Che Guevara

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Warfare and Love in the Bolivian Jungle
Vive Killing Che
Very knowledgable author delivers very impressive debut novel
Bolivia, 1967: The Death of a Dream

Killing Che: A Novel
Chuck Pfarrer
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400063930
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

Chuck Pfarrer’s acclaimed Warrior Soul has been called one of the finest memoirs of modern Special Operations Forces. Now the decorated Navy SEAL makes his dazzling fiction debut with this gutsy, riveting thriller about the action-packed hunt for history’s most infamous rebel insurgent: Che Guevara.

The year is 1967. Paul Hoyle, a CIA paramilitary officer, has resigned from the agency an incident in Laos that left one man dead and Hoyle’s face scarred by gunshot. But Hoyle is soon drawn back into the agency’s fold, finding himself a “fallen angel,” an independent contractor the U.S. secretly sends to global hot spots.

Bolivia, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is a nation ripe for Communist infiltration and revolution. So the stage is set for a duel between world ideologies, with players from Washington to Moscow to Havana. After a Bolivian army unit is disastrously ambushed, Hoyle is dispatched to South America by a CIA concerned that another Vietnam may be in the works. With Cuban-sponsored guerrillas afoot and a corrupt Bolivian military opposing them, Hoyle finds the jungle a treacherous place where honor and morality are surrendered to the basic business of survival.

Though Che Guevara, the charismatic revolutionary who helped Castro take hold in Cuba, is believed to have been killed in the Congo–or executed by Fidel himself–a rucksack recovered after a deadly gunfight suggests that the Marxist rebel may be heading up this new, highly effective insurgency.

World-weary Hoyle draws ever nearer to the passionate revolutionary, as a struggle between worldviews is fought with automatic weapons in steamy jungles, veiled threats in government offices, and even exchanged secrets in hotel bedrooms–for at the center of this intense cat-and-mouse game are two captivating women who may hold the keys to these men’s destinies. Tania Vünke is Guevara’s crucial undercover operative and occasional lover, a conflicted woman with secrets entrusted to her by Guevara himself. And beautiful Maria Agular is the elegant mistress of the Bolivian minister of information, a tormented soul whom Hoyle dares to trust with both information and his heart.

Terrorism expert Chuck Pfarrer packs this electrifying plot with insider knowledge of intelligence tradecraft. Populated with powerfully drawn characters, Killing Che is a stunning re-creation of a conflict that sealed the fate of one of the twentieth century’s most controversial and complex political figures–a man whose renown continues to grow decades after his violent end.

Customer Reviews:

Warfare and Love in the Bolivian Jungle.......2007-06-05

Chuck Pfarrer has written a unique novel, weaving together the facts and fiction of Che Guevara's last mission. The guerilla warfare scenes are breath-taking and real; surely only someone with Pfarrer's military experience could write with such authenticity. Che Guevara was a real person, and the reader often holds her breath wanting a better outcome for him than the one history has already given us. Pfarrer gives the reader a sense of Guevara's nobility and helps us to understand that the motives of those engaged in combat are not always clear cut.
As in real life, there is romance in unlikely places. Doomed love is more like it, making the surrepticious affairs even more poignant. But those moments are still lovely.
This is a compelling story, and the reader won't get much sleep until it's finished. I often woke up in the middle of the night, not unhappy because I could read a few more chapters of Killing Che before turning off the light again. Men will read this book for a lesson in war and learn about love. Women will enjoy the romantic chapters and learn why some men engage in combat. Something for everyone!

