Customer Reviews

Sandinista: Carlos Fonseca and the Nicaraguan Revolution

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This book pulls off a difficult feat, providing a balanced, neutral account of a subject about which supporters and opponents usually speak in strident, propagandistic terms.

Because of the absence of any preachy rhetoric, and the reliance on first-hand interviews and actual source documents, the author delivers a compelling portrait of a leader whose faithfulness to pure idealism in a struggle against a seemingly unstoppable evil system can be compared to that of Churchill, Gandhi, and King.

The Sandinistas were not the only group that took to the hills to arouse the populace in Latin America after the successful Cuban revolution, but they were the only group which actually came to power. Dr. Zimmermann's book is the story of the man who was the driving force behind the ideas, organization, strategy and success of their revolution.

She does not flinch from criticizing the Sandinistas for their initial ill-informed and patronizing attitudes toward the indigineous peoples of their country, nor for their slow acceptance of their female compatriots, nor for their many tactical errors and blunders.

Instead, this telling of the story of Fonseca and the Sanidnistas allows the reader to sense the very human feelings which became the basis of their appeal and allowed their success, even after Fonseca's death.

Having lived trought the early years of the revolution in Nicaragua, althouhg just a child I got a first hand view of some of the struggles and dangers of the revolution. Because I was only a child I was not able to fully grasp the grand scheme of things and now as an adult I decided to begin reading about the revolution in Nicaragua and stubled upon this book.

The book gives a clear, no nonsense account of Carlos Fonseca. Who he was, how he was raised and what he stood for over the course of his life. A clear chronological order of events into his life is presented as well as the struggles the young rag tag band of rebels went trought.

If want to read an unbiased account into the revolution in Nicaragua and the role Carlos Fonseca played as leader of the FSLN then read this book. For me it shed light on some of the missing pieces about the revolution, the struggle and the ultimate outcome of the FSLN after the death of Fonseca.

Good reading.

I'm spent the better part of the year studying the Nicaraguan Revolution and this is the most detailed and accurate account I've found so far. Coincidentally and luckily, it is also the first book I read on the subject. While there is certainly value in reading the accounts of Borge, Cabezas, Ortega, Belli, etc., Zimmerman sifts through much of the harder-to-find information and provides a game-changing analysis of the FSLN that refutes the Frente's current attempts to portray its origins as social democratic rather than Marxist-Leninist, its inspiration as Scandinavia rather than Cuba.

Carlos Fonseca was one of the great revolutionaries in Latin American history and it is unfortunate that his contributions have been largely ignored outside his home country. Zimmerman's work is instrumental for English-speakers in understanding not only Fonseca's reconciliation of Sandino and Marx, but also the development of the FSLN both under his leadership and after. I also recommend "Obra Fundamental," a collection of Fonseca's works soon to be released on Amazon.

This is the first book I read about Carlos Fonseca that has more accurate information about him, than any other book I have read.
I know this because I am the son of Raul Fonseca, but grew up with Carlos example and support. Carlos was the only father figure I ever had.

Quite a task Ms. Zimmermann. Congratulations.

I just read a few pages, but when I finish I will write a more complete review.

God bless you!