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Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life

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With a figure this inspirational and controversial, it's amazing that no authoritative biography appeared on Che Guevara until Anderson completed this one three decades after his death. Anderson has really delivered an impressive and strongly researched bio into this interesting character. We learn that Che had a comfortable middle-class upbringing in Argentina and even earned a medical degree, but ended up fighting for the world's downtrodden. He also had severe asthma but still managed to become a rugged jungle revolutionary. After traveling around Latin America he ended up in Cuba as Castro's right-hand man during the revolution. This episode in Che's career contributes to the main problem of this book however. More than half of the book is dedicated to the years just before and after Castro's seizure of power in 1959. Che certainly had a large part to play here, but his life story is lost in Anderson's coverage of Cuban events and politics during those years. Thus for a while the book is no longer a biography but a political history that is only somewhat related to the main subject. Apparently in his research on Che, Anderson unearthed so much information on the Cuban revolution that he wanted to use all of it, and accidentally wrote a second book on Cuban history and placed it in the middle of this one. This is still useful if you're interested in that topic, but as a result this book becomes far more rambling, long-winded, and unfocused than it should be.

On the other hand, in the rest of the book Anderson definitely succeeds in showing all sides of Che's personality, both good and bad. Like the best of biographers, Anderson doesn't judge his subject and lets the facts speak for themselves. And what we have is a highly contradictory character. Che was admirably committed to his beliefs, but this commitment was so strong that his beliefs became unyielding and dogmatic. He was an exceptional leader of men but a horrendous politician, so he earned fanatical devotion from his followers but alienated everyone else. He personified the fatal flaw of all Communists by professing a love for the vague mass called "The People," but when it came to individual persons he persecuted (and sometimes executed) anyone who didn't follow his beliefs to the letter. While he was certainly a key player in the Cuban revolution, and Castro couldn't have done the job without him, Che accomplished little after that as he tried to inspire revolutions around the world. He couldn't accept the fact that his pie-in-the-sky dream of uniting all the world's oppressed peoples couldn't possibly work in reality, both for logistical reasons and because of the differences in people's political beliefs. But Che certainly had plenty of charisma and devotion, and that is still a pretty good reason for him to be inspirational to this day. However, his legions of admirers may want to read this book and learn more about what he really did - and didn't - accomplish.

This is a very even-handed and thorough look at Che Guevara's life. As an anti-communist Cuban-American, I approached this book with skepticism, but ultimately thought it to be sound. John Lee Anderson is obviously sympathetic to Che, but how can you expect a biographer not to be. Additionally, I suspect that such sympathy is what allowed him access to previously unreleased documents held by the Cuban Council of State, as well as Che's widow. Anderson doesn't squander the opportunity and produces a scrupulous, yet eminently readable account. If you are looking to learn more about the Che--the good and the bad--this is undoubtedly where start.

If you want an in-depth study of Che Guevara from birth to death, this is the book for you. This book is scrupulously researched and detailed (almost to a fault). I wouldn't purchase this book if you want a shortened, glamourized version of his life that continues to propogate "the cult of Che". I think some reviewers have confused liking the subject (Che) with liking the actual book. Che was not a likable character. He was selfish, sexist, misguided, arrogant, and an absent parent. None of this is the fault of the author. Che was was also a passionate, idealistic and dedicated visionary on a mission to revolutionize social injustice. In my opinion, the author presents an unbiased and even-handed account of one of the most enigmatic figures in recent history. However, the story is a bit rambling and in all honesty once you've read the entire work, you will find yourself wondering if this was a man worthy of an 800 page biography delivered by such a diligent biographer. One thing I can guarantee you is that after reading this you'll think differently when you see someone wearing a Che t-shirt.

If you are looking for an excellent book on Che Guevara, this one is it. It has it all, from his parents and his birth to his death in 1967 and his eventual return to Cuba 30 years later.

This book is very descriptive and extremely in-depth, so expect more than a simple narrative. It is a big book, it will take a little while to read, but it is time well spent.

I believe this book was as 'neutral' as it could possibly be, considering the highly contentious intellectual atmosphere that surrounds academic discussion of Cuba and the Revolution. It does not gloss over the fact that Che executed people, both during and after the guerilla war. Similarly, the book does not avoid the obvious humanistic and loving episodes in the life of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. For his neutrality and artful handling of such a complex historical figure, who lived his life against a backdrop of events still highly controversial today, I commend Mr. Anderson.

Before reading this book, Che was an icon to me: a heroic revolutionary with dreams of intercontinental liberation and universal justice.