Vive Killing Che.......2007-05-23

Chuck Pfarrer has produced a beautifully written and exhaustively researched historical novel that follows a barely fictional CIA contract agent, Paul Hoyle, on his mission to engineer the liquidation of Che Guevara during his ill-fated 1967 insurgency in Bolivia. In Paul Hoyle, Pfarrer has written a noir character worthy of Hammett or Chandler, a good soldier with scant ethical compunctions who, as his time in Bolivia unfolds, learns that the United States is backing a horribly corrupt government and that he has been sent to kill perhaps the most decent man in Bolivia.
The education of Paul Hoyle begins when he falls in love with Maria Agular, the mistress of a Bolivian government official. "[Hoyle] knew he had compromised Maria by becoming her lover; in the trade, this was his handle, the means by which he could control her. ...But he did not control her--yet. Rather, what he had done was to allow her in."
Pfarrer paints a canvas similar to the movie "Syriana" in which unspeakable atrocities are committed and millions of people are robbed of fundamental freedoms because no one has the big picture. The world of espionage is powered by the belief that policy makers understand the long term global effects of their policies. This is what allows functionaries like Paul Hoyle to sacrifice their morals, the lives and reputations of others, and even their own lives in the service of their country. Falling in love with a source is a potentially lethal complication. Hoyle's "affection for [Maria] was a liability; intelligence officers are meant to use people, compromise them, coerce them, exploit them, and discard them... . Maria's life and Hoyle's were nothing. They were...mere flyspecks on a vast, intricate machine... ."
Similarly, Pfarrer portrays Che Guevara as a selfless instrument of worldwide communist revolution. Che's problem is that he is the real thing, a true believer. The Soviets are threatened by his Maoist tendencies, Castro by Che's drive to enact a worldwide revolution that might displace him, while the Bolivian Communist Party is threatened because it is as corrupt as the Bolivian government. Because he is so idealistic, Che can't fathom that the Soviets, Cubans, and the Bolivian Communist Party wouldn't be wholeheartedly behind him. In fact, these forces, together with the Americans, were out to kill him.
Writing an historical novel is a most difficult pursuit. The ending is already known. So why read it?
A first answer involves the force of Pfarrer's prose. He sets up each chapter with some of most stunning prose that can be found in contemporary literature. When introducing a chapter in which Hoyle and his main CIA handler, Neil Smith, try to convince the Bolivian authorities that Che Guevara is operating in Bolivia, we are treated to the following:
"Light slanted through the windows in Colonel Arquero's grand office. The clock ticked slowly, and Lieutenant Castaneda stood by the door, as immobile and unthinking as a piece of furniture. Hoyle and Smith watched the colonel hover over the folder placed before him. He examined each of the three photographic prints, holding them close to his shiny pince-nez spectacles, then checking each photograph against a typed transcript of the microdot. This he did with deliberate and self-conscious care, and the clock ticked through diligence to insolence and finally to absurdity. It was a blessing when Arquero's small hands pushed the photos and papers back into the folder and he squinted up from his blotter."
Still another reason to read Killing Che is because of the extensive historical and technical research that has gone into this book. Pfarrer's experiences as a former Navy SEAL (his memoir of that time is entitled, Warrior Soul, Random House, 2004) and as a former military advisor in South America are evident on almost every tension packed page.

Very knowledgable author delivers very impressive debut novel.......2007-04-08

Former Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer's memoir, "Warrior Soul", is one of the most well-written, fascinating, modern military reads out there, and his debut novel is just as enjoyable.

An historical fiction account of the hunting down of revolutionary and guerilla warfare legend Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, "Killing Che" is the type of novel that would make a great movie as well. Pfarrer brings his extensive tradecraft knowledge to bear, and his experience as a longtime SEAL operator helps give the whole book a heightened sense of realism.

Pfarrer's descriptions imerse you right into the heart of the Bolivian jungle-forests, giving you a genuine sense of what it was like for both the guerillas and the agents trying to find them, and his characters - both real and fictional - are very human and rounded out.

It's an intelligent, interesting read that isn't too technical, a well-paced read that has action without being action-packed.
This is the kind of novel you want to read again over time, and I look forward to Pfarrer's next work.

Bolivia, 1967: The Death of a Dream.......2007-02-27

Jean Paul Sarte called Che Guevara the most perfect man of the age. Chuck Pfarrer has written a sprawling, thrilling and fiercely lucid account of Guevara's 1967 murder in Bolivia. The book is the flagship of a new genre--reality fiction--this book is too good to call merely an historical novel. In Killing Che are the makings of an epic; it is part allegory, part romance, part morality tale. A conflicted and war weary CIA officer, Paul Hoyle, is sent to Bolivia to recover two guerilla bodies. He finds himself recruited first on a counter insurgency mission and then an increasingly personal manhunt for Che. It is probably no coincidence that Pfarrer has named his protagonist Paul, for Paul Hoyle, like Paul on the road to Damascus, undergoes a life changing conversion. Literary allusions abound in Pfarrer's work, there is the allegory of Paul, and other gems, references to Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano, Graham Greene's Quiet American, Andre Malreaux's Man's Fate, not to mention Carl Jung, Carl Marx and a host of others. The novel scrupulously merges history with a poignant and closely observed human drama. I was bound up by this story from the first page. The characters in it, Paul Hoyle, his love interest Maria Agular, the legendary female Guerilla Tania Vunke, and Che himself are rendered with in a measured finely assured prose. I recommend this one highly.

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Great for a classroom study but not for....
The Ultimate Book about Che!
the best book on che
thorough
a little rambling, but heavily inspiring

Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life
Jon Lee Anderson
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802135587

Amazon.com

Even to those without Marxist sympathies, Che Guevara (1928-67) was a dashing, charismatic figure: the asthmatic son of an aristocratic Argentine family whose sympathy for the world's oppressed turned him into a socialist revolutionary, the valued comrade-in-arms of Cuba's Fidel Castro and a leader of guerilla warfare in Latin America and Africa. Journalist Jon Lee Anderson's lengthy and absorbing portrait captures the complexities of international politics (revolutionary and counter); his painstaking research has unearthed a remarkable amount of new material, including information about Guevara's death at the hands of the Bolivian military.

