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45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting glimpse into the mind of Che, December 24, 2005
Whether you idolize or loathe Ernesto Che Guevara, it is undeniable that his revolutionary spirit and idealism are almost without comparison in history. This book provides a glimpse into Che's thoughts and plans for the future after the succesful otherthrow of the dictator Fulgencio Batista by Castro's Cuban revolutionaries. Most of the book itself (123 pages of it) is an actual handbook on how to conduct guerilla warfare in an environment like the Sierra Maestra mountains. This part of the book is interesting for its brief explanations of how to make tank traps, molotov cocktails, and for its exploration of guerrila tactics, all discussed in a clearly didactic style. There are multiple instances in this part of the book where Che explicitly outlines the conditions that are absolutely necessary for successful guerilla warfare. However, it is his own neglect of these basic conditions that led to his eventual capture and execution in Bolivia (this is obviously not in the book). I personally, found Che's exploration of the guerilla fighter's psyche and motivations more interesting than the dated fighting tactics. The book also contains two of Che's essays where he reveals his internationalism and calls upon the replication of revolution based on Cuba's example. In his "Message to the Tricontinental", he famously calls for the creation of "many Vietnams". These essays give the reader a sense of Che's long-standing antipathy towards the United States and other imperialistic regimes. If you believe that armed struggle via guerilla warfare is the primary means for revolution, then you need to read this book (and find a jungle to carry out your revolution). If you don't believe that the "staccato singing of machine guns" will be able to bring down imperialist regimes, then this book may upset you or intrigue you for its irrelevance. Either way, it is a glimpse into the mind of a truly quixotic revolutionary.
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31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Behind Che's 'foco' theory, September 8, 2004
A very insightful description of what was like to fight a guerrilla warfare in Latin America in the revolutionary 1960s. However, I would say that instead of being the "bible" for revolutionary guerrillas, Che's book was more or less a set of guidelines that drew most of its theory from his experience in Cuba. Che thought the conditions for guerrilla warfare could be created, rather than resulting from a set of vital circumstances for a revolutionary army to evolve, such as widespread discontent with the status quo and a pattern of repression that comes prior to a popular armed struggle. Again, because Che takes his theory from the Cuban campaign, it only deals with rural warfare, in a predominantly rural country. Forty years afterwards, most of the population in Latin America live in Urban centers, and Che's theory is far outdated to deal with events nowadays In "guerrilla warfare" Che still highlights an unavoidable truth: strong support from the population is vital to keep an insurgency alive, if not victorious. The "Shining Path" guerrillas in Peru lost popular ground because they alienated the peasants by repressing them as bad as the Army In Colombia, the FARC have lost to the army vast areas formerly under its control because they have engaged in atrocities that have brought about considerable support in favor of a hardline government In contrast, the Zapatistas in southern Mexico still are holding on, because they have not only support in their country, but also abroad The reviewer who said that guerrillas (not 'gorillas') could no longer deal with a sophisticated counterinsurgency army, may want to give a look at the Iraqi fiasco. A growing and more sophisticated (in tactics, not in equipment) guerrilla campaign is being fought every hour of the day in Iraq, with no sign of slowing down. I wish some good book about modern Urban guerrilla warfare, apart from Urbano's, would come out any time soon, in which the Iraqi model could analysed and compared to other similar situations
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A guerilla outline, April 15, 2002
Che Guevara's "Guerilla Warfare" is an excellent read invaluable to those studying latin american history, guerilla warfare and/or Guevara himself. This is not, as Guevara put it, a guerilla warfare bible; it is a guide or outline that's meant to be improved on. He covers topics from the basics of guerilla strategy, proper guerilla conduct to what equipment to bring the field. Guevara's book is very, very fascinating. You don't have to be a military strategist, a communist or guerilla fighter to enjoy this book. He wrote it in a very clear and consice manner that's easy to read. I think people of all backgrounds will find this book engrossing. Again, "Guerilla Warfare" is an excellent read and fleshes out even more the man on every disgruntled anarchist's t-shirt.
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