Lula!
The Man, the Myth and a Dream of Latin America
1st Edition
Published on 26. February 2026
368 pages
978-1-3994-1355-8 (ISBN)
Description
'richly rewarding' FINANCIAL TIMES
'the definitive biography of Brazil's president' MONOCLE
'a valuable additional source for those following Lula, Brazil and Latin America' THE WEEK
From the factory floor to the presidency: the extraordinary story of President Lula's fight to change Brazil
In October 2022, Lula was once again elected President of Brazil, replacing the far-right strongman Bolsonaro, sparking an insurrection, and exiling the fallen demagogue to the US. Lula won by promising to save the Amazon and to give power back to the Brazilian people. This has long been the dream of Latin American left-wing movements - many of which have ended in corruption, disaster and death. Lula has survived at least three curtain calls. Imprisoned for corruption in the notorious 'Car Wash' scandal, voted out, bullied and beaten, Lula continues to draw huge crowds of workers wherever he goes. He speaks of revolution and comes from the streets of São Paulo, and yet he is enmeshed in hidden bank accounts and lobbying scandals.
This is the definitive biography of Lula and the history of modern Brazilian politics that gave rise to him.
Richard Lapper ran the FT bureau on Latin America for two decades, and lived in Brazil for many years. His previous biography of Bolsonaro was for many the best book on the so-called Trump of the Tropics. Lapper's unparalleled reporting and access allows him to tell the full story - which encapsulates so much of why Latin America's left-wing movements both excite and fascinate us in the West.
'the definitive biography of Brazil's president' MONOCLE
'a valuable additional source for those following Lula, Brazil and Latin America' THE WEEK
From the factory floor to the presidency: the extraordinary story of President Lula's fight to change Brazil
In October 2022, Lula was once again elected President of Brazil, replacing the far-right strongman Bolsonaro, sparking an insurrection, and exiling the fallen demagogue to the US. Lula won by promising to save the Amazon and to give power back to the Brazilian people. This has long been the dream of Latin American left-wing movements - many of which have ended in corruption, disaster and death. Lula has survived at least three curtain calls. Imprisoned for corruption in the notorious 'Car Wash' scandal, voted out, bullied and beaten, Lula continues to draw huge crowds of workers wherever he goes. He speaks of revolution and comes from the streets of São Paulo, and yet he is enmeshed in hidden bank accounts and lobbying scandals.
This is the definitive biography of Lula and the history of modern Brazilian politics that gave rise to him.
Richard Lapper ran the FT bureau on Latin America for two decades, and lived in Brazil for many years. His previous biography of Bolsonaro was for many the best book on the so-called Trump of the Tropics. Lapper's unparalleled reporting and access allows him to tell the full story - which encapsulates so much of why Latin America's left-wing movements both excite and fascinate us in the West.
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-1355-8 (9781399413558)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
02/2026
Bloomsbury Continuum
€25.00
Available immediately
Person
Richard Lapper is a writer and consultant, specializing in Latin America. He is author of Beef, Bible and Bullets: Brazil in the Age of Bolsonaro. He worked for the Financial Times for 25 years, and was Latin America editor between 1998 and 2008. He was a principal at FT Confidential between 2010 and 2015.
Content
Introduction
1 A Man from the Backlands
2 The City and the Factory
3 Soldiers and Guerrillas
4 The Reluctant Trade Unionist
5 All Out
6 The Workers' Party Arrives
7 The Odd Couple
8 The Tide Turns
9 2002: A Decisive Year
10 The Rise of Lulismo
11 Green Brazil
12 The Dilma Dilemma
13 The Fall
14 The Fall 2: Lula Bites the Dust
15 Bolsonaro
16 Lula 3 Takes Shape
17 'Welcome to the sacred land of the working class'
18 The Seductions of Celebrity
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index
1 A Man from the Backlands
2 The City and the Factory
3 Soldiers and Guerrillas
4 The Reluctant Trade Unionist
5 All Out
6 The Workers' Party Arrives
7 The Odd Couple
8 The Tide Turns
9 2002: A Decisive Year
10 The Rise of Lulismo
11 Green Brazil
12 The Dilma Dilemma
13 The Fall
14 The Fall 2: Lula Bites the Dust
15 Bolsonaro
16 Lula 3 Takes Shape
17 'Welcome to the sacred land of the working class'
18 The Seductions of Celebrity
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index
