Mirrors: An Almost Universal History [Paperback]

The old adage that history is written by the winners does not apply to Eduardo Galeano's Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone. In this book of short vignettes, some only a few sentences and none longer than a page, Galeano traces the world's history from the first hunter gatherers to the dawn of the twenty-first century through the eyes of slaves, women, colonized natives, defeated rebels, and other powerless people. Galeano illuminates patterns and themes and by careful juxtaposition and commentary draws parallels between events in the distant past and in more modern times. He has a fine gift for irony, and uses it skillfully. He is one of Latin America's most acclaimed writers, and naturally much of his book concentrates on that region, but other areas are also given coverage.

Naturally the politics behind Mirrors are left wing, but Galeano displays as much contempt for Lenin, Stalin, and Mao as he does for Hitler, Franco, and various Spanish and Portuguese kings. Several of his vignettes describe the early years of the Cuban Revolution, with kind words for Fidel and especially Che, but I was surprised to find not a single word about Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. Galeano's primary focus is to detail the effects of power upon the powerless, of imperialism, colonialism, industrialization, free trade, and globalization and their impacts on the poorer peoples and regions.

This is not a comfortable book to read, especially for Westerners, but it illuminates a point of view many who live in the wealthy developed regions can find difficult to comprehend. Countering arguments can and should be made to some of Galeano's points, but before those arguments can have any force the other side needs to be recognized, and the peoples and countries whose labor and resources have supported the developed world for centuries need to be heard at long last.

There is a drought of literature these days rich in history and radical passion, but here we have Eduardo Galeano with an epic that spans the ages. "Mirrors" is a poetic, energetic journey from the earliest days of civilization to our own, hectic era. Like his best works, Galeano brings humanity and insight to his stories not just about the powerful, but about the never mentioned masses who are the victims of history. Like his brilliant "Memory Of Fire" trilogy, "Mirrors" chronicles the major events that have shaped continents, but it gives a voice to those living in the shadows.

In "Mirrors" Galeano keeps his trademark style in place, using not chapters, but vignettes to tell his stories. He wants to provide numerous doses of information, assembling the history of the world into a gallery of beautiful prose and powerful drama. We travel from Iraq to Rome, from Greece to China, from Cuba to Washington, not only learning, but feeling the times and events. As in his best works, Galeano surprises us with his discoveries. Who knew Muhammed's first biographer was a former preacher named George Bush? We learn that the infamous Bacchanals so celebrated by the ancients were forbidden by the powerful because they feared that drunken slaves would forget they were slaves. Everyone from Caesar to Jesus gets a mention, always with a fresh eye and a little touch of knowing humor.

Galeano is hated by the right-wing for being a leftist radical, no doubt that hatred was even more cemented by Hugo Chavez giving Barack Obama a copy of Galeano's classic work, "Open Veins Of Latin America" (which one hopes he would read). His radicalism comes across in "Mirrors," but it is not a dogmatic form of radicalism, it is a passionate feeling to simply tell truths. There are wonderful moments where Galeano reminds us of moments in time we conveniently forget, such as the Haitian Revolution, the first successful slave revolt in history where Haiti became the first nation to abolish slavery and essentially the first truly free republic in the Americas. Galeano also reminds us how Haiti was then blockaded by a world where white men ruled over all others, even Thomas Jefferson warned that Haiti was a virus, a bad example that needed to be contained. Mao, Lenin, and Fidel Castro are mentioned, but along with their faults Galeano makes sure to mention their contributions and historical importance as well. In one striking passage, Galeano lists all the American corporations who helped Nazi Germany in its rise and made a killing off Adolf Hitler's racist social projects. The French Revolution, Marx, Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War, the 1871 Paris Commune, all are brought to life to great prose and important historical insights. Some beautiful moments belong to Galeano's exploration of the East and the histories of Iraq and China. He reminds us that Iraq was basically where civilization began, and now much of that history has been lost, crushed under a brutal US invasion. A humorous section reminds us of how many inventions China has contributed to the world. But Galeano does not shy away from the sadder moments of history, such as when England invades China to force upon it the opium trade.

It is very sad to see the current bestseller lists dominated by right-wing, yellow journalism books by people like Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck when here Galeano is offering a truly worthwhile book that has a lot more to say about society and history than any of the previously mentioned authors. There is so much history we tend to forget or don't even know, Galeano here makes it available. What were the Founding Fathers' REAL thoughts about class and society? You'll find them right here, as well as stories about the colonization of Africa, Asia and Latin America's struggles for independence which continue to this day. Galeano writes it all with elegance, humor and conviction. Who remembers that in 1995 the Smithsonian killed an exhibition on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Galeano does, he also reminds us how penicillin was originally ignored when first discovered. There is simply too much history in "Mirrors" to fully describe here, and it is best that way because much of this book is a jewel to be discovered. "Mirrors" is a very special book, this is truly valuable reading, and when you finish it make sure to go look for his other works. Galeano isn't just telling us something, he's teaching us as well.

Not a typical linear format, no plot, no resolution. Transcends time and space. Not even a story, but a series of very short narratives, usually only a few paragraphs long, that when linked together create a richly accurate collage of forgotten history.

As the title implies, it's like shards of glass when your nose is in the book, glimmers of light, sometimes you may even cut yourself in learning something new, but when you stand back and look at the whole thing, you see yourself, and what it's taken to get you here. It's a very compelling and unique way to convey a message... and I think, an overall message that needs to get out and deserves to be heard. If for no other reason other than it's been suppressed and squashed and ignored. And it's a part of everyone Human.

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