George Thompson (1839 - 1878) was a British engineer active in Paraguay, serving Presidents Carlos Antonio Lopez and Francisco Solano Lopez. He was particularly known for his involvement in the construction of defenses during the War of the Triple Alliance.

This is an invaluable book for anyone with more than a passing interest in the War of the Triple Alliance (Paraguayan War). Thompson was one of the few people on the Paraguayan side who was both a key player and a survivor. His descriptions of the war and of Paraguay are surprisingly dispassionate given the circumstances. Since the reprint is a scanned copy of the original, there are some flaws such as spots, blanks and slightly skewed pages. Nothing that makes a big difference.