Along the paths of history

A delightful account for readers who love Brazilian history, from colony to empire, Vasco Mariz takes the reader on a thought-provoking journey through Brazil, from the Colony and the Empire to the Republic. With erudition, grace, and rigor, the researcher presents almost unimaginable intertwinings between countries and cultures: the religious wars in France and their repercussions in Brazil; the role of Italian Jesuit mathematicians and astronomers in demarcating the Amazon borders; the potential war between Brazil and Argentina, led by Baron Rio Branco; the participation of the sons of Princess Isabel and the Count of Eu in the First World War; Italian devotion to Anita Garibaldi, among others. In the preface, historian Ronaldo Vainfas asks: "Is *Pelos caminhos da História*—or 'pelos destorinhos'—a politically incorrect book? Of course it is; I would even say it is extremely incorrect. I would add, however (with rhyme): thank goodness, amen."