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Jon Lee Anderson
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Che Guevara : A Revolutionary Life Paperback – January 1, 1997

by Jon Lee Anderson (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,536 ratings
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He became a myth in his own lifetime and an international martyr-figure upon his death; he was a revolutionary fighter, a military strategist, a social philosopher, an economist, a medical doctor, and a friend and confidant of Fidel Castro. Che Guevara's dream was an epic one - to unite Latin America and the rest of the developing world through armed revolution, and to end once and for all the poverty, injustice and petty nationalisms that had bled it for centuries. In the end, Che failed in his quest but he is recognized as that one-in-a-million personality who just might have pulled it off. "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life" shuttles between the revolutionary capitals of Havana and Algiers to the battlegrounds of Bolivia and the Congo; from the halls of power in Moscow and Washington to the exile havens of Miami, Mexico and Guatemala, in a gripping tale of revolution, international intrigue and covert operations. It has an epic sweep as it evokes an era of tumultuous change, describing major events like the Bay of Pigs invasion, the October Missile crisis and Kennedy's assassination. Among its cast of characters are scores of historic personalities including Castro, Kennedy, Kruschev, Mao Tse-tung, Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, to name but a few. Jon Lee Anderson has been given unprecedented access to the Cuban Government's archives and has had total co-operation from Che's widow, Aleida March, who has never previously spoken for publication about her late husband. He has obtained hitherto unpublished documents, including several of Che's personal diaries and, in the course of his research, broke open a twenty-eight-year-old mystery - the whereabouts of Che's body in Bolivia. There is no doubt that this monumental work will stand as the definitive portrait of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating, yet largely unexplored, historical figures.
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  1. Print length
    832 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6.02 x 2.4 x 9.21 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0553406647
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0553406641
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group); New Ed edition (January 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 832 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553406647
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553406641
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.02 x 2.4 x 9.21 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,536 ratings

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Jon Lee Anderson

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,536 global ratings
Great biography!
5 Stars
Great biography!
I have to say I was very impressed by this book! It was really interesting learning about this significant figure in the history of the world. It is a very long book, but that just means it was very thorough. Some problems with biographies are the very limited information about the early years. Not the case with this one. There is so much information that I was able to formulate my own opinions on how he became the man he was meant to be, instead of just listening to the author. I liked the thorough use of pictures, and the additional thoughts from people that had been close to Che. This biography may even keep you glued to the pages as it did for me. Hopefully you can learn as much as I did!
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Top reviews from the United States

Cathy G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
I’ve really enjoyed reading this book and loading more about Che.
It adds many layers of the story that are not necessarily told through the traditional history regarding his beliefs and ideals
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Stephanie
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow.
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2024
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Probably the most extraordinary biography of the life of a man. A must read whether or not you share the same beliefs as Che.
One person found this helpful
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OSIRIS THE KING
5.0 out of 5 stars MY REVOLUTIONARY BROTHA
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2008
Verified Purchase
i love revolutionary people. with out them we would still be slaves. with out revolutionaries like malcom x or
martin l.king we might not have civil rights. this book will take you from before che was born all the way past his death covering every thing. this book is huge. it covers everything and includes a lot of great photos. i see a lot of people wearing his t-shirt in san diego but the people dont know who he is so thats what made me buy the book. he was a communist and nothing wrong with that. its just a form of gov. that he lived under and was his choice. just like americans.democracy is a form of gov. we live under and is our choice. do you hate poor communist who live on the streets? i dont. what about a person living under democracy who is poor living
on the streets. do you hate that person? no its silly. just because the governments dont like one another dont meant the people have to follow. so what im saying is whether che is communist or not i love him for what he fought for. many people stood up against america for its wrongs. so why not che guevara. america is wicked and is destructive world wide and he was there to try and stop etc. get the book its great.ALSO CHE BELIEVED IN THE BLACK CHRIST. SEE NOT ALL OF THE WORLD LOOKS AT JESUS AS A WHITE PERSON. IN SOUTH AMERICA WHERE HE IS FROM MOST PLACES LIKE GUATEMALA BELIEVE IN THE BLACK CHRIST AS HE DID AND I
THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
12 people found this helpful
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EarlB
4.0 out of 5 stars Che - Was he good or bad?
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014
Verified Purchase
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.
7 people found this helpful
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swt
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Balanced
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
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.
8 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great way to understand the truth about Che and the truth about the politics in different countries as well.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Daniela Zagordo
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in Canada on September 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
By far the most comprehensive and unbiased book I’ve read about Che. Absolutely fascinating account of his life.
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Vinciguerra Riccardo
5.0 out of 5 stars Che Guevara
Reviewed in Italy on April 3, 2024
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Disegni all'altezza dell'autore. Peccato manchi un edizione in lingua italiana.
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Son Of The Rock
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
Extremely well researched. The definitive biography.
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Kevin Ritch
5.0 out of 5 stars As always, Amazon gets your stuff to you and you get what you were hoping for.
Reviewed in Germany on September 14, 2021
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The book is perfect and delivery great. What can I say... Good people to do business with !!!
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Ashok Krishna
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read. Must Own.
Reviewed in India on January 9, 2019
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‘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.
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