Francisco de Miranda (1750-1816) was a monumental figure in the independence of Venezuela and Latin America. His physical and intellectual odyssey as an exile pursued by Spanish authorities made him the most significant proponent of Spanish-American independence in revolutionary America and Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century. This book considers Miranda as traveler (in the Americas and Europe), soldier (as a Spanish officer and later general in the French revolutionary army), intellectual (as connoisseur and creator of a great private library), and romantic figure (gentleman and lover). The authors reveal how these facets of Miranda's life shaped his constant struggle for Spanish-American independence. Contributors include David Bushnell (professor emeritus, University of Florida, USA), John Lynch (professor emeritus, University of London, UK), Edgardo Mondolfi Gudat (Universidad Metropolitana,Venezuela), Malcolm Deas (St.Antony's College, Oxford University, UK), and Karen Racine (University of Guelph, Canada).