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  • Published: 30 January 2016
  • ISBN: 9781473546240
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 13

150 Years of Solitude

Bolivia's Dreams of the Sea



WINNER OF THE 2016 THE BODLEY HEAD & FINANCIAL TIMES ESSAY PRIZE

Why does a landlocked nation need a navy?

Over the centuries, Bolivia has lost territory to Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Paraguay, but its greatest loss was access to the ocean. It lost its only coastline to Chile 150 years ago, but the wound is still fresh. Without a single glorious military victory in their past to provide a cohesive, foundational myth, Bolivia is only able to teach its children failures and defeats.

But as Laurence Blair reveals, recent events mean that hope is on the horizon – Bolivia’s navy may soon sail again. Through first-hand reportage, 150 Years of Solitude examines a country’s history of failure and the idea of nation; its deep sense of injustice and isolation; and its dreams of reclaiming a future that hangs in the balance.

  • Published: 30 January 2016
  • ISBN: 9781473546240
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 13

About the author

Laurence Blair

Laurence Blair (b. Poole, Dorset, 1991) is a British writer and journalist. He studied Ancient and Modern History at Oxford University, and he also holds an MA in International Law and International Relations.

He is the winner of the 2018 RSL Giles St Aubyn Award for his book Lost Countries of South America and the 2016 Bodley Head/Financial Times Essay Prize for his essay 150 Years of Solitude. Since 2014, he has reported from across Latin America for outlets including the Financial Times, Guardian, BBC and National Geographic.

During his research for Lost Countries of South America, he has walked over the Andes in the footsteps of an 1817 revolutionary campaign, explored abandoned guano islands in the Pacific, sailed up the Río Paraguay on a cargo ship and consulted archives and conducted interviews in seven countries to date. He lives in London.

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