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By inquiring into José da Silva Lisboa’s role in the process of Independence, Guilherme Celestino seeks to re-evaluate the conventional position he has occupied for such a long time in Brazilian historiography – a conservative or a reactionary – in order to give a new interpretation of the role played by this man. And so, a convinced monarchist emerges, defender of the House of Braganza, who was guided by the Portuguese Enlightenment preaching the renewal of institutions through gradual reform. A book destined to be a reference for studies on the Independence period and on Silva Lisboa’s own thinking’ — Lucia Bastos P. Neves, Professor of Modern History at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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The histories of Ibero-American independences have been too attached to analyses tied to the Anglo-Saxon paradigm of the “era of revolutions.” Celestino’s book is in this sense a breath of fresh air, not only because it suggests alternatives to the interpretative canon but also because it opens new avenues for thinking about and articulating concepts and facts that have been conventionally contested. An original, daring and undoubtedly stimulating work’ — Isabel Corrêa da Silva, Research Fellow at Instituto Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.

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Guilherme Celestino’s exquisite work is fundamental for us to understand several crossroads of Brazilian society, both at the beginning of the Empire and today. Silva Lisboa is more present than ever, in many representations and practices of today. Guilherme escapes the spectrum of pragmatic and conservative evocations of the Viscount of Cairu, to observe him almost side by side, as he invited the economist to walk in the garden of the modern approach and highly qualified research, a work developed with great responsibility.’ — Carlos de Faria Jr., Lecturer of Economic History and Economic Formation of Brazil, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Brazil

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