The Fall of Che Guevara: A Story of Soldiers, Spies, and Diplomats [Paperback]

Henry Butterfield Ryan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0195131002 | ISBN-13: 978-0195131000

This book tells the story--for the first time--of the United States government's response to Guevara's ill-starred insurgency in Bolivia in 1967. Henry Butterfield Ryan argues that Guevara's life must be re-evaluated in light of secret documents only recently released by the CIA, the State Department, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council. Ryan's dramatic account of the last days of Che Guevara is sure to appeal to scholars and students of United States foreign policy, Latin American history, military history, and to all others interested in this modern revolutionary's remarkable life.

"Ryan offers a thoughtful critique of both the operational and intelligence-gathering aspects of the US intervention against the Cuban intervention in Bolivia....[He] enlivens his narrative with vivid portraits of the two American officials who played key parts in the hunt for Guevara....[This] is a welcome addition to the literature on both Che Guevara and US intervention in Latin America."--The Washington Monthly

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This work is well researched, utilizing Cuban, U.S., and Bolivian sources, and is a cracking 'good read.'"--The Journal of Military History

"Ryan offers a thoughtful critique of both the operational and intelligence-gathering aspects of the U.S. intervention against the Cuban intervention in Bolivia....[He] enlivens his narrative with vivid portraits of the two American officials who played key parts in the hunt for Guevara....[This book] is a welcome addition to the literature on both Che Guevara and U.S. intervention in Latin America."--The Washington Monthly

"The Fall of Che Guevara has the merit of being both original and brief. It consists largely of a trawl through the American archives, in the wake of the Freedom of Information Act, to discover what the various U.S. government agencies really knew, and thought, and did about Guevara."--London Review of Books

"Ryan's is a balanced and carefully-documented book and a great read about one of the most fascinating characters of our times. Ryan pretty well destroys the idea that Guevara left Cuba in virtual disgrace because of disagreements with Castro. Guevara remained, and remains today, one of the most honored figures in Cuba's hall of heroes. Soviet pressure may have played some role in Guevara's decision to leave, but clearly his missions to the Congo and then to Bolivia were of tremendous importance in Cuba's foreign policy projections. Guevara would probably have embarked upon them even had there been no disagreements with the Soviets. It is appropriate that this excellent book is published just as Guevara's remains at last have been returned from Bolivia to Cuba."--Wayne S. Smith, Visiting Professor of Latin American Studies at the Johns Hopkins University; formerly a member of the Foreign Service and the State Department's leading expert on Cuba

"The enigmatic personality--and persona--of 'Che' will fascinate writers on many different levels for decades to come. But this detailed and comprehensive book is important because, for the first time, the American part in the notorious 1967 capture of Guevara is believably told. You'll be surprised."--Georgie Anne Geyer, syndicated columnist and author of Guerrilla Prince: The Untold Story of Fidel Castro

About the Author

Henry Butterfield Ryan is a retired United States Foreign Service officer and a professional historian. He is the author of The Vision of Anglo-America (1987) as well as numerous articles and studies concerning diplomatic history and government affairs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195131002
• ISBN-13: 978-0195131000
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,441,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very objective look at a relatively obscure episode., November 20, 1998

By 

TCB (Birmingham, Al) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall of Che Guevara: A Story of Soldiers, Spies, and Diplomats (Hardcover)

Ryan places Guevara's Bolivian adventure in an historical context that gives it hemispheric significance. As a case study of the US's Latin American counterinsurgency efforts in the 1960s, it demonstrates that the mistakes made in Vietnam were not repeated everywhere. Ryan also attacks some widely held assumptions, including Guevara's diminished ties with Cuba and CIA involvement in his eventual execution. Although objective at all times, this is "history with a heart". Key characters, such as Guevara himself, are brought to life by the author demonstrating not only his mistakes but his tremendous integrity, honor, and determination. A must-read for students of U.S.-Latin American relations during the Cold War.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Look at Che from the USA's Foreign Service, March 3, 2008

By 

Ileana Canetti "Professor" (Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fall of Che Guevara: A Story of Soldiers, Spies, and Diplomats (Paperback)

Books on Che Guevara are generally classified within the political spectrum the readers put themselves in. This book, by Henry B. Ryan proofs that wrong or different. His writing occured due to the opening of many documents about the Argentinian rebel that were held in silence for years. And, one of the things I do admire most in this Ryan's book is the excellent translation from research into writing his clear, precise use of the English language that turns his writing into an enjoyable narrative so easy to follow.
New also, the metaphorical vision of Guevara within the Arthurian legends frame, not rare if Ryan identifies himself with the Anglo culture, similar as in a book by Regis Debray(Alabados sean nuestros senores) where he makes analogies between Guevara and the Middle ages French epic heroes. (No one have ever written about Che without falling a bit into the mythological trap).
(One thing I share with Mr. B. Ryan as I read the dedication: his profound identification with the little ones in the family)