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Lula!: The Man, The Myth and a Dream of Latin America
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's extraordinary career spans five decades. He has gone beyond 'a Brazilian politician' and become one of the most fascinating political operators of our young century.
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 Trump-friendly circles in the US. He won by promising to save the Amazon (and, therefore, the world) and, as ever, 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. When Barack Obama met Lula during his second term as President of Brazil in 2009, he called him 'the most popular politician in the world'.
This is the definitive book on Lula. Richard Lapper ran the FT bureau on Latin America for two decades, and lived in Brazil for many years. He is the world's foremost expert on Brazilian politics. 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 have now turned to Lula, whose story encapsulates so much of why Latin America's left-wing movements both excite and fascinate us in the West.
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 Trump-friendly circles in the US. He won by promising to save the Amazon (and, therefore, the world) and, as ever, 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. When Barack Obama met Lula during his second term as President of Brazil in 2009, he called him 'the most popular politician in the world'.
This is the definitive book on Lula. Richard Lapper ran the FT bureau on Latin America for two decades, and lived in Brazil for many years. He is the world's foremost expert on Brazilian politics. 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 have now turned to Lula, whose story encapsulates so much of why Latin America's left-wing movements both excite and fascinate us in the West.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published April 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 10, 2026
I really enjoyed this biography of Lula, Brazil’s three-time president, and the biggest figure in Latin American politics for a quarter of a century. The author Richard Lapper is the former FT Latin American editor with a deep knowledge of Brazil, and a fantastic ability to explain the political, economic and cultural currents behind the rise, fall and rise again of Lula. The story of Lula’s rise from poverty to Union leader to President is well known, but Lapper also brings nuance to his origin story, explaining Lula’s initial reluctance to join a Trade Union and his unusual ability to listen and remain pragmatic despite his soaring rhetoric and his left wing credentials.
Lapper’s interviews with Uber drivers reveal the motivation of gig workers to not want a salaried job really bring home how much Brazil and the world has changed since the 1970’s and 1980’s when Lula and his comrades took on the military government. Lula also describes very well why so many Brazilians voted for his opponent Jair Bolsanaro and his brand of abusive, nihilistic politics.
Lapper is unsparing in his description of how Lula’s Workers Party became embroiled in corruption but also recognises the extraordinary achievements of Lula’s first two governments in lowering poverty and inequality.
His ultimate judgment of Lula is ‘mixed’ which is true to his even-handed style but felt like a bit of a letdown after a fantastic tour of his life and an exceptional understanding of the factors that shaped his presidency.
Given the truism that all political lives end in failure it feels remarkable that Lula hasn’t crashed and burned yet, which is surely something to do with his skills as a negotiator, his warmth as a communicator, and his physical resilience. He is standing to be president for a fourth time this October so the extraordinary journey of the lathe operator who became President is not over yet.
Lapper’s interviews with Uber drivers reveal the motivation of gig workers to not want a salaried job really bring home how much Brazil and the world has changed since the 1970’s and 1980’s when Lula and his comrades took on the military government. Lula also describes very well why so many Brazilians voted for his opponent Jair Bolsanaro and his brand of abusive, nihilistic politics.
Lapper is unsparing in his description of how Lula’s Workers Party became embroiled in corruption but also recognises the extraordinary achievements of Lula’s first two governments in lowering poverty and inequality.
His ultimate judgment of Lula is ‘mixed’ which is true to his even-handed style but felt like a bit of a letdown after a fantastic tour of his life and an exceptional understanding of the factors that shaped his presidency.
Given the truism that all political lives end in failure it feels remarkable that Lula hasn’t crashed and burned yet, which is surely something to do with his skills as a negotiator, his warmth as a communicator, and his physical resilience. He is standing to be president for a fourth time this October so the extraordinary journey of the lathe operator who became President is not over yet.
September 24, 2026
So informative and easy to read! Lula is the man!
July 18, 2026
This book is about Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian politician, and 3-time left leaning Presidential Election winner, commonly known as Lula.
This book is thorough. It traces Lula’s life from poor (and illiterate) beginnings to the Presidency, via tough manufacturing jobs and union activism. In many ways his life reminds me of early British Labour Party activists lives, because of their lives have so many parallels (though Brazilian poverty was more extreme).
The book doesn’t shy away from the mild endemic corruption in Brazil. Lula’s successor didn’t have his “common touch”, and when anti-corruption legislation was passed, it all kicked off, with Lula, Dilma Rousseff (the incumbent), and multiple other high profile politicians being arrested. Their arrests are justified, but their actions are too, because of the way politics is structured there.
If you don’t know much about modern Brazilian politics, this book is worth reading, because it shows that non-matter theory country, there are extremely diverse challenges that are being faced, from the rise of populism to the change in the shape of the economy from manufacturing to the gig-economy.
In short, an informative read.
This book is thorough. It traces Lula’s life from poor (and illiterate) beginnings to the Presidency, via tough manufacturing jobs and union activism. In many ways his life reminds me of early British Labour Party activists lives, because of their lives have so many parallels (though Brazilian poverty was more extreme).
The book doesn’t shy away from the mild endemic corruption in Brazil. Lula’s successor didn’t have his “common touch”, and when anti-corruption legislation was passed, it all kicked off, with Lula, Dilma Rousseff (the incumbent), and multiple other high profile politicians being arrested. Their arrests are justified, but their actions are too, because of the way politics is structured there.
If you don’t know much about modern Brazilian politics, this book is worth reading, because it shows that non-matter theory country, there are extremely diverse challenges that are being faced, from the rise of populism to the change in the shape of the economy from manufacturing to the gig-economy.
In short, an informative read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews