professor_x's review against another edition
5.0
My knowledge of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was simply his face, the famous image staring intently and with fiery passion into the distance, his countenance displayed on t-shirts and posters. That's it. After finishing Anderson's extensive biography, I leave the work with a better understanding of a very complicated man.
Che had a sharp tongue and a penetrating intelligence. He was a bibliophile, enjoying philosophy and literature and was highly influenced by political theory -- specifically Marxism. Writing was his hobby -- keeping journals, writing letters, and filling the margins of his books with his thoughts. He suffered from severe asthma and cared not for style, known for not showering for long periods of time or wearing the same pants for weeks on end.
After receiving his degree in medicine, he wished to quench his wanderlust and decided to travel South America with his companion Alberto Granado, riding his motorcycle until it gave out. Along his sojourn he witnessed the extreme poverty of the indigenous. They lived in squalid conditions and usually resided on land owned by the wealthy. Che viewed capitalism as the impetus for this injustice, and the United States as the culprit, with its unchecked greed for profit built on the backs of the poor. He saw Latin America as one state, one people, who could rise together and shed the yoke of economic slavery. The overthrow of the democratically elected president of Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz, by the CIA-backed United Fruit Company was the spark that lit the flame of revolution for Guevara.
After meeting Fidel Castro in Mexico, he was invited to join the 26th Of July Movement, where they planned to take a boat to Cuba and wage guerilla warfare on Fulgencio Batista, then the U.S.-backed military dictator. Here Anderson goes into detail about the many battles undertaken the in Sierra Maestra, the mountainous region in southern Cuba. The guerrilleros fought against the military in a tug of war of wins and losses. That a ragtag group could overcome the military and take control of the country is astounding. After Cuba, Che wanted to continue the fight, looking for any country that was ripe for revolution. He would ultimately meet his fate in Bolivia.
-------------------------------------------------------
My feelings of Che are a cloud of admiration and discord. I admire the fact that he saw injustice and instead of talking about it, he did something. Action over words. With the injustices I see in America (abortion rights being diminished, attempts at banning books in classrooms or limiting any discussion on race relations, unchanging gun laws…just to name a few) I envy those that can stand up and do something. March and protest. Write your congressmen and senators and demand change. These are things I need to do more of. Che made me reflect on what I was doing, or not doing.
My discord and friction for Che come from his choice of killing. He saw armed revolution as the logical way for change and scoffed at diplomatic talks or protest. He oversaw the firing squads responsible for the murders of political dissidents once Cuba fell to Castro. Anyone who stood in his way was an enemy. I prefer diplomacy and reasonable discussion over armed rebellion. Is violence sometimes the only answer? I don’t know.
I think everyone should read this. It was enlightening and has interested me in learning about Communism and Socialism. I’ve heard of the wealth gap growing every year, corporations firing the “small guys” instead of cutting CEO salaries or the same companies moving overseas just so they can pay foreign workers lower wages, all in the name of profits. Capitalism sounds like unchecked greed. I wonder if a combination of these three economic policies would provide more equality.
Che died doing what he believed was right – saving those without a voice and ensuring they were given one.
Che had a sharp tongue and a penetrating intelligence. He was a bibliophile, enjoying philosophy and literature and was highly influenced by political theory -- specifically Marxism. Writing was his hobby -- keeping journals, writing letters, and filling the margins of his books with his thoughts. He suffered from severe asthma and cared not for style, known for not showering for long periods of time or wearing the same pants for weeks on end.
After receiving his degree in medicine, he wished to quench his wanderlust and decided to travel South America with his companion Alberto Granado, riding his motorcycle until it gave out. Along his sojourn he witnessed the extreme poverty of the indigenous. They lived in squalid conditions and usually resided on land owned by the wealthy. Che viewed capitalism as the impetus for this injustice, and the United States as the culprit, with its unchecked greed for profit built on the backs of the poor. He saw Latin America as one state, one people, who could rise together and shed the yoke of economic slavery. The overthrow of the democratically elected president of Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz, by the CIA-backed United Fruit Company was the spark that lit the flame of revolution for Guevara.
After meeting Fidel Castro in Mexico, he was invited to join the 26th Of July Movement, where they planned to take a boat to Cuba and wage guerilla warfare on Fulgencio Batista, then the U.S.-backed military dictator. Here Anderson goes into detail about the many battles undertaken the in Sierra Maestra, the mountainous region in southern Cuba. The guerrilleros fought against the military in a tug of war of wins and losses. That a ragtag group could overcome the military and take control of the country is astounding. After Cuba, Che wanted to continue the fight, looking for any country that was ripe for revolution. He would ultimately meet his fate in Bolivia.
-------------------------------------------------------
My feelings of Che are a cloud of admiration and discord. I admire the fact that he saw injustice and instead of talking about it, he did something. Action over words. With the injustices I see in America (abortion rights being diminished, attempts at banning books in classrooms or limiting any discussion on race relations, unchanging gun laws…just to name a few) I envy those that can stand up and do something. March and protest. Write your congressmen and senators and demand change. These are things I need to do more of. Che made me reflect on what I was doing, or not doing.