Customer Reviews:

Great for a classroom study but not for...........2007-06-03

This book is so full of information it begins to sound more like a step by step account of Che's life. I was sincerely looking forward to reading interesting and historical facts but there are more long winded historical segues and side stories narrated in the third person than one would expect from a biographical book. One example relates to an account of Che's purchase of a gift for a friend which spans 2 pages--was this a major event by normal standards: probably not. At times I felt as if I was reading the report of someone who had too much information but did not want to truncate it under the belief that it would seem dishonest.
However, if you dont mind reading minute details about someone as interesting as Che, then you should buy this book. If you are more interested in getting to the heart of his ideology and political inclinations, look elsewhere.

The Ultimate Book about Che!.......2007-04-30

This book is extremely detailed about Che's life. The author has researched his life so thoroughly. It is also very unbiased, explaining flaws of his character.

A capitalist at heart, this book made me understand the anti-imperialist sentiment in the world, as Che visits Mayan ruins and an American copper mine in Chile. The book also explains the United Fruit Company's presence in Latin America and the politics behind it.

This book also details the Cuban revolution. What an interesting story!! I didn't realize how smart Castro is or that he came from a rich family.

By the time you finish this book, you may not LOVE Che, but you will understand why he fought.

the best book on che.......2007-02-20

This is a balanced, well researched, and easy to read treatise on Che. A good portion of the book details the revolution and you also get to know Fidel well.

thorough.......2007-01-03

Excellent and objective book on Che Guevara. A long read (750 pages) but written in a very readable and chronological fashion. This book is also very insightful regarding the events leading up to and after the Cuban Revolution and provides a lot of insight on Fidel Castro as well. Highly recommended.

a little rambling, but heavily inspiring.......2006-12-09

A great insight into the character of the man. Very compelling.

Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him

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A Breath of Fresh Air...the truth will set Cuba free!
Che Guevara was truly an evil human being
Before you buy the shirt; before you get that tattoo, read this book!
Full of Historical Innacuracies
Finally Someone has said it!!!

Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him
Humberto Fontova
Manufacturer: Sentinel HC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1595230270
Release Date: 2007-04-19

Book Description

A critical biography of the iconic communist revolutionary, and an expose of the liberals who lionize him.

Nearly four decades after his death, it's impossible to avoid the image of Ernesto “Che” Guevara everywhere from T-shirts to cartoons. Liberals consider Che a revolutionary martyr who gave his life to help the poor of Latin America. Time named him one of the one hundred most influential people of the last century. And a major Hollywood movie is about to lionize him to a new generation.

The reality, as we learn from Cuban exile Humberto Fontova, is that Che wasn't really a gentle soul and a selfless hero. He was a violent Communist who thought nothing of firing a gun into the stomach of a woman six months pregnant whose only crime was that her family opposed him. And he was a hypocrite who lusted after material luxuries while cultivating his image as a man of the people.

Fontova reveals that Che openly talked about his desire to use nuclear weapons against New York City. Such was Che's bloodthirsty hatred that Fontova considers him the godfather of modern terrorism.

Exposing the Real Che Guevara is based on scores of interviews with survivors of Che's atrocities as well as the American CIA agent who interrogated Che just hours before the Bolivian government executed him.

Customer Reviews:

A Breath of Fresh Air...the truth will set Cuba free!.......2007-06-12

The factual record of Che's life falls far short of the image that his fellow travellers have foisted on a credulous public. This book is a superb first step towards revealing the truth about Castro's revolution, and Che Guevara's role in it. This will not be the last sally against those who have spent so much time and energy in fostering the communist mythos, but it will not be the last. With a multitude of eyewitness accounts and documentation, Che's and Castro's hot air balloon of disinformation has been punctured. Senor Fontova shines a hot light on the cockroaches of the media and politics, who will end up scrambling to obfuscate their role in the tragic leftist holocaust that occurred under their watch.
First rate book, highly recommended.

Che Guevara was truly an evil human being.......2007-06-06

Humberto Fontava's reveals Ernesto "Che" Guevara as truly a cowardly and vile individual. He sadistically murdered helpless victims while playing the leftists of the West as fools. Guevara knew how to market himself to his gullible adherents. The author also contends that the CIA foolishly helped to condemn the Cuban people to lives of awful poverty and no political rights. How many people know that Cuba possessed a decent and growing economy before the Communists took over the country? I only learned the truth a few years ago. Castro and Guevara also received little support from the poor and downtrodden. No, these thugs exploited the utopian fantasies of Cuba's pseudo-intellectuals and professional classes. Many of these useful idiots later paid the ultimate price for their misplaced loyalty. We Americans have been conned by our intellectual elites. Thankfully, Fontava is doing much to lift this veil of ignorance. His book is mandatory reading. You should immediately purchase a copy.

