Conquer Or Die! by Ben Hughes

A screen adaptation of Conquer Or Die! would rival or surpass movies like Saving Private Ryan. The absolute, frequent executions, constant death, disease, deception, and resulting madness is its own profound drama. 

Author Ben Hughes put himself into this effort: reading, traveling, visiting sites and sources to produce this book from an obscure and unique piece of American and European history. But it remains grossly overlooked thanks to the events of a quickening world after the 13-year war ended in 1821. Too many people zip past these events for more overplayed events following a few years after. 

The U.S. Civil War stole much of the show in that century along with westward expansion. Other events like the Greek uprising against the Ottoman Turks, the Crimean War, Franco-Prussian War, and the Spanish-American War in 1898 took more headlines and attention.

One passage, in particular, caught my attention, capturing the scope and depth of this long struggle for a final break from Spain. It notes a distinction, separating, and uniting this conflict from and with the too many others.

"...the Liberator, a 16-gun brig-of-war crewed by 100 sailors of all colours and all nations."

The rebel cause also had a navy, another overlooked aspect even in some good works about Simon Bolivar and the war for independence. The rebels, including the volunteers from Britain and Ireland, were seldom paid. They got some of their pay looting royalist sympathizers' households.

Bolivar's most decisive victory at Boyaca prompted royalist leaders to flee Bogota de Santa Fe without taking all of their money, too. Portuguese royals, while moving their capital temporarily to Brazil ahead of Napoleon, lost a ship full of luxurious goods to the rebel navy.

Spain's commanding General Pablo Morillo was slowed considerably when run through by a lance wound. Spain's war efforts were run through from behind by deadly revolt at home and in the army there.

Some 500 of the British Legion eventually settled in South America, mostly in Bogota and Caracas. Several of their headstones are still visible.