Patria

Extraordinary … [t]his debut turns the familiar story of South America’s origins inside out … There’s something oneiric about South America in Blair’s storytelling; its broiling jungles, smothering cloud forests and desiccated badlands are landscapes on which dreams are built on. … Romantic, adventurous and thrilling, Patria achieves something remarkable. Not only does Blair bring the stink and splendour of these “forgotten nations” to pungent life, but he also forces us to consider how, and why, they came to be lost in the first place. His travels deserve their own TV series. And his book’s import deserves a wide hearing – that to ignore South America’s past is to ignore the planet’s future. – Alex Diggins * The Telegraph *
Blair argues that South America is overlooked by the rest of the world, especially Britain … His alternative history aims to redress this deficit … A vivid and wide-ranging account – Tom Robbins * Financial Times Books of the Year, 2024 *
Energetic and scholarly… Blair is an engaging and knowledgeable guide – Andreas Campomar * Critic *
A luscious, erudite romp through centuries of pre- and post-Columbian history… The book buzzes like a beehive … a tour de force of literary mezcla: history, travelogue, social commentary – Alice Albinia * Times Literary Supplement *
A work of scholarship in its own right … Patria also has a descriptive flair that lifts Blair’s stories off the page. Best of all, it introduces us to the myriad voices within South America that are retelling their own past – Oliver Balch * Spectator *
Sparkling … rich and revealing … Braiding strands of memoir with others of narrative history and journalistic reportage, Patria has a mood that is really quite compelling. For those of you looking for a fresh and immersive read as the nights grow longer, Blair’s portrait of this ‘lost continent’ will make a fine choice indeed. * Unseen Histories *
Past and present cleverly entwine in this erudite, pacy and brilliant book – Sophy Roberts * author of THE LOST PIANOS OF SIBERIA *
A distinctive and original account of an under-appreciated continent … Patria is a feat of historical detail. Blair is an excellent guide – Daniel Rey * History Today *
An ambitious, wide-ranging, and illuminating book focusing on South American peoples, places, cultures and eras long overlooked, repressed or misunderstood. … a fascinating narrative [of] wit, flair and passion – Shafik Meghji * Geographical *
Laurence Blair brings you to some of the hardest-to-reach places on the planet with his lively writing and deep reporting in a book that dives into the rarely told, often ugly and always fascinating history of this beautiful and exploited continent. How did South America arrive here and where is it going? Patria is one of the best books yet to try to answer that question. – Jack Nicas * Brazil bureau chief, NEW YORK TIMES *

Laurence Blair is an award-winning writer and journalist. He was born and raised in Dorset, southwest England, and studied Ancient and Modern History at the University of Oxford. Since 2014, he has reported from across Latin America for outlets including the BBC, Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, New York Times and National Geographic. He currently lives in Asunción, Paraguay.

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