My discord and friction for Che come from his choice of killing. He saw armed revolution as the logical way for change and scoffed at diplomatic talks or protest. He oversaw the firing squads responsible for the murders of political dissidents once Cuba fell to Castro. Anyone who stood in his way was an enemy. I prefer diplomacy and reasonable discussion over armed rebellion. Is violence sometimes the only answer? I don’t know.
I think everyone should read this. It was enlightening and has interested me in learning about Communism and Socialism. I’ve heard of the wealth gap growing every year, corporations firing the “small guys” instead of cutting CEO salaries or the same companies moving overseas just so they can pay foreign workers lower wages, all in the name of profits. Capitalism sounds like unchecked greed. I wonder if a combination of these three economic policies would provide more equality.
Che died doing what he believed was right – saving those without a voice and ensuring they were given one.
mcgbreads's review
2.0
Very detailed, not only about his political life but also about his personal life, who he was when he wasn't being Comandante Guevara and who he was in the eyes of others. I loved it. Very well done, lots of information, footnotes and pictures.
I have to say I fell in love with him a little bit, I fell in love with his more sentimental and warm side, I had no idea there was one because no one ever mentions the good things about Che Guevara. I fell in love with his rudeness, bluntness, sarcasm and "sharp tongue", it got a few smiles out of me. I fell in love with his passion.
However, I did not fell in love with his radical self or his detachment when it came to killings "in the name of (and for) the struggle". I did not fell in love with his ideals, but I understood them even though they got a little bit extreme and crazy with time. But this is a man who was much more than that and much bigger than that. I didn't fail to see the big picture. There's a person behind the legend, there's a person behind all of the negative things I heard about him as I was growing up, and that person was charming.
I set out to read this because I wanted to answer a question I've been asking myself forever: was he or was he not a good man?
And now I understand why no one ever gave me a clear answer, it's because it's not that simple. It's because one needs to see him entirely, he can't be reduced to one thing or the other because he was many (sometimes contradictory) things altogether, all at once.
It's amazing how I came to admire him in a way. And how close I got to his story, I even cried a little bit upon seeing the pictures of his dead body and how he came to the end. I already knew he died that way and I had seen the pictures before, but once I "got to know him"... it all took a depth that wasn't there before and I saw it very differently, it was very sad.
But reading on and on and further into his story, there's no doubt in my mind: he couldn't have lived and died any other way.
I have to say I fell in love with him a little bit, I fell in love with his more sentimental and warm side, I had no idea there was one because no one ever mentions the good things about Che Guevara. I fell in love with his rudeness, bluntness, sarcasm and "sharp tongue", it got a few smiles out of me. I fell in love with his passion.
However, I did not fell in love with his radical self or his detachment when it came to killings "in the name of (and for) the struggle". I did not fell in love with his ideals, but I understood them even though they got a little bit extreme and crazy with time. But this is a man who was much more than that and much bigger than that. I didn't fail to see the big picture. There's a person behind the legend, there's a person behind all of the negative things I heard about him as I was growing up, and that person was charming.
I set out to read this because I wanted to answer a question I've been asking myself forever: was he or was he not a good man?
And now I understand why no one ever gave me a clear answer, it's because it's not that simple. It's because one needs to see him entirely, he can't be reduced to one thing or the other because he was many (sometimes contradictory) things altogether, all at once.
It's amazing how I came to admire him in a way. And how close I got to his story, I even cried a little bit upon seeing the pictures of his dead body and how he came to the end. I already knew he died that way and I had seen the pictures before, but once I "got to know him"... it all took a depth that wasn't there before and I saw it very differently, it was very sad.
But reading on and on and further into his story, there's no doubt in my mind: he couldn't have lived and died any other way.
ashleybreader's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
gamercod's review
5.0
This is the most conflicted review I’ve ever written. On one hand, Jon Lee Anderson has created the greatest Che Guevera biography possible. His expertise in the field is unquestionable, and his ability to write is also fantastic. On the other hand, this is an 800-page biography, and not every part of someone's life is interesting. The book could’ve been shorter and ignored some of the “lamer” parts of Che’s life, but then it would include less information, and be less definitive. Perhaps I would’ve enjoyed it more if this was the case, but would it be a better book? This is the debate I face when deciding whether to give it 4 or 5 stars. If you're interested in reading this book, understand it is fantastic, because it is detailed and tells you everything you could possibly want to know about Che Guevera. Also known for these same reasons, you might want to stay away.
rachelmatsuoka's review
4.0
I felt that although I studied quite a bit of Latin American politics in college, my knowledge of socialist revolutionary Che Guevara formed a gaping hole in my brain. I figured, time to fill it. And so purchased this book in the Clearance section of Urban Outfitters. haha. But this Che: A Revolutionary Life was a great, comprehensive read (okay, well, as comprehensive as 700+ pages can be) and gave me excellent background on who he was both as a political figure and a man. Jon Anderson, the author, was able to get a great many primary sources, which provided insight on Che from his family members and ex-colleagues. Not gonna lie, an unforgettable figure with an unforgettable story.
andersahrenst's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0