A Life Dedicated to the Nation

Felipe Pigna

NON FICTION. PLANETA, 2017. 782 PAGES

Mariano Moreno boasts the unusual distinction of being both praised and attacked for opinions he never held and concepts he never formulated. The image of a liberal, unitarian or ‘Buenos Aires-favoring' Moreno that made him a part of the official narrative and saw him commemorated with a proliferation of bronze statues and plaques as well as being subsequently reviled by revisionist historians has very little to do with a man who at the age of 31 became the Secretary of the First Council and who during the nine months when it lasted introduced a series of revolutionary measures as a part of the country's first independent government.

In this new book, Felipe Pigna explores the life and work of Moreno to separate fact from fiction and resolve some of the debates that still rage over his deeds and legacy. His detailed research investigates the founding father's military training, the books that influenced his thinking, his political and professional career and the opinions that he did actually express in his writing as well as his actions during a turbulent period of profound change The controversy over the translation of Rousseau's Social Contract, his reports Representation of Landowners and Plan of Operations, his role in the so-called ‘Asonada riot' and the Week of May, his dedicated governmental work, the debate over the addition to the Council of representatives from the interior, and his death by poisoning are here exhaustively addressed as are his commitment to his family and role as defender of the exploited and enemy of privilege, revealing him as someone willing to work tirelessly to transform the world around him.

This comprehensive, compellingly written biography brings Moreno back to life, portraying all the different facets of his character and the fiery nature that his contemporaries, friends and enemies alike, would surely recognize.

PUBLISHED BY: Spanish PLANETA

Other titles from Felipe Pigna:

  • 1810

    NON FICTION, 2010

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