"All over Latin America, and especially in the Venezuela of Hugo Chávez, Latin America's liberator, Simón Bolívar, is a political idol and symbol of that continent's new political self-confidence. The legends about him remain alive and have been the basis for numerous political speeches, plays, and fictional works. Michael Zeuske, one of the world's leading experts on Bolívar, examines the dimensions of the cult and myths surrounding Bolívar and compares these with the real historical person and the world in which he lived. Zeuske's account corrects major inaccuracies in the historical texts, such as the legendary meeting between Alexander von Humboldt and Bolívar, which never actually took place."--p. [4] of cover.