One of the most isolated countries on the planet, Paraguay is never
going to be top of anybody's holiday list, existing in a
near-permanent state of surreal chaos and Napoleonic tyranny since
being violently 'discovered' by the Conquistadors in the 16th
century. A favoured destination for Nazi war criminals, Paraguay's
political history is a complicated series of dictatorships, coups
and shocking brutality, while their barely functional train network
and the distinctive character of the people make it feel like
another universe. No official guidebooks exist, and first-time
author John Gimlette has responded by crafting a strange and
sometimes fascinating mixture of travelogue and history,
intercutting his various journeys around Paraguay with an in-depth
and well-researched look at the history of this eclectic and
peculiar nation. The lurid cover gives the impression of a
light-hearted travelogue romp, but what Gimlette has delivered is a
somewhat gruelling read that tackles head-on the appalling
atrocities perpetrated throughout Paraguay's history. Keeping up an
urbanely witty prose style throughout, the seemingly endless list
of bizarre horrors and catastrophes finally becomes rather wearing,
particularly when phrased in such a deliberately jaunty manner.
Dividing the book into 131 short, staccato chapters hardly helps,
resulting in a frequently bitty and unsatisfying tone, while
Gimlette's style is better suited to the Paraguayan past than
involving the readers in his meandering travels. Without a specific
route or journey to follow, it feels more like a compendium of
anecdotes, but the immense factual and historical detail keeps the
book readable and interesting, while there's also a number of
photographs (both colour and black-and-white), as well as maps and
reproductions of period drawings. Anyone wanting to find out more
about the strange, vibrant and bloody history of South America will
find this a useful and informative read. (Kirkus UK)
Paraguay - the name conjures up everything most exotic and extreme
in South America. It's a place of hellish jungles, dictators,
fraudsters and Nazis, utopian experiments, missionaries and lurid
coups. It's not a place for the timid tourist. It doesn't even have
its own guidebook. But Paraguay, as revealed in this outstanding
new travel book, is among the most beautiful and captivating
countries in the world. The beguiling Paraguayans, despised and
feared by their neighbours, are unfathomable. They adore Diana,
Princess of Wales, as if she were still alive and hundreds
volunteered to fight for Britain in the Falklands War. Their
politics are Byzantine but when the Vice-President is murdered,
they call in Scotland Yard. Discover more about the unique
traditions of South American culture through this fascinating piece
of travel journalism.
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