista, he marries the depth of knowledge of a fine
historian, with the elegant storytelling of a gifted journalist' --
Nick Bryant, BBC New York Correspondent
'The best piece of non-fiction writing on Latin America that I have
read in a long time. Will Grant meets everyone from presidents to
the impoverished, and explains it all beautifully' -- Giles
Tremlett, author of Ghosts of Spain
'An elegant and vivid account of Latin America's strongmen that
radiates from the pages like bursts of Cuban sunshine. He skilfully
weaves together reportage, startling modern history, and his own
personal testimony, to chart the rise to power of some of the most
brutal, but fascinating, authoritarian leaders of modern times. He
invites us into a world of dripping jungle hideouts, dusty urban
warfare, and rum-soaked revolutions that, at times seem so
impossibly exotic, it is as if the reader has slipped into the
pages of Gabriel Garcia Marquez' -- Paul Kenyon, author of
Dictatorland
'Only a first-class writer with a deep, hands-on experience of
their subject matter would even attempt something as ambitious as
looking at Latin American 'strongmen.' Will Grant is just such a
writer ... This is a superb book that deserves a wide audience' *
Sorted Magazine. *
'An astute account of how the left in Latin America gained and then
lost power' * The Times *
'Grant expertly traces how the actions and views of his subjects
played out on ordinary lives, for better or worse, from women like
Cristina Chuquijanca de Soria, 'Maduro diet' of inflation and food
shortages under the country's current president' * ArtReview *
'Grant's reporting is detailed and enlightening. He puts the
leaders and their reigns in their historical context while asking
the movements they fronted worked' * Spectator *
'The portraits of each character (which Grant calls 'Shakespearean'
and 'colorful') are very interesting, with a lot of historical and
personal information ... It provides tools which allow the reader
to accept or refute the author's positions in the preface and in
the epilogue with numerous arguments and good information ... An
enjoyable read and highly recommended for those who wish to
understand Latin America' * The Sentinel *
'Action-packed with a large cast of characters, but Grant's lively
style never sags under the weight of the detail he manages to pack
into the book' * Guardian *
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