After reading this book, Che the icon disappeared. He became, to quote his reputed last words, simply "a man."

Ernesto "Che" Guevara was a revolutionary. He was born in Argentina but never called the country home after his college years, studying medicine. Through his travels during his college years, he became aware of the povery and inequality in South America. This inspired him to fight for the equality he felt Marxism would bring. Che is known for his effect on the communist revolution in Cuba. He also fought in falied revolutions in Congo and Bolivia. It is safe to say that he is a man who impacted the world even if you do not agree with his political views. He is the man who invented guerrilla warfare.

John Lee Anderson's book is the definitive book on Che Guevara. At times, it is almost too detailed with its nearly 800 page length. In reality, a book being too detailed is a compliment. The pictures he chose to include in the text are outstanding. Many of the pictures have been in CIA possession for years, and unseen to the public.

While not directly a goal of the book, I enjoyed the insight this book gives into the relationship between Che and Fidel Castro. Anderson lets the reader draw conclusions rather than telling the reader what to think. While Castro believed in communism, Guevara was held policies more closely to the writing of Karl Marx. Che was willing to criticize policy if he felt it was not "Marxist enough". Unlike Castro, Che was willing to criticize the Soviet Union leaders for not living in the true equality that communism is intended to be.

Despite Cuba's rivalry with the United States, I found it odd that more was not mentioned about the Cuba Missle Crisis. Guevara detested the United States, so it seems he would have had more to say in the matter. If he did have more to say, little is mentioned in the book.

Because of its length, readers need some spare time to take in this whole book. The thoroughness of the product makes reading this book a rewarding experience.

If you want to know something about the man behind the t-shirt image, read this book. I walked away admiring the extraordinary dedication of this Marxist, yet repelled by his philosophy. This was a dedicated revolutionary, with a mericless Marxist p.o.v. I won't be able to look at the romantic image in the same way again.

This meticulously researched and clearly written biography of Che gives the reader all one wanted to know about the life and history of the revered revolutionary.

Although I found the book a bit slow as the author sift through the details of Ernesto Guevara's life, from the account of his early childhood to first loves and his youthful trips, I appreciated the amount of work the author had done in gathering actual quotes and comments about the heroes life from that period.

John Lee Anderson also does an excellent job walking us through the development of Guevara and his early influences as he graduates from Medical school and takes up traveling in South America once again. The reader almost grows up along with Ernesto and sees the influences of his early adulthood become his life long convictions that mad our hero famous and ultimately costing him his life.

I couldn't put the book down once the revolution started and Guevara became Che and the hero of the revolution. The details of gorilla life were gruesome and the pace of the book ran along a neck breaking speed as Guevara ran the revolution that changed millions of lives. At this point the book was once again nicely balanced between accounts of Che's life and the historical background that painted the landscape of Cuban revolutionary forces.

One disappointing detail of the book was a mention of the involvement of the Russians in the beginning phases of the revolution, but the subject was never fully developed. Che's trips abroad were also downplayed, especially his trip to China and his meeting with Mao.

Overall I would recommend this excellent and thorough book to anyone who is interested in Che, the Cuban revolution or the struggles of the people of South America in the middle of the twentieth century. It also offers a great perspective on the Cuban missile crisis and the Bay of Pigs.

I don't think you will find a more thorough account of Che Guevara anywhere. The author exhausts all sources of information and goes above a beyond the expected subject matter to give the reader ample information about the communist/socialist revolution that occured during the 50's and 60's in Central and South America.

The author does a splendid job of showing how Ernesto (friendly, happy-go-lucky, adventurous doctor) slowly became Che (fierce, militant, cold killer). The bulk of the book revolves around the Cuban revolution and touches on the attempted Congonesse, Bolivian, Guatemalan and Argentinan revolutions

This is a first class biography by a world class journalist. Jon Lee Anderson's biography of Che Guevara is unparalleled in its scholarship and accessibility. Anderson uses his investigative skills as a journalist to uncover new information about the life and times of this loved and hated revolutionary. Anderson does so by living and traveling throughout Cuba and Latin America, as well as the former Soviet Union and the U.S., to interview key figures who knew Guevara first hand.

The book is well written and reads much like a bestselling novel. At almost 800 pages, this is not a light read. But it is well worth the time. Among other things, Anderson takes the reader behind the scenes at Guevara's childhood homes in Argentina and on his famous motorcycle trips throughout South America.

