Backlands: The Canudos Campaign

by Euclides da Cunha, Ilan Stavans (Introduction), Elizabeth Lowe (Translator)

Overview

An important new translation of a fundamental work of Brazilian literature

Written by a former army lieutenant, civil engineer, and journalist, Backlands is Euclides da Cunha's vivid and poignant portrayal of Brazil's infamous War of Canudos. The deadliest civil war in Brazilian history, the conflict during the 1890s was between the government and the village of Canudos in the northeastern state of Bahia, which had been settled by 30,000 followers of the religious zealot Antonio Conselheiro. Far from just an objective retelling, da Cunha's story shows both the significance of this event and the complexities of Brazilian society.

Published here in a new translation by Elizabeth Lowe, and featuring an introduction by one of the foremost scholars of Latin America, this is sure to remain one of the best chronicles of war ever penned.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143106074
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/25/2010
Pages:	517
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ilan Stavans is Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and the author or editor of numerous books.

Table of Contents

Introduction Ilan Stavans vii

Translator's Preface xxv

Chronology xxvii

Timetable: The Canudos Campaign xxxi

A Note on the Text xxxv

Suggested Further Reading xxxvii

Backlands: The Canudos Campaign

A Preliminary Note 1

Part I The Land 3

Chapter I The Land 5

Chapter II Man 56

Part II The Battle 179

Chapter III The Battle Begins 181

Chapter IV Trapped at Mount Cambaio 205

Chapter V The Moreira César Expedition 231

Chapter VI The Fourth Expedition 277

Chapter VII A New Phase of the Battle 397

Chapter VIII Last Days 426

Notes 467

Index 477

Editorial Reviews

Da Cunha's War of Canudos gets a commendable new translation by Lowe in a carefully planned and perfectly executed volume. The Brazilian author establishes his knowledge of his country's civil war with an in-depth examination of the geography and climate in the years before and during the infamous bloodshed of the 1890s. He extensively examines the coastal regions, in particular the northeastern state of Bahia where the war took place, and details the history of the Brazilian people, discussing the impact that the varying cultures and racially mixed marriages had on the economy and the settlements occurring then. Most notably, he reflects on the mixing of races between the disappearing natives, the Bantu Negro, and the Portuguese settlers who were prominent at this time. Most chilling is a chronicle of the seemingly insignificant conflict over purchased but undelivered wood that caused a local religious zealot to lash out at the government and start the bloodiest civil war in Brazilian history. Abounding with eloquent passages and vivid images, Da Cunha's considerable work maintains its grim beauty in Lowe's graceful translation.
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