Cunha << KOO nyuh >>, Euclides da (1866-1909), a Brazilian newspaper reporter, wrote perhaps the greatest work in Brazilian literature. The book, Os Sertoes (1902), has been translated as Rebellion in the Backlands.
In Os Sertoes, da Cunha realistically described an armed rebellion that occurred in 1896 and 1897. In this rebellion, Brazilians of the poverty-stricken sertao (backlands) fought against the government. Da Cunha witnessed the rebellion as a newspaper correspondent. Os Sertoes combines journalistic reporting with certain features of a novel, such as characterization, drama, and pacing. The book gives a vivid account of guerrilla warfare. It also provides a sociological study of Brazilian society and its problems. The author attacked Brazilian society for its neglect of the people of the sertao. Os Sertoes helped the wealthy residents of the coastal region understand the people of the sertao.
Euclides Rodrigues Pimenta da Cunha was born on Jan. 20, 1866, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He died on Aug. 15, 1909.
