Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life (Revised Edition)

So far, so good. Listening time is 36 hours! Appears heavily researched including personal interviews and reading relevant diaries.

For many years I have wanted to learn more about Che. I have traveled extensively in the Caribbean and I frequently see young people wearing Che t-shirts and see his likeness painted on the sides of buildings. I was curious as to whether or not he is someone to be revered or reviled. What I have heard of him is contradictory. So I wanted to delve into this controversial character's history but, I was concerned about reading just any literature regarding his story given the propensity of writers to cloud the facts with their own idealism. I read many reviews before ordering this book. I was not disappointed. It was an excellent read and I never felt like I was being manipulated by an author with an agenda. I finished the book and was left with the feeling that Che started with pure, selfless motives to help the people around him but eventually dissolved into megalomania. The author did an excellent job of illuminating the history of the region and intertwining the politics and motivations of all the disparate characters involved in Che's life. OVERALL: a good, balanced read.

Marxism is bad for business. How do businesses respond in the face of competition? On a moderate scale, they smear or administer propaganda. On a grand scale, they wage war, colonize, brutalize, and exploit while calling it "protecting American interests." The book "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life" by Jon Lee Anderson is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and unbiased account of Che Guevara's life before and during his activities as a Marxist revolutionary guerrilla. Reading this book puts a spotlight on how effective propaganda can be. For example, the general American concensus is that "Comandante" was a violent, bloodthirsty maniac when, in fact, his activities were in accordance with the rules of engagement as necessary in an environment of war; not unlike the actions of George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, or George W. Bush during their respective conflicts. Che fought against imperialism, neocolonialism, and the engine that drives them: Capitalism. He fought it wherever he could, and he was truly a man without a country. Although he was Argentina-born, and actually of semi-bourgeois Spanish background, Che fought alongside (and was willing to die for) the Cubans (and won), the Congolese and (did, in fact, die for) the Bolivians. His allegiance was to the impoverished, the marginalized, the indigenous, and the oppressed the world over. Side bar: I truly believe that the books we read find us.

Please note that I'm writing this review after only having completed about one-half of the book, so weight it accordingly. The author clearly is a sympathizer and proponent of Che Guevara and presents his facts in that light, painting Che as a true hero. That said, it's not difficult to see through his obvious bias, as he does present a lot factually-based anecdotal information from which the reader can draw his or her own conclusions. I doubt that anyone who chooses to read this book, or any book about Che's life for that matter, doesn't begin with some predisposition about him as a hero or a cowardly murdering mercenary. I'm finding the author's portrayal of him to be very conflicting in a lot of instances. For example, he's clear in his depiction of Che's intense hatred for the USA because of their "intervention" into Latin America and its politics. And yet that's exactly what Che did in Guatemala, Cuba and other Latin American countries to whom he was just as much an outsider. But apparently his cause is considered by those who support his revolutionary activities as a just means to a noble end. But, conversely, those who saw Communism at that same time as a world-wide threat, and took decisive action to stop those threats, are instead seen as imperialistic meddlers and invaders. It kind of reminds me of those who continue to support Bill Ayers and his so-called counter-culture activities with the Weather Underground, which despite his claims to the contrary, clearly led to the murder of at least one police officer. To them (and to him) I'd ask how is what Bill Ayers did any different than what Charles Manson did (i.e., incite people to go out and murder in the name of some perceived just cause)? Bill Ayers says his cause only promoted property damage activities; it was not about murder. So if you plant an explosive under someone's vehicle to destroy it, and someone happens to get killed in the process, that doesn't count as murder? I don't see what Che did as much different. The end he envisioned, and the cause to reach that end, just didn't justify the means. All of that said, I'm finding the book to be very interesting and very easy reading. It's a tome (over 800 pages) so be prepared to spend a lot of time with it. And it really has given me a much better insight into who Che really was. I'm learning things I never really knew about him. No question, he was an incredible human being, who's heart appeared to be in the right place. He was a true champion for the working-class people, the proletariat as Marx called them. And he was clearly an extremely intelligent person. Perhaps my view of Che will change more in his favor by the time I finish the book. Either way, at this point I'm convinced that anyone who has any strong feelings, one way or the other, about Che Guevara, absolutely should read this book.

