"In this masterful new study, Besancenot and Lowy explore and situate Guevara's ethical, revolutionary, and humanist legacy. They explicate Guevara's emphasis on the import of the individual coming to understand and accept socialism at a personal level. For Guevara, Besancenot and Lowy show, the revolutionary project demands more than a transformation of the mode of production; it demands a profound transformation of the individual, the birth of what Guevara termed the "new man." Besancenot and Lowy also explore Guevara's pragmatic approach to the question of state power and unique theoretical contributions to the question of the transition to socialism" -- from Amazon editorial review.
In 1960, Cuban photographer Alberto Korda captured fabled revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara in what has become history's most reproduced photo. Here Michael Casey tells the remarkable story of this image, detailing its evolution from a casual snapshot to an omnipresent graphic—plastered on everything from T-shirts to vodka to condoms—and into a copyrighted brand. As Casey follows it across the Americas and through cyberspace, he finds governments exploiting it and their dissenters attacking it, merchants selling it and tourists buying it. We see how this image is, ultimately, a mercurial icon that still ignites passion—and a reflection of how we view ourselves.
By the time he was killed in the jungles of Bolivia, where his body was displayed like a deposed Christ, Ernesto "Che" Guevara had become a synonym for revolution everywhere from Cuba to the barricades of Paris. This extraordinary biography peels aside the veil of the Guevara legend to reveal the charismatic, restless man behind it. Drawing on archival materials from three continents and on interviews with Guevara's family and associates, Castaneda follows Che from his childhood in the Argentine middle class through the years of pilgrimage that turned him into a committed revolutionary. He examines Guevara's complex relationship with Fidel Castro, and analyzes the flaws of character that compelled him to leave Cuba and expend his energies, and ultimately his life, in quixotic adventures in the Congo and Bolivia. A masterpiece of scholarship, Companero is the definitive portrait of a figure who continues to fascinate and inspire the world over.
Nearly four decades after his death, the legend of Che Guevara has grown worldwide. In this new book, Alvaro Vargas Llosa separates the myth from the reality of Che's legacy, and shows that Che's ideals were a re-hash of notions about centralized power that have long been the major source of suffering and misery in the underdeveloped world. With testimonies from witnesses of Che's actions, Alberto Vargas Llosa's detailed account of the "real Che" sets the record straight by exposing the delusion at the heart of the Che phenomenon. Vargas Llosa shows that Che's legacy--making the law subservient to the most powerful, crushing any and all dissent, and concentrating wealth under the guise of "social equality"--is not the solution to poverty and injustice but is the core of the problem. Besides exposing the dark truths of Che's ideology and actions, The Che Guevara Myth and the Future of Liberty elaborates on attempts by both the left and right to suppress liberty and examines the manifestation of Latin American spirit throughout the ages, from early indigenous trade to today's enterprising communities overcoming government impediments. In so doing, the book points to the real revolution among the poor--the liberation of individuals from the constraints of state power in all spheres, public and private. Whether you love or hate Che, The Che Guevara Myth and the Future of Liberty will not leave you untouched and will provide a powerful, new perspective on how to overcome the challenges facing the Third World.
This book examines the way in which the guerrilla origins of the Cuban Revolution have shaped the beliefs and values that have underpinned it since 1959.The book proposes that it is this guerrilla discourse which holds the key to understanding not only the survival of the Revolution itself, but the longevity of its leadership.
Provocative fast-paced action story chronicles the confrontation and checkmate of American world power by an Alliance of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Islamic Republics put together by the brilliant new President of Iran, Saladin al Hassan. The powerful but mysterious Compañía del Mundo (CdelM) helps Saladin and the Alliance finesse their objectives. Leading the action for CdelM, Ben and his beautiful wife Elena Garcia Sandoval, heirs apparent of Guevara's legacy, experience the highest levels of international politics, terrorism, intrigue, ambition, revenge, family tragedy and love.
The controversial life and career of Ernesto Ché Guevara (1928-1967) has earned the revolutionary leader admirers and detractors across the world. In his critical biography, Daniel James penetrates the myths that have grown up around Guevara since his death. The biography carefully analyzes the Cold War situations in which Guevara lived and fought, and which turned the young medical student into a guerilla and political theoretician. Ché Guevara: A Biography includes interviews with Guevara's first wife, and extensive information on the revolutionary's early years and family life lacking in other biographies. James also discusses Guevara's actions in Cuba as a leader in the rebel army of Fidel Castro, covering in detail Guevara's military victories, his post-war executions of anti-Castro prisoners, and his criticism of Soviet Communism. This unique and unsparing portrait of Guevara includes and an in-depth examination of his last guerilla campaign in Bolivia.
“Excellent. . . .The book gives one a clear understanding of the relationship of Guevara's thought to traditional Russian and Marxist philosophy.” —Choice Reviews In this seminal exploration of Che Guevara’s contributions to Marxist thinking, Michael Löwy traces Che's ideas about Marxism both as they related to Latin America and to more general philosophical, political, and economic issues. Now revised and updated, this edition includes a chapter on Guevara's search for a new paradigm of socialism and a substantive essay by Peter McLaren on Che’s continued relevance today. Löwy portrays Guevara as a revolutionary humanist who considered all political questions from an internationalist viewpoint. For him, revolutionary movements in Latin America were part of a world process of emancipation. Löwy considers especially Che's views on the contradiction between socialist planning and the law of value in the Cuban economy and his search for an alternative road to the “actually existing socialism” of the Stalinist and post-Stalinist Soviet bloc. Che’s varied occupations—doctor and economist, revolutionary and banker, agitator and ambassador, industrial organizer and guerrilla fighter—were expressions of a deep commitment to social change. This book eloquently captures his views on humanity, his contributions to the theory of revolutionary warfare, and his ideas about society’s transition to socialism, offering a cohesive, nuanced introduction to the range of Guevara's thought. “An excellent classroom tool for anyone teaching about Latin America or revolution.” ―Science & Society “[This book] provides us with the picture of [Guevara’s] great, flexible, and searching mind.” —Carleton Beals “Michael Löwy’s brief but penetrating book takes Che Guevara not as a romantic adventurer but as a serious revolutionary militant.” ―Telos
