Customer Reviews

Che Guevara Reader: Writings on Politics & Revolution

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This is a good book if you want to know about Che's Marxists theories and if you want to know some of his views on the world during his time. But this book (though it is good) only scratches the surface a good portion of these speeches and essays have been published in many other books what the editor should've done was published parts of Che's critique of the Soviet Union that Castro has hidden away,printed parts of his congo book and sections from the Bolivian Diary, and more sections from the nine volume Che Guevara writing and speeches then this book would worthy of the title Che Guevara Reader

this book is a great collection of various writings and speeches by ernesto che guevara. it contains some entries in his diary of the cuban revolution, speeches he gave internationally and in cuba, and letters he wrote to people close to him. it's an interesting collection of his stuff, which is actually pretty hard to get a hold of. so if you see this book, and your interested in che, grab it, because i really had to look around for this one.

This collection of Guevara's writings expresses the deep thoughts that pervaded in the deep crevices of his mind. This book has a wonderful, and simple chronology to start off, from his birth, to the Cuban Revolution, and to his untimely murder. Also bound in this book is several speeches he made, along with letters that he wrote, including the farewell letter to his good comrade: Fidel Castro. This book lets you explore the complexities of Che Guevara ideals, and manifests them in the best way possible.

Che Guevara has been so etched into the public consciousness as an icon of revolution, rebellion and guerrilla warfare that it is easy for many to forget about the more intellectual aspects of the man. The "Che Guevara Reader" is the perfect tool to really study and learn the ideas behind Guevara's quest for Latin American unity against imperialism, poverty and racism. The depth of thought and analysis will be stunning to many, there are passages where Guevara writes and expresses at a level worthy of Noam Chomsky. Here we see that the man was no joke, there were very real philosophies behind his drive for revolution. The book covers Che's writings from the time of the Cuban guerrilla war against the U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship to his various speeched as Cuba's ambassador to the world. Among the most powerful pieces are his speeched at such forums as the United Nations, where Guevara gives an angry, heartfelt summary of the suffering felt in the Americas at the hands of imperialism and how the people will rise. When one looks at current events in Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, there is more resonance to a passage where Che states, "our example will bear fruit." Some of the most fascinating passages in the book deal with the concepts behind social progress and unity, where Che stresses the need to work as one and not give in to shallow materialism. Che especially focuses on the need for education to build a stronger system and build social consciousness. Che and Fidel bashers will be infuriated by sections where Guevara clearly states that not ALL aspects of Marxism work for a society, destroying the myth of Che being a radical dogmatic Communist. There are also interesting speeches where Guevara expresses the need to analyze what kind of revolution every country needs, what worked in Cuba might not work for example, in Chile where the people elected Salvador Allende without having to resort to a guerrilla war, interestingly Latin America's recent tilt to the Left has been driven mostly be democratic elections as well. There is also a wonderful depth of feeling in writings where Che states the need for a true revolutionary to have a sense of love, real, true love and not pure cold calculation. The most rewarding experience of reading the "Che Guevara Reader" is realizing how important these ideas are for our times as well when corporate ideals have monopolized our industrial nations and created a huge gap between the poor and rich. Some will be surprised to find only a fraction of this book dedicated to pure guerrilla warfare talk (for that check Guevara's "Guerrilla Warfare") and a good 90% dedicated to discussions on society, people and the need for true social reforms in the face of tyrannical capitalism and social inequality. A valuable book so you can wear the T-shirt, but know the philosophy as well.

GREAT BOOK
MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR REALLY THERE
A MUST IF YOU LIKE READING BOUT CHE GUEVARA FROM CHE GUEVARA HIMSELF

What a coincidence! Now that a movie glorifying Ernesto "Che" Guevara is about to make its debut out of tinseltown, everyone with an ounce of greed in their innards is publishing and translating books and articles about Che--a most lucrative way for opportunistic ghost writers etc., to make lots of money at the expense of the ignorant masses and without a drop of sweat. Years after Guevara's well-deserved execution by the Bolivian military, the glorification of Che is coming out of the woodwork.

For those Guevara fans and boot-lickers who weren't "fortunate enough" to live in Cuba during the early days of the so-called revolution, Che became such a thorn on Fidel's side that the maximum liar presented the sinister doctor with the notorious ultimatum: Leave Cuba now, or else. Thus the main reason the Argentinian "benefactor" leaped south in a "quest to liberate" the suffering Bolivian masses from oppression, and escape his own execution at the hands of the Castro brothers, who auspiciously ended up owning the entire Cuban farm by themselves.

A ruthless human being by conviction, and a bloodthirsty doctor by trade, Guevara, like Fidel, executed in cold blood those who opposed their communist ideals right on the spot and without trial.

Regardless of how the ignorant media exalts Guevara's memory, this nefarious individual will go into history as an intelligent, ruthless flake, who happened to be in the right place at the wrong time.

The man deserves to be remembered as he was: A criminal, a loser, and a mass murderer.


Andrew J. Rodriguez
Award winning author of "Adios, Havana, a Memoir"

Mr. Deutschmann:

On page 13 you write:

"April 1, 1965 Guevara delivers a farewell letter to Fidel Castro.....Guevara operates under the name Tatu, Swahili for "Number two."

I dont know where you got this quote of "Number two." from, but Tatu in Swahili stands for Number three. Number two is Mbiri.

Thank you.

"Che" Guevara was in reality, a thug, a pathological murderer, a coward and (when it came to guerrilla warfare) an incompetent fool. There is the myth that Che studied medicine. Not so. He himself admitted that he was not a doctor. The medical school of Buenos Aires, Argentina has stated that it has no record of him ever studying medicine there. He had a window built in his office in the La Cabana prison so that he could watch his firing squads execute without a trial (over 500 executions a day)men, women and children (some as young as 15 years old)for his pleasure. It is galling that one of the reviewers of this book makes the statement that che's death was a "murder." If one of that reviewer's family members had been among the thousands that Che had executed in La Cabana prison, he'd be singing a different tune.

In battle, he was the first one to run away like a scared rabbit. In Bolivia, this military "genius"(who was always lost in the jungle) split his "guerrilla fighters" into two groups that on one occasion fired at each other by mistake. When the Bolivian Army caught up with him he ran to them with his hands in the air shouting "I surrender. Don't shoot. I am Che. I am worth more to you alive than dead!" This is direct contrast to the propaganda story that he was "surprised and overwhelmed" when his M2 carbine was damaged and his pistol ran out of bullets. In reality, he had no such carbine and his pistol was in its holster and loaded with a full clip when he surrendered.

For the real story read the book "Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the useful idiots who idolize him" by Humberto Fontova.

Another excellent book is "Shadow Warrior" by Felix Rodriguez who was the Cuban born CIA agent that helped capture this monstrous, blood thirsty coward. Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize HimFidel: Hollywood's Favorite TyrantShadow Warrior/the CIA Hero of a Hundred Unknown Battles criminal.

Good book, but be prepared. Che was a failure as a guerrilla leader because he refused to accept the possibility that a revolution could begin and end in major population centers. He reallty didn't have many wins to his favor when he was in charge.