Companero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara (Paperback)

by Jorge G. Castaneda (Author) "Not only by birth were the Guevaras of old Argentine stock..." (more)
Key Phrases: calamine house, verdadero diario, hombre bravo, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
With the partial opening of Cuban archives to foreign scholars and increased access to Cuban historical individuals come back to back two important new biographies of the Argentinean-born Cuban revolutionary leader and ideologue, Che Guevara. First there was American journalist Jon Lee Anderson's Che Guevara (LJ 4/15/97) and now this one, by one of Mexico's leading political writers and a professor of international affairs (New York Univ.). Though the two volumes cover similar territory, they are not the same. Anderson's volume is the larger and occasionally includes greater detail on aspects of Che's life, but Casta?eda takes more of an academic approach and is better at placing Che in the context of Cuban and world history. Anderson writes journalistically, while Casta?eda is perceptive and creative. This biography is an important addition to our understanding of Che and the Cuban revolution and will be valuable to any library interested in the history of the 20th century.
-?Mark L. Grover, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Utah
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From The New Yorker
Che's life following the revolution's triumph was a slow accretion of wreckage, and it is in the narration of this collapse that Companero, Jorge Castaneda's beautiful and passionate biography, is most lucid.... Castaneda is as unflinching as his hero: he has searched CIA records and the recollections of Guevara's closest comrades in order to prise away layers of after-the-fact justifications and embellishments of the Che legend. In the process, he makes Ernesto Guevara understandable at last, and his predicament deeply moving. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition (October 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679759409
• ISBN-13: 978-0679759409
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,451 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a no spin look at Che Guevara, July 14, 2002

By	Brandon T. Pieczko (Urbana, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Companero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara (Hardcover)

I was tired of seeing his face on all the t-shirts (as I am a college student) and not knowing just who Che was. Having read Castaneda's book, I now feel that I can say with confidence that I understand why Che's face has become such a countercultural symbol. Castaneda has definitely done his homework in preparing to write this compelling account of Guevara's life and death. The author does not attempt to glorify the revolutionary or to paint him as a villian, but rather provides the reader with details from both camps in order to allow him or her to make their own decision. The Che that emerges is a superb visionary and one of the few truly pure Marxist socialist leaders of the modern era, a throwback to the Bulsheviks of the early 20th century. This book has encouraged me to read more into Che's theories, and is one that I absolutely recommend to anyone, especially those readers who would tend to quickly denounce socialism due to there familiarity only with the corrupt brand practisted by the Soviet and Chinese camps. If only more of us were like Che Guevara in sticking with our convictions no matter what they may be!

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Top 3 Biographies on Guevara, May 7, 2005

By	Reading for a better world (Mexico) - See all my reviews

This work by jorge G. Castañeda is one of the very best biographies you can find on Ernesto Guevara by many reasons:

1. The historical chronology is accesible for everybody, but the good interpretation of those events is only at the reach of those who know the intricated aspects of diplomacy and polithics. Castañeda has done a great job understanding the polithical personalities of Guevara, Fidel, Kennedy, Kruschev and all the charachters of this saga. He signals both sides of each personality.
2. This work is obsessively well documented. Castañeda has had access to many fundamental documents for this history. From American agencies, to British and Soviet services. He takes us not only to what history says but to why the builders of history wanted it to be that way. His amount of interviews is outstanding too, the revelations on the interviews match the information on the secret documents.
3. Its difficult to confront a personality like Che Guevara without falling in his charm. Its difficult to be objective on an image that is on the chests of many generations. But Castañeda accomplishes that. He decidedly points the many mistakes that Guevara did directing the Central Bank, or the Industry Ministry. He focuses on the distance that Guevara took between idealism and dogma with economic fundamentals, this was a fatal mistake. Castañeda analyzes thoroughly how many of the guerrilla efforts of Guevara in other countries ended in failures and finally in death (Congo, Argentina, Bolivia, etc). But Castañeda also analyzes the outstanding kind of leadership that made of Guevara an icon. Fighting in the first line of fire, leading himself the voluntary work, accepting his mistakes in public (something unthinkable on Fidel, for example), building his leadership in the equity.
4. Finally, Castañeda builds strong well fundamented theories on several controversial issues like the role of Fidel in the final days of Guevara in Bolivia. The strange lecture of the farewell letter that Guevara wrote to Fidel while Che was still fighting in Congo, a lecture that reduced the polithical possibilites of Guevara in Cuba and pushed him into the craziness: Bolivia. Good or bad will from Fidel? Castañeda discusses this very well.

This is a biography that is fundamented in facts, documents and sharp interpretations. It gets very technical at certain points, like the handling of Cuban economics by Guevara.
In Paco Ignacio Taibo II biography on Che Guevara for example, Taibo focuses in the anecdotic side of the icon, its clearly a bohemian work. Taibo doesnt lie, but there are susbtantial differences in these 2 works (Taibo and Castañeda) that were done at the same time and that even shared some documents. For example, at one very interesting event they deal with the subject in very different ways. In 1961, after Bahia de Cochinos there was a OEA related meeting in Uruguay. Motivated by brazilian diplomats, Guevara meets with Kennedy's rep Richard Goodwin. A secret meeting, non authorized by Fidel or JFK. Castañeda flies to the documents, looks for the interviews, interprets and builds theories. Taibo just turns the page arguing that Goodwin overrated the meeting and that Guevara didnt give much importance to it.
By this way, you can contrast the focuses of both works which can be read as compliments. Taibo's work is very rich in anecdotes from the Sierra Maestra, or the funny things that happened to Guevara while changing the rifle for the desk in the Central Bank. You will love to read this side of Guevara. In the historical side, Taibo is accurate but not deep. His biggest achievement in historical deepness is the development of the Guevara's column since they left Sierra Maestra to the triumph in Santa Clara, this part outpowers Castañeda, but that the only thing.
Castañeda's work left me deeply satisfied, answered many questions and gave me a new panorama on the subject. My 5 stars are fair.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Che book, October 2, 2004

By	Black Cat (California) - See all my reviews

I read this book immediately following Jon Lee Anderson's "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life"...I didn't think I would be as impressed, but I was. I recommend both books for anyone who wants to get a real picture of Che...I would suggest starting with Anderson's and following with this one, as I did.

Well written, informative, well researched, unbiased. Highly recommended.