Human history is replete with epic conflicts. From the Trojan War to World War II, they have served as a source for our myths, shaped our national identities, and determined the world in which we live today. Yet even these pivotal events can be obscured in our modern understanding by barriers of geography and language, so that for all of their importance some of them are overshadowed and overlooked.

One example of this is the Paraguayan War of 1864-1870. Though little known to most people in the United States, it was the most devastating war in Latin American history. Over 400,000 people died as Paraguay faced an ultimately insurmountable alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The result was a nation devastated, with perhaps as much as 60 percent of its population wiped out by the war and its attendant famine and outbreaks of such diseases as cholera and typhus. The result reoriented the balance of power in the continent, with Paraguay permanently crippled by the devastation caused by the war and the loss of nearly half of its territory to Brazil and Argentina.

Such a war is well deserving of study, yet Chris Leuchars's book rank among the few histories of the conflict. Part of the reason for this, as he explains, is the scarcity of documents, which makes recounting the details of the war difficult. Nonetheless, Leuchars has constructed an informative, albeit somewhat dry, overview of the conflict. He is generally favorable in his treatment of Francisco Solano López, the controversial Paraguayan dictator whose aspirations for Napoleonic greatness were a key factor in the war, but overall provides a fair and informative analysis of the the people and events in it. Readers seeking a more in-depth account would be better served turning to [a:Thomas L. Whigham|563355|Thomas L. Whigham|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]'s multi-volume study, but for those looking for an introduction to this unfairly neglected conflict this is the book to read. ( )

In most accounts of the American Civil War, one finds laments about the large devastation it caused, partly based on American ignorance of the costs of earlier and later wars on other continents. If one were to seek the most debilitating war on the American continent, the Paraguayan War (1864-1870) would be second to none.

A Paraguayan Frederick the Great took on not one but both big countries of South America, Brazil and Argentina (throwing in Uruguay, just emerging from a civil war). Thanks to a militarized and centrally planned state, the Paraguayans sucessfully invaded Argentina and Brazil. Similar to the United States at the time, both countries had only tiny standing armies and small logistical capabilities which evened the odds. Aggressively led, the Paraguayans scored both defensive and offensive victories. The real killer for both sides was the remote and unhealthy climate. Then slowly but relentlessly the mostly Brazilian juggernaut kicked in and crushed Paraguayan resistance. Internally, the Paraguayan dictator had been busy purging real and imagined opposition in show trials, which even touched the dictator's own family. The war finally ended when the dictator was hunted down and killed. The Paraguayans paid a huge price in lives and property for their dictator's folly. It is truly curious how far people in nationalistic fervor can be led into an abyss. This being South America, the farcial and grotesque elements as well as colorful characters are never far away.

Leuchars' well written account is highly recommended but for one fact: Its outrageous price. At 108 Euros for both the hardback and the e-book versions, this book is totally overpriced. No wonder that in all the German-speaking countries, only eight copies exist in large public libraries. I am pretty confident that halving or quartering the price would have enticed many libraries (and private buyers) to add this title about a less well known conflict to their stock. ( )