While the United States was still a struggling young republic, the people of South America began to feel the same urge for independence and self-government. At their head was a dashing young Venezuelan—Simón Bolívar, often called "the George Washington of South America."

He could ride a horse for days and never seem to tire. He could rally his men with such fiery speeches that they seemed inspired by heaven itself. Best of all, he eld to his dream of a free and independent South America.

For centuries Venezuela and its neighbors had been Spanish colonies. But by 1810 local uprisings had grown to a ground swell of unrest. Only a dynamite leader of heroic proportions could knit these scattered protests into a war of independence against Spain.

In Simón Bolívar: The Great Liberator, Arnold Whitridge tells the story of that leader with all the drama that made up his life. To read this book is to understand the sacrifices men have made for freedom throughout the world.

From the dust jacket