‘What a man can be, he must be’ Those were the words of American psychologist Abraham Maslow, a contemporary of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna-Lynch or, simply, ‘Che’. Little could have Maslow known then that a man would rise to global renown from the southernmost part of his own continent, trying to be what he could be – a revolutionary of the highest caliber. And in the process, that man would become one of the most dangerous enemies of Maslow’s homeland. Che is relevant to Maslow for another reason too. In transforming himself from a radical reformist of one region into a global revolutionary, Che upturned Maslow’s famed pyramid of human needs. For Che, his socialist cause, self-actualization through Revolution, was the most primitive need while food, sleep, love of friends and family, or even personal safety, did all become luxuries. Power and position did not even figure in his scheme of things. Such was his commitment that he spurned all imaginable comforts like an ascetic, missed the opportunity to be with his dying mother, gave up the pleasures of being a doting father, a loving husband. All because he wanted to uplift the downtrodden and destitute, no matter which part of the world they belonged to. There are people who adopt a cause and devote their lives to it. Then there are some who are born destined for the cause. Ernesto Che Guevara belongs to the latter category. His romantic passion towards his socialistic cause, the sheer determination with which he went about achieving it despite opposition from even closer quarters are all lessons for ages of young minds to come. This biography by Jon Lee Anderson is a comprehensive guide to understanding Che and his ways. Writing the biography of any famous figure, let alone that of someone as charismatic as Che Guevara, is a tough task. Be too overawed by the person, the book runs the risk of becoming a hagiography. Be too distanced, one ends up presenting a dry tome, listing the chronological order of events. It takes a rare mind to treat the subject with respect and at the same time present a faithful perspective. Jon Lee Anderson manages to pull it off. Che is presented as he was, playful as a youngster, one who did sow his wild oats, flirting around, having casual flings, playful and funny. His maturing as a rebel, growth in his social consciousness that was assisted in great measure by his motorcycle journeys across the continent, first by himself and then with his friend Alberto Granado have all been presented in great measure. Che’s gradual pull into the volatile political situation of Central America, his introduction to Fidel, their collaboration in the guerilla war to liberate Cuba, Che’s ascension to the role of Minister of Industries, his life during those calm (before the storm) days in Cuba, his eventual return to the field – literally – to spread revolution around the world, the debacle at Congo, and the tragic-but-glorious end at the nondescript Bolivian village of La Higuera are all laid out in such detail that one can only wonder whether Jon Lee Anderson was present in the times of Che, documenting history as it unraveled. Tremendous efforts and research have gone into this book. Che was a man so ahead of his time, just like every great human being that came before him. Like those great minds, political or otherwise, he had ideas that were too progressive to be grasped by his contemporaries. He was revered by many, feared by many more, loved by a lot of people, hated by equally so many, praised by multitude but understood completely by very few. Like the many heroes before him, he understood his strengths, realized his weaknesses, pushed his companions to emulate his strengths, strived to overcome his weaknesses, and led by being a shining example. Simply put, he practiced what he preached. It won’t be a blasphemy, though an irony, to compare Che with Jesus Christ. Both men were born ahead of their times, amidst people too narrow-minded to think about purposes greater than themselves, hoped that the people around them would see the worth of their arguments, wanted to make humans realize their potential and become better, but in the end were left to carry the cross for the sins of people that were too petty-minded and incapable of appreciating their worth. While one man tried to achieve mass deliverance through love and peace, the other chose to use bullets. In the end, betrayal by their own people took them both to their graves. One emerged from his grave three days later and went on to become a god. The other took three decades and has attained an almost equal mystical status amidst droves of youngsters, even amongst those that don’t even know his complete name. Whether Che’s methods were right or wrong is a topic for debate. But his place in the pages of human history, as a persona that future generations can look up to, is undisputed. This unbiased, authentic work by Jon Lee Anderson is an ultimate guide to that Heroic Guerilla’s life and times, as good as any autobiography that Che himself could have written. Must read, must own.

Love it and it's perfect!!!

Por la multiplicidad de los puntos de vista del biógrafo que investiga la acción política de su protagonista como un politólogo prolijo, y su emotividad como un novelista que fuese un discípulo de Proust moderado o puesto al día por Norman Mailer. La originalidad de "Che Guevara. A Revolutionary Life" es inescindible de la calidad del pensamiento político de JL Anderson, que no hace ninguna concesión a las mitologías despachadas desde La Habana, Moscú, Beijing o el Pop Art acerca de la vida, la obra y los proyectos de guerra revolucionaria o utopías más o menos autodestructivas o suicidas de este personaje que siempre escapa a sus biógrafos. En esta obra no se mitifica a los protagonistas de la tragedía que ha sido el guevarismo. Y sobre todo no se adula a las fieras de la Revolución Cubana que no tuvieron el poético privilegio de morir jóvenes como Lord Byron, a tiempo, como todos los héroes, en olor de santidad, como tantos elegidosdel calendario.

What an incredible job Anderson did with this biography. I particularly enjoyed how the author set the context of Guevara's upbringing in Argentina and through his peregrinations across South America. Afterwards Anderson manages to describe events and complex intricacies in a very dynamic and engaging way. It was also great to see that Anderson understood the complexity and context and didn't fall in clichés we tend to read, hear and see about Guevara's life, the Cuban revolution and communist regimes as a whole.

Che Guevara A Revolutionary life is the biography of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna one of the leaders of the Cuban revolution who was born on 14th June 1928. Che was a name given to him during that conflict which he kept for the rest of his short but historically important life. A hero to many on the left, his slightly doctored (colour change of the star) and very famous photograph taken by Alberto Korda was on many a teenagers’ wall – including mine – when I was young. This book appears is a clear and detailed review of his life from his middle class but relatively poor upbringing in Argentina until his early death by Bolivian soldiers in cahoots with the CIA on 9th October 1967 and the eventual recovery of his body in July 1997. liked about the book The is written in a style that suggests the writer was trying their best to be factual and not include any political bias highlighting his good and bad traits. Overall Che comes across as a man who totally believed in the need to fight against US imperialism and to live as a revolutionary foregoing many luxuries even when the Cuban revolution was won such as refusing to take a government ministers’ salary but instead living on his much lower Cuban army Comandantes wage. He expected those who worked and fought with him to have the same ideals and was ruthlessly judgemental to those who acted in any way bourgeois. It also seems that, particularly in his later life, his military judgement was somewhat flawed due to his belief that the indigenous people in Congo and Bolivia would welcome his involvement and want to join in the fighting whereas in reality many informed the authorities where he was and local politicians promised help and then reneged on their promises due to infighting. I would liked to have read more of how he came to his views earlier in his life. According to the book he seemed to move from a carefree intellectual travelling around Latin America to full grown revolutionary in a very short space of time. In fact the book suggests that he almost fell into the Cuban revolution with little or no thought above reading many books by or about Marx, Lenin and other socialist writers. This is a substantial book at nearly 900 pages long but is the best biography I have read. Full of detail but written in a way that keeps the reader interested. Jon Lee Anderson has clearly spent a long time in research and makes many references to speaking with those who were involved with Guevaras’ life and cutting through the contradictions and political blurring of the truth. A book you must read if the life of this revolutionary is of any interest to you.