Product Description

The first definitive biography of Ernesto Che Guevara, the twentieth century's supreme revolutionary martyr.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2245 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-02
• Binding: Paperback
• 832 pages

Synopsis
He became a myth in his own lifetime and an international martyr-figure upon his death; he was a revolutionary fighter, a military strategist, a social philosopher, an economist, a medical doctor, and a friend and confidant of Fidel Castro. Che Guevara's dream was an epic one - to unite Latin America and the rest of the developing world through armed revolution, and to end once and for all the poverty, injustice and petty nationalisms that had bled it for centuries. In the end, Che failed in his quest but he is recognized as that one-in-a-million personality who just might have pulled it off. "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life" shuttles between the revolutionary capitals of Havana and Algiers to the battlegrounds of Bolivia and the Congo; from the halls of power in Moscow and Washington to the exile havens of Miami, Mexico and Guatemala, in a gripping tale of revolution, international intrigue and covert operations. It has an epic sweep as it evokes an era of tumultuous change, describing major events like the Bay of Pigs invasion, the October Missile crisis and Kennedy's assassination.

Among its cast of characters are scores of historic personalities including Castro, Kennedy, Kruschev, Mao Tse-tung, Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, to name but a few. Jon Lee Anderson has been given unprecedented access to the Cuban Government's archives and has had total co-operation from Che's widow, Aleida March, who has never previously spoken for publication about her late husband. He has obtained hitherto unpublished documents, including several of Che's personal diaries and, in the course of his research, broke open a twenty-eight-year-old mystery - the whereabouts of Che's body in Bolivia. There is no doubt that this monumental work will stand as the definitive portrait of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating, yet largely unexplored, historical figures.

From the Back Cover
He became a myth in his own lifetime and an international martyr-figure upon his death; he was a revolutionary fighter, a military strategist, a social philosopher, an economist, a medical doctor and a friend and confidant of Fidel Castro. Che Guevara's dream was an epic one - to unite Latin America and the rest of the developing world through armed revolution, and to end once and for all the poverty, injustice and petty nationalisms that had bled it for centuries. Che drove himself with fanatical zeal, and in the end he paid the ultimate price for his cause.

Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life shuttles between the revolutionary capitals of Havana and Algiers to the battlegrounds of Bolivia and the Congo; from the halls of power in Moscow and Washington to the exile havens of Miami, Mexico and Guatemala, in a gripping tale of revolution, international intrigue and covert operations. It has an epic sweep as it evokes an era of tumultuous change, of a worldwide super-power struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, manifesting itself in numerous 'little wars' across the globe.

Jon Lee Anderson has been given unprecedented access to the Cuban Government's archives and has had total co-operation from Che's widow, Aleida March, who has never previously spoken for publication about her late husband. He has obtained hitherto unpublished documents, including several of Che's personal diaries and, in the course of his research, broke open a twenty-eight-year-old mystery - the whereabouts of Che's body in Bolivia. There is no doubt that this monumental work will stand as the definitive portrait of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating, yet largely unexplored, historical figures.

About the Author
Jon Lee Anderson
Jon Lee Anderson is an American journalist and writer. His first book Guerillas was published by HarperCollins in 1992.

Customer Reviews

Its just a book....isn't it?
This is a magnificent piece of research and writing.
Anderson really brings the reader into Guevara's life and with so many first hand accounts from interviews with many of the people that made up part of the web that was Guevara's world. This book must be read by anyone who wishes to learn about the man.
Historically and factually splendid, this book really lets you feel what was going on (and perhaps is still going on in some cases)in The Americas, Russia and beyond and lets you grasp the true ethos of revolution.
Follow the birth of Ernesto right through to the death of 'Che' and you will experience an intimate account of a genuine legendary and mythical figure,you will literally feel the power and presence that was Che Guevara.
Unmissable.

A committed revolutionary, but Che is no hero
Why is Che Geuvara considered a revolutionary hero? It is not down to his achievements; he fought bravely alongside Castro is Cuba but then largely destroyed the Cuban economy by his policies of collectivisation, isolated Cuba from its main ally, the USSR, and led disastrous adventures into the Congo and Bolivia. He is probably considered a hero as a result of his motives rather than his results; he had a driving urge to help the impoverished, and believed that revolution and sweeping away existing political structures was the best way to achieve this. He was wrong. Most people, no matter how impoverished, simply want a better life; they do not care about the workers' control of capital or the difference between Maoism, Marxism and Trotskyism hence Che's failure in Bolivia, and , economically, Cuba. Che's legend endures because he died young, therefore his works, like those of Jim Morrison, are elevated and mythologised out of all proportion. As this riveting book makes clear Guevara and Castro had a real opportunity to change Cuba for the better; the fact that even today hundreds die trying to escape the island shows the magnitude of their failure.

BRILLIANT
Anderson has written a massive biography, starting when Che was a child, he takes us from his formative years, his revolutionary awakening on his famous motorcycle trips, his revolutionary battles, through to his death in Bolivia. The book is brought alive with fascinating details and interviews, and previously unpublished writings which give a thorough insight into not only the man, but the political climate of the Cold War, and the unsavoury dealings of the CIA and KGB. It does not matter whether you agree with Che's political stance or actions, this book gives a slice of recent history which is essential to the understanding of the times he lived in, and how we got to where we are today. Excellent research and extremely readable.