Customer Reviews

Everybody Had His Own Gringo: The CIA and the Contras

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one of the very few books that don't blindly praise the sandinistas. this book and shirley christian's 'nicaragua: revolution in the family' are essential to understanding the civil war in nicaragua.

Glenn Garvin's book is a wonderful and highly readable account of the peasant army which made up the Contras. The author is sympathetic but clear-eyed, and he provides a fascinating account of the motivations of the Contra soldiers and leaders, as well as describing U.S. involvement with the Contras. "Everybody Had His Own Gringo" (a great title!) is a "must-read" for anyone interested in the history of the Nicaraguan civil war and the Contras.

Garvin's greatest success in "Everybody had his own Gringo" is that he addresses the contra army neither as a puppet creation of the United States nor as Robin Hood-esque freedom fighters glavanting around in the jungle. Written with mordant wit, dead-on in focus and scope, this is an excellent text on the contras. Those looking for a complete history of the Nicaraguan civil war, however, will probably want to look elsewhere.

I think I picked this book out of a close-out bin for two bucks and am sure glad I did. Garvin writes in a straight-forward manner and while it is clear his sympathies are with the Contras, he certainly calls them out when necessary.

It is a fascinating story with fascinating people. Some of the events are so bizarre and even funny that it proves fact is often stranger than fiction. In fact, I would love to see this made into a movie.

Last I checked, Garvin worked for the Miami Herald. I wanted to let him know how, for some odd reason, reading this book makes me want to write, but I had to register with the Herald before getting access to his email. Too bad.

Glenn Garvin's now classic work is by far the best book ever written on the phenomenon of the Nicaraguan Contras (Chris Dickey's book would be second, in my opinion) - cleared-eyed, cynical, yet sympathetic to this violent, colorful and (yes) idealistic highland peasant army and full of his mordant wit at the folly of often contradictory and confused American policies which, as well intentioned as they can be, can have disastrous and unintended consequences. The irony is that - compared to a debacle like Iraq - the Contra War seems like a masterpiece of politics and war to achieve specific ends. I'll take Mike Lima over Ahmed Chalabi any day.

Garvin proves that Stanford University doesn't open all minds. He continues with the imperialist view of the 19th century and denies the facts as presented by the available White House (Reagan) and congressional documentation that this was Terrorism at its finest.

Perpetrated by the United States; created by a small group in the White House and funded by right wing Fascists, drug money and orchestrated by the 20th century's greatest terrorist and felon, Oliver North.

That the contras couldn't finally get it done, is indicative of their lack of belief in what they were really doing!!!