The Ten Cents War: Chile, Peru, and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific, 1879-1884 [Hardcover]

Bruce W. Farcau (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275969258 | ISBN-13: 978-0275969257 | Publication Date: September 30, 2000

The Atacama Desert, a coastal area where the borders of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia meet, was a region of little interest in the late nineteenth century until European research on the use of nitrates in fertilizers and explosives rendered the droppings of millions of sea birds a valuable commodity. In a move that echoed the California Gold Rush, the three neighboring countries soon battled for control of the region. In 1879, a comparatively modern and powerful Chile seized Bolivia's coastal province, and a secret alliance between Peru and Bolivia soon led to a full-scale war, one which saw the employment of much new military technology. Using such new weapons as the breech-loading rifle, rapid-fire cannon, ironclad warships, torpedoes, and electronic mines, Chile quickly crushed the allied armies, but a guerrilla war would drag on for years. While the three armies fought over some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable, from burning, waterless deserts to snow-clogged mountain passes at 15,000 feet, their governments bumbled and wrangled. In the end, the lure of easy wealth undermined the economies of all three nations and served no good purpose when the market for nitrates soon evaporated, leaving all three much poorer for the experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[i]n the works discussed herein. As a corpus these works are significant because they raise questions for future students of military-civilian relations...Such contrasts and comparisons make this body of work historiographically noteworthy as well...Each is a refreshing corrective to national versions that extolled the virtues of things matial, made nationalistic claims, and doted on the technicalities of military history, all the while ignoring the ugly side of war and its aftermath...Smallman's Fear and Memory confirms this on a case-study level. Centeno's and Smallman's works complement each other neatly, as do Vale's, Whigham's, and Farcau's; and Brahm's, Rauch's, Arancibia's, and Sater's and Herwig's. _”–Latin American Review

“...a valuable addition to the study of nineteenth century Latin American history.”–South Eastern Latin Americanist

“...a very welcome work for anyone interested in the military history of the nineteenth century, as well as relations among Latine American states, on which the confict continues to have an impact....does a very good job of examining strategic planning, campaigns, and a number of individual actions.”–The NYMAS Newsletter

“...interesting and well-written...the book provides a good introduction to the War of the Pacific, covering the political and economic aspects quite well...a good starting poing for those interested in the war and Chile's nineteenth-century domination of the west coast of South America.”–The Journal of Military History

About the Author

BRUCE W. FARCAU is a twenty-year veteran of the Foreign Service with numerous assignments in Latin America and Europe.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (September 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275969258
• ISBN-13: 978-0275969257
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book to date on the War of the Pacific, May 15, 2001

By 

El Lector "Bibliophile" (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Ten Cents War: Chile, Peru, and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific, 1879-1884 (Hardcover)

Finally, a book about this conflict by an American author who combines modern scholarly methods with readable style! Bruce Farcau writes with knowledge, flair and compassion about his subject, sustaining remarkable objectivity throughout the book. Money, deceit, gallantry, violence, tactical and strategic brilliance and folly --- The War of the Pacific is a splendid microcosm of all the elements of military, economic, and political strategy, and Farcau does it justice. His analysis of the causes of the war is impeccable, without the cant found in many South American and European authors, or the dry didactic tone of academic dissertations. His humane and balanced treatment of the conduct of a war that includes the first combat on the high seas between ironclads, a major amphibious invasion, set-piece battles using modern weapons, and a protracted guerrilla war, is admirable. I recommend it most highly to any library, whether personal, academic or professional, that deals with South American issues. Farcau also discusses in some detail the relationship of U.S. and European internal politics and finance to this war, which may make it of interest to readers in other fields. Students of political science in a fractured world should read his discussion of the advantages --- and hindrances --- in war of an ordered democracy fighting against dictatorships and failing states. This is the only book (of several dozen) on the War of the Pacific over whose conclusions our Chilean and Peruvian officers have not quarreled. The price is somewhat daunting, but it is worth it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chilean aggression against Peru and Bolivia., May 24, 2003

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Ten Cents War: Chile, Peru, and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific, 1879-1884 (Hardcover)

One of the little heralded wars of South America is the War of the Pacific. This war pitted Chile against the combined Armies of Bolivia and Peru. Chile (the Prussia of South America) defeated both nations in the first year of war and took the nitrate lands of both Peru and Bolivia. Then Chile invaded Peru and captured the capital. Why is Bolivia landlocked? She lost her coastland to Chile in this war.
Farcau does a good job detailing how Chile was better organized in finance and the military to defeat her neighbors who had a larger population. Control of the seas by the modern Chile Navy also had a drastic effect on the Allies (Bolivia and Peru). As detailed in a previous review, the author does a great job of relating the history of this war in a scholarly and readable format. One thing missing in this book is maps, which would have lent the reader an understanding of the geography of the war. I cannot understand why maps were left out. The book is a good read about a long forgotten war.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chilean aggression against Peru and Bolivia., May 24, 2003

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Ten Cents War: Chile, Peru, and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific, 1879-1884 (Hardcover)

One of the little heralded wars of South America is the War of the Pacific. This war pitted Chile against the combined Armies of Bolivia and Peru. Chile (the Prussia of South America) defeated both nations in the first year of war and took the nitrate lands of both Peru and Bolivia. Then Chile invaded Peru and captured the capital. Why is Bolivia land locked? She lost her coastland to Chile in this war.
Farcau does a good job detailing how Chile was organized better in finance and the military to defeat her neighbors who had a larger population. Control of the seas by the modern Chile Navy also had a drastic effect on the Allies (Bolivia and Peru). As detailed in a previous review, the author does a great job of relating the history of this war in a scholarly and readable format. One thing missing in this book is maps, which would have lent the reader an understanding of the geography of the war. I cannot understand why maps were left out. The book is a good read about a long forgotten war.