Simon Bolivar by Roger Pocock (1921)
The narrator offers a fiercely ambivalent portrait of Bolivar, admiring his persistence while mocking his vanity and condemning his brutality. Spanish colonial restrictions provide the background to the independence struggle, whose shifting campaigns bring massacres, reversals, and the intervention of foreign volunteers. Liberation is followed by political conflict rather than the stable union its leader desires. The account culminates in Bolivar's final appeal for an end to party strife. Its judgments about the fitness of colonized peoples for freedom reveal the narrator's prejudices and should be distinguished from the events and speeches he recounts.
By Roger Pocock · First published 1921 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Biography, Military History · 1,916 words
First lines
A. D. 1819
Once at the stilted court of Spain young Ferdinand, Prince of the Asturias, had the condescension to play at tennis with a mere colonial; and the bounder won.
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The work presents a dramatized narrative of Simon Bolivar's life and military campaigns, blending historical events with literary narrative techniques and character interpretation.
- Biography — The text traces Bolivar's life from his youth through his death, chronicling his major actions, achievements, and personal characteristics in a biographical manner.
- Military History — The narrative extensively covers Bolivar's military campaigns, battles, strategies, and his role as a military commander across multiple South American nations.
- Adventure — The work contains vivid accounts of dangerous expeditions, such as the harrowing 1819 crossing of flooded prairies and mountain passes, emphasizing perilous journeys and heroic endurance.
Tags
biography · historical figure · South American history · military leader · independence movement · 19th century · liberation hero · political leader · colonial period · Spanish American independence · Venezuelan history · revolutionary
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Simon Bolivar is listed on Textopian as an article by Roger Pocock, dated 1921 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Article
- Author: Roger Pocock
- Date: 1921 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Biography, Military History, Adventure, Political History
- Length: 1,916 words
- Structure: 1 section, 20 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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- Work identity for Simon Bolivar by Roger Pocock
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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