Weep, Grey Bird, Weep: The Paraguayan War 1864-1870 [Paperback]

Roger Kohn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 2008

Weep, Grey Bird, Weep is the story of the most extraordinary love story of the 19th century, set against the background of the most disastrous war ever fought. The war saw the tiny republic of Paraguay fighting against the combined forces of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. By the time the war ended, in March 1870, Paraguay's population had been reduced by more than half, and 80 per cent of the male population had been killed. Paraguay's leader in this war was Francisco Solano Lopez and by his side was his devoted lover, a girl from Ireland called Eliza Lynch. He was killed on the last day of the war and she buried him and their eldest son, who died trying to protect her, with her bare hands.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Roger Kohn is a retired journalst with a life-long interest in Paraguay. His book is based on intensive research using sources in both English and Spanish.

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (January 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434319792
• ISBN-13: 978-1434319791
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,189,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Paraguay

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch general history, April 18, 2009

By 

J. Tuohy (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Weep, Grey Bird, Weep: The Paraguayan War 1864-1870 (Paperback)

Let's start with what this book is not. The back cover blurb says it is "...the most extraordinary love story of the 19th century, set against the background of the most disastrous war ever fought." Whoever wrote that clearly never cracked the cover of this book. Madam Lynch makes into the book as she should, but to describe this as a love story is total nonsense.

Now, what Weep, Grey Bird, Weep actually is: it is a well researched, engagingly written history of a facinating and important period in South American history that is woefully underrepresented in english-language military writing. Roger Kohn has given us both an excellent history of the military actions of the war and a great deal of the social and political action, at least on the Paraguayan side. He follows the history with a well thought-out, dispassionate analysis of the effect of the war on Paraguay (catastrophic)and of the character of Paraguayan President Lopez (a monster who destroyed his country but was not totally without redeeming qualities - trust me on this one).

Two minor quibbles. First, the book would have benefited by more maps. The movements of the various players would be much easier to follow. Second, whoever proofread the galleys did a terrible job. The text is filled with typos and extraneous letters and words.

So, ignore the minor nitpicking and read this book. It will provide a gateway to deeper research. Or maybe just give you pleanty to talk about with your military history buff pals.