Fidel: A Critical Portrait [Paperback]

Tad Szulc (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0380808889 | ISBN-13: 978-0380808885 | Publication Date: February 8, 2000

Never before has any biographer had such close access to Fidel Castro as did Tad Szule.  The outcome of a long, direct relationship, this riveting portrait reveals astonishing and exclusive information about Cuba, the revolution, and the notorious, larger-than-life leader who has ruled his country with an iron fist for more than forty years.

Only Tad Szule could bring Fidel to such vivid life--the loves and losses of the man, the devious tactics of the conspirator, the triumphs and defeats of the revolutionary leader who challenged an American president and brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster.

From Jesuit schools to jungle hideouts and the Palace of the Revolution, here is Fidel...The Untold Story.

Never before has any biographer had such close access to Fidel Castro as did Tad Szulc.The outcome of a long, direct relationship, this riveting portrait reveals astonishing and exclusive information about Cuba, the revolution, and the notorious, larger-than-life leader who has ruled his country with an iron fist for more than forty years.

Only Tad Szulc could bring Fidel to such vivid life--the loves and losses of the man, the devious tactics of the conspirator, the triumphs and defeats of the revolutionary leader who challenged an American president and brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster.

From Jesuit schools to jungle hideouts and the Palace of the Revolution, here is FIDEL...THE UNTOLD STORY.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With Castro's cooperation (which included many hours of taped conversation), interviews with scores of his friends and associates, and access to Cuban archives, this former New York Times foreign correspondent has produced the first major biography of one of the most puzzling and little-known world leaders of our day. Material includes an analysis of Castro's relationship with the Cuban Communist Party before the revolution, details on the CIA's initial support and later assassination attempts, and convincing suggestions on how the Bay of Pigs affair led directly to the Cuban missile crisis. The author characterizes the Cuban revolution of the 1960s as "to a very large degree the story of Fidel Castro's and John Kennedy's impact on each other." Szulc's admiration for the Cuban leader is vast: Castro is "a virtuoso of politics" and "a master of strategy and tactics as well as a master of timing." So rich is the material Szulc marshalls in his support that readers less enamored of Castro will find it hard to deny these and other sweeping statements. Photos. 100,000 first printing.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Long-time Latin Americanist and journalist Szulc offers a welcome, clearly written full-length portrait of one of the world's most enigmatic leaders. The book is meticulously researched, with Castro himself providing access to much unpublished data. The author develops the thesis that Castro, since his teenage years, has been a mercurial, explosive, and fanatical personality, a theme sustained throughout. Happily, Szulc presents a balanced interpretation, but at times one wishes that there were fewer characters in the narrative and that more attention had been paid to internal, domestic policies. On the other hand, the author provides the reader with an excellent sense of Castro's complex foreign relations. Highly recommended for most libraries. Robert A. Camp, Latin American Studies Dept., Central Coll., Pella, Ia.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (February 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380808889
• ISBN-13: 978-0380808885
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still the best book on Castro., March 1, 2000

By 

Jonathan D. Eckel "nekulturnii istorik" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fidel: A Critical Portrait (Paperback)

I first read this book over ten years ago, but have yet to find a better biography of Fidel Castro. The author, Tad Szulc, has known Fidel since 1959, when he covered the Cuban Revolution for the New York Times. He was given unprecedented access by the Cuban government, and by Castro personally, to conduct his research for this book. Szulc also interviewed countless people, both in Cuba and in the U.S., including friends, former friends, lifelong enemies, and acquaintances of the Cuban leader. The result is a fascinating and remarkably balanced look at the life of one of the world's most controversial statesmen.

The author has succeeded in giving us a three-dimensional view of Castro, both as a man and as a leader. One story of his youth that still stands out in my mind is how, while driving a tractor on his father's plantation, he attempted to rally the other field hands in order to demand better working conditions! There are many interesting and humorous anecdotes such as this throughout the entire book. It was a pleasure to read, overall, and did a great job of transporting me back to the places and times of Fidel's tumultuous life.

I only gave it four stars because it is somewhat dated, having been written in 1985. I wish it could have been updated to include Fidel's continued survival, against nearly all predictions, after the loss of his Soviet ally. However, a definitive biography of Castro will have to wait until after his retirement, and its judgement of him will hinge on Cuba's ability to remain a communist island in a capitalist sea.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good - but a bit outdated, August 11, 2000

By 

Thomas Sųby - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fidel: A Critical Portrait (Paperback)

Tad Szulc has written the best book on Castro that I have ever read. There is no doubt that he has done a great job in interviewing Castro himself and a load of other people.

It is remarkable that the author has been allowed to get as close to Castro as is the case in this book - but there is still something missing about Castros childhood. But I guess that Castro hasn't been interested in telling that story.

The story about the Cuban revolution and Castro as leader under and after the fighting in the Sierra mountain is great, and I think that the reader is given a very varied picture of Castro.

One of the important themes in the book is Castro's communism. Is he a communist or a Fidelista? When did he became a communist (if ever)? And what was the reasons for Castro to turn out as he did? The author tries to answer the questions and it is obvious that Castro himself are not quite sure when and if he turned into a communist.

A lot of space is used to describe the relationship with the russians - and it is a great describtion with a lot of funny anecdotes.

It was a true pleasure reading the book but what i miss is two things: More about the childhood of Castro and I would really enjoy if the story about Castro was extended to go beyond the year 1985 - we simply need to know what has been going on after Gorbatjov and the loss of Cuba's most important ally.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most objective book I have read on Fidel Castro, January 21, 2006

By 

Axel Rodriguez (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fidel: A Critical Portrait (Paperback)

As someone born and raised in revolutionary Cuba and now living in the US for some years, I have read a lot on these subjects .......and from both sides of the ideological and political divide. " Fidel: A Critical Portrait" is simply one of the best, considering the depth of his research and the objectivity of his analysis of not only Fidel Castro, but also of the Cuban history in the last 50 years. This book by Tad Szulc is ,in my opinion, a must for anyone interested in really understanding Cuba and the Cuban revolution as well as the historical background that allowed things to happen the way they have. Furthermore, this book sheds light in what forces might come in play once Fidel Castro dies and Cuba can have a brighter future and its rightful place in America.