Later, the book transports readers into Che's apartment in Mexico, where he meets Fidel Castro for the first time. Anderson provides his readers with front row seats to the revolutionary battles that took place at and around the Sierra Maestra in 1950's Cuba. Readers are then led to follow Che into his role as a minister in Cuba's new revolutionary government. Then, after describing how Che made a feckless foray into the Congo to assist a revolutionary uprising there, Anderson follows Che into his final battle in Bolivia.

Throughout the biography, Anderson provides readers with detailed and documented access to key events (and books) that influenced Che's thinking and growth as a Marxist revolutionary. Moreover, the author does a good job of citing the original writings of Che and others near him. This makes readers (at least this one) almost feel as if they are firsthand witnesses to history.

Unlike many books on Che, Anderson's is thoroughly objective. The author paints a picture of Che that is both factual and well-rounded, leaving the reader to draw his or her own conclusions about the man and his actions. If the book has a weakness, it might be that many of its quotes are not clearly documented with footnotes. This could prove problematical for students who want to pursue their own research on Guevara. But for the majority of readers, this is a problem that is easily overlooked. I am glad that I read this book and cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone interested in its subject.

Most full-length biographies sport endorsements claiming that their work is the "definitive" account of the subject's life. In the case of Jon Lee Anderson's "Che: A Revolutionary Life" the claim is accurate. Meticulously researched, dispassionate in composition and exceptionally well-organized and well-written, "Che" is everything a biography should be. A couple of points are worth noting specifically.

First, Anderson does a fantastic job of concentrating on Che's character, critical childhood and adolescent experiences, and the key relationships he maintained throughout life, especially those with his family in Argentina. What's surprising is that Che - who remains one of the most inspirational and enduring figures in the world - was really not much of a natural leader nor did he express any deeply held political convictions until adulthood. Anderson describes a man who was always something of a misfit that reveled in shocking and antagonizing people, and constantly battling a crippling case of asthma.

Anderson's focus on Che's early years is fascinating and also provides a good factual counterpoint to the recent indie hit "The Motorcycle Diaries," which is an excellent example of how Che's persona has become a hazy blend of reality and myth. In the movie, the young Che (then known by the nickname "Fuser") takes $15 from a girlfriend to use only to buy her a fancy scarf once they get to America. Che refuses to use the money for food or shelter even when he and his traveling companion, the real life Alberto Granado, are desperately in need. Ultimately, Che and Alberto meet a poor communist couple while camping overnight in Peru and Che surreptitiously gives them the $15 and Alberto is furious when he finds out. Along the way Alberto gambles to pay for sex with a sultry prostitute while traveling on a river boat and Che bolts out of a good-bye party at a leprosarium and bravely swims across the Amazon at night to be with the lepers in their dingy compound. It's all a very good story and one that seeks to foreshadow the life of the young-doctor-turned-revolutionary the world would know as Che. Unfortunately, Anderson shows that the writers of the movie employed their fair share of artistic license in creating the screenplay. For instance, Che did receive $15 from a girlfriend and he did meet a poor communist couple in Peru that left a deep impression on him; but he kept the money and ultimately did use it to buy a scarf for the girl in Miami (which Che did get to, although the movie doesn't show that). And it was Che that gambled to pay for sex with the prostitute on the riverboat. He did swim across the Amazon, but it was on a lark and out of boredom, not out of any sense of sharing his last night with the downtrodden and diseased.

A second point of conspicuous merit is Anderson's ground breaking primary research. It was his work that ultimately broke the story on the details of Che's death and his final resting place under an airstrip in Bolivia. The material in the book comes from personal interviews Anderson had with Che's old comrades from the revolution in Cuba, his widow, the CIA operatives that dedicated their lives to defeat of him and the leftist revolutionaries around Latin America and his communist and Soviet supporters and opponents. The reader gets the sense that there is little more one could know about the life of Che short of full access to the Cuban Revolutionary archives.

Third, given Che's central and driving force and the detail provided by Anderson's exhaustive research, the biography also serves as a history of revolutionary movements in Latin America and Congo. For me, the most striking thing was the almost comic nature of many of the "revolutions." Most often these revolutionary forces were nothing more than a handful (maybe 15) of poorly armed, poorly trained and poorly led young men out marching in the jungle claiming to a "People's Liberation Army" although not genuinely supported by the local peasants. The fact that the campaign to overthrow Batista in Cuba had the same exact genesis is mind-boggling.

In closing, this is a stellar example of biography. One easily senses the passion that was in Che's heart and the passion he inspired in others, and yet it is clear that Anderson approached his subject dispassionately with a sincere desire to truly understand a man that was a hero to millions - and a devil to as many more.