--- product_id: 14704636 title: "Weep, Grey Bird, Weep: The Paraguayan War 1864-1870" price: "$75.75" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 12 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/14704636-weep-grey-bird-weep-the-paraguayan-war-1864-1870 store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # Weep, Grey Bird, Weep: The Paraguayan War 1864-1870 **Price:** $75.75 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Weep, Grey Bird, Weep: The Paraguayan War 1864-1870 - **How much does it cost?** $75.75 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/14704636-weep-grey-bird-weep-the-paraguayan-war-1864-1870) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Weep, Grey Bird, Weep is the story of the most extraordinary love story of the 19th century, set against the background of the most disastrous war ever fought. The war saw the tiny republic of Paraguay fighting against the combined forces of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. By the time the war ended, in March 1870, Paraguay's population had been reduced by more than half, and 80 per cent of the male population had been killed. Paraguay's leader in this war was Francisco Solano Lopez and by his side was his devoted lover, a girl from Ireland called Eliza Lynch. He was killed on the last day of the war and she buried him and their eldest son, who died trying to protect her, with her bare hands. Review: Top notch general history - Let's start with what this book is not. The back cover blurb says it is "...the most extraordinary love story of the 19th century, set against the background of the most disastrous war ever fought." Whoever wrote that clearly never cracked the cover of this book. Madam Lynch makes into the book as she should, but to describe this as a love story is total nonsense. Now, what Weep, Grey Bird, Weep actually is: it is a well researched, engagingly written history of a facinating and important period in South American history that is woefully underrepresented in english-language military writing. Roger Kohn has given us both an excellent history of the military actions of the war and a great deal of the social and political action, at least on the Paraguayan side. He follows the history with a well thought-out, dispassionate analysis of the effect of the war on Paraguay (catastrophic)and of the character of Paraguayan President Lopez (a monster who destroyed his country but was not totally without redeeming qualities - trust me on this one). Two minor quibbles. First, the book would have benefited by more maps. The movements of the various players would be much easier to follow. Second, whoever proofread the galleys did a terrible job. The text is filled with typos and extraneous letters and words. So, ignore the minor nitpicking and read this book. It will provide a gateway to deeper research. Or maybe just give you pleanty to talk about with your military history buff pals. Review: Roughest of Gems - The poetry quotation that inspired the well-chosen title is beautiful. The author has a certain lyricism at times, and used a good number of contemporary sources in English and Spanish, plus a few modern ones. Especially interesting are the stories related by British and other foreigners living and working in Paraguay and with its foes at the time. The tale is told largely from the Paraguayan point of view, but is objective enough. This seems to be a labor of love and there are some interesting assessments at the end and sprinkled throughout. But this book needs a lot of things. The chapters have no titles to orient the reader, there is no index for the tidal wave of names and places--the geography is confusing and battles are seldom named until after they are over. There is no timeline, no list of dramatis personae, no maps or illustrations apart from a couple of cursory items at odd places in the text. The book is riddled with typeface ("1" instead of lowercase "l") and spelling errors ("bean" instead of "been"; names are inconsisttently spelled in some cases). The title is beautiful, but the write-up on the back cover a bit deceptive and will disappoint anyone expecting a romance. This story of fanaticism, exploitation, heroism, sadism, and destruction is no romance, unless you'd consider some mentions of Eva Braun here and there throughout a heavy political and military narrative a romance of WWII. Elisa Lynch appears near the beginning and at the end and flits across the stage now and then. Thank goodness I was looking for more of a political-military history and looked beyond the book's description. For the price, though, there is nothing else other than Wikipedia and two Osprey titles that tell the story of this war. I'd suggest reading this with a map from one of those other sources, and enjoy the flow, laughing off the typos, and not getting caught up in trying to recall who every named personage is or envision every maneuver. Many, many flaws, but it's still a gem of a story with plenty of atmosphere, anecdotes, and reflections to keep things interesting. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #69 in Paraguayan History #1,469 in Historical Latin America Biographies #55,768 in Military History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 12 Reviews | ## Images ![Weep, Grey Bird, Weep: The Paraguayan War 1864-1870 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-goEj1VRL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Top notch general history *by J***Y on April 18, 2009* Let's start with what this book is not. The back cover blurb says it is "...the most extraordinary love story of the 19th century, set against the background of the most disastrous war ever fought." Whoever wrote that clearly never cracked the cover of this book. Madam Lynch makes into the book as she should, but to describe this as a love story is total nonsense. Now, what Weep, Grey Bird, Weep actually is: it is a well researched, engagingly written history of a facinating and important period in South American history that is woefully underrepresented in english-language military writing. Roger Kohn has given us both an excellent history of the military actions of the war and a great deal of the social and political action, at least on the Paraguayan side. He follows the history with a well thought-out, dispassionate analysis of the effect of the war on Paraguay (catastrophic)and of the character of Paraguayan President Lopez (a monster who destroyed his country but was not totally without redeeming qualities - trust me on this one). Two minor quibbles. First, the book would have benefited by more maps. The movements of the various players would be much easier to follow. Second, whoever proofread the galleys did a terrible job. The text is filled with typos and extraneous letters and words. So, ignore the minor nitpicking and read this book. It will provide a gateway to deeper research. Or maybe just give you pleanty to talk about with your military history buff pals. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Roughest of Gems *by S***. on April 25, 2020* The poetry quotation that inspired the well-chosen title is beautiful. The author has a certain lyricism at times, and used a good number of contemporary sources in English and Spanish, plus a few modern ones. Especially interesting are the stories related by British and other foreigners living and working in Paraguay and with its foes at the time. The tale is told largely from the Paraguayan point of view, but is objective enough. This seems to be a labor of love and there are some interesting assessments at the end and sprinkled throughout. But this book needs a lot of things. The chapters have no titles to orient the reader, there is no index for the tidal wave of names and places--the geography is confusing and battles are seldom named until after they are over. There is no timeline, no list of dramatis personae, no maps or illustrations apart from a couple of cursory items at odd places in the text. The book is riddled with typeface ("1" instead of lowercase "l") and spelling errors ("bean" instead of "been"; names are inconsisttently spelled in some cases). The title is beautiful, but the write-up on the back cover a bit deceptive and will disappoint anyone expecting a romance. This story of fanaticism, exploitation, heroism, sadism, and destruction is no romance, unless you'd consider some mentions of Eva Braun here and there throughout a heavy political and military narrative a romance of WWII. Elisa Lynch appears near the beginning and at the end and flits across the stage now and then. Thank goodness I was looking for more of a political-military history and looked beyond the book's description. For the price, though, there is nothing else other than Wikipedia and two Osprey titles that tell the story of this war. I'd suggest reading this with a map from one of those other sources, and enjoy the flow, laughing off the typos, and not getting caught up in trying to recall who every named personage is or envision every maneuver. Many, many flaws, but it's still a gem of a story with plenty of atmosphere, anecdotes, and reflections to keep things interesting. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely Gripping! *by E***H on November 27, 2016* I thought this was a fascinating story brilliantly told. More so considering that this book absolutely needs a good editor or any editor for that matter. Even in light of how irritating it is to come across such typos and misspellings, the author held my undivided attention from beginning to end. What the Paraguayan people went through (due mainly to absolutely criminally insane leadership) is quite heartbreaking. But, oh boy - considering how stacked the deck was against them - those Paraguayans knew how to fight! A fine and resolute people! A sad and heartbreaking story! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/14704636-weep-grey-bird-weep-the-paraguayan-war-1864-1870](https://www.desertcart.us/products/14704636-weep-grey-bird-weep-the-paraguayan-war-1864-1870) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-09-10*