Sidney Harris

Eye of the Condor: a Novel by Sidney Harris

Dragged by force from his villagein the Bolivian highlands, Carlos Obregon is thrown into the Chaco War withlittle training and incompetent officers. Fighting in an unforgiving wasteland, Carlos needs all his resources tosurvive as the Bolivian Army suffers defeat after defeat. At war's end he swears to remedy theinjustice done to him and his fellow soldiers. At La Paz, Carlos participates in a secret army lodge which overthrows the civiliangovernment. After a promising start, themilitary junta falls back into the corruption of the previous regime, andCarlos realizes he must assume power in order to make real progress, even if itmeans betraying his Commanding Officer. Carlos begins an affair with anattractive blond German, who has traveled to Boliviaseeking news of her husband, reported as missing in action during the war, butwho was killed by Carlos. The situationbecomes even more complicated when Carlos' best friend falls in love with thesame woman. The novel recreates the chaos ofthe Chaco War, the turmoil in Bolivian politics which followed, the disaster of the Catavi massacre of miners, interwoven with a tragic lovetriangle, betrayal of friends, and an explosive revolution.