I read The War Between Peru and Chile by Clements R. Markham (written in 1883) on my journey down to Bolivia. I was given this book by friends who thought it might interest me as I prepared for my experience. Because the book is well over 100 years old I had to first get accustomed to the old English it was written in (it is never easy to get use to phrases like “social intercourse”) but after about the first fifty pages I got into the “groove.”

What intrigued me most about the book was the complicated and vast history of Bolivia and South America in general. Being educated in North America it is hard to comprehend the effects of colonialism and the wars that erupted as a result.

I found it interesting that although Bolivia has been in several wars, they have never won. For a Canadian this is a hard concept to grasp but one that would undoubtedly have a profound effect on a country’s psyche. You can see these effects on both the culture and the unstable political system in Bolivia.

This book was fascinating to read as it gave me a glimpse into the history of a country I visited, a history I previously knew very little to nothing about.