Before you buy the shirt; before you get that tattoo, read this book!.......2007-06-04

Castro's propaganda machine has created an image of Che Guevara that is an almost opposite of the picture painted by the author. Humberto Fontova has written a very illuminating book on the life of Guevara. His positions are backed by eyewitness testimonies and even Che's interviews with the media.

Fontova reveals a different Che Guevara than the popular view of the idolized revolutionary rebel that cared deeply for the poor and oppressed. In fact, according to Fontova, the closest Guevara came to real combat was when his pistol was accidentally shot by him, causing him a minor wound on his face. I always find fascinating the amount of people that tend to place in a pedestal people like Che and how the youth revere the image of this man as if they were venerating a saint.

The book describes in detail Che's lust for violence, mainly against unarmed people. By Che's own testimony the number of people that were executed directly by him or his goons was in the thousands.

In the final analysis, even if some of his heroic feats were true (which is clearly documented that they weren't) you still have come to the conclusion that the end result was detrimental to the very same people that he was trying to "liberate". After all, who can ever call Cuba a bastion of peace, liberty and prosperity?

It is obvious that Mr. Fontova, having been affected by Che and Castro's ruthless regime, is very passionate about the subject and this may cause many readers to question Fontova's objectivity. However, a simple cursory research on the matter will easily find support and validation for many of the writer's descriptions of the events.

This book is an important work to counter the apparent erroneous propaganda spread by uninformed people, who have been relying, according to Fontova, on Castro's manipulation of Che's diaries for their conclusions. As people that have first-hand contact with Che begin to pass away this book will help them have a voice.

Of course, there are many people, like Carlos Santana, who won't let the facts stand on the way of their positions, as he once expressed to someone explaining Che's murderous legacy: "You're getting hung up on facts, man. We are only free when we free our hearts". Whatever the hell that means!

Full of Historical Innacuracies.......2007-05-31

From the title you know right away that this is going to be a polemic, which can be interesting when the author has a good sense of humor, writes well, or uses an extreme view to expose a more important truth. Unfortunately, this book is nothing like that. It is a thoroughly humorless, poorly written, personal attack with almost no historical basis in fact. The facts that Fontova does get right are grossly and deliberately misrepresented, with many so-called "facts" based on interviews whose authenticity is never verified.

Under most circumstances I would simply shrug this off but for the fact that Fontova actually studied Latin American history (he got his MA from Tulane) and is therefore deliberately misrepresenting and even fabricating events. The sole reason being to assassinate the character of a well-known political figure. Now, a lot of people do this kind of thing -- bring down a popular figure in order to try to raise themselves a bit -- but in order to make his case, Fontova does some really despicable things. He uses all kinds of violations of logic, misquotes people, quotes them out of context, frequently uses unsubstantiated third party testimony, and even goes so far as to laud the actions of dictators like Batista and Stalin in order to manufacture grounds on which to attack Guevara.

Most of this book is in direct contradiction to declassified CIA documents and first person testimony readily available to the public online. One can't dismiss this as a case of bad research or simple incompetence. This is a deliberate and cowardly distortion of history.

This book not only raises serious questions regarding Fontova's credibility and professionalism, it could very well cast doubt on the reputation of Tulane's History department as a whole if they do not speak out.

Finally Someone has said it!!!.......2007-05-29

I read about a dozen books a year and never have I ever tried to contact an author to thank him or her for their work... until now!! This book says it all. Using primary sources, the author dispells every myth about the Che Guevara and the brutal communist regime that he helped place in The Western Hemisphere.

I think that this book should be read by all Americans but more importantly by those people that sport his t-shirt and have no idea what he stood.

As a Cuban-American, I know what Che did the Cuban people. However, most Americans do not. This is a great eye-opener that pulls no punches. Well done Mr. Fontova!! Thank you for speaking for the rest of us frustrated people that see this murderers face emblazened on t-shirts!!

Diarios de Motocicleta: Notas de Viaje (Film Tie-in Edition) (Che Guevara Publishing Project / Ocean Sur)

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SUPER BUENO!

Diarios de Motocicleta: Notas de Viaje (Film Tie-in Edition) (Che Guevara Publishing Project / Ocean Sur)
Ernesto Guevara
Manufacturer: Ocean Press (AU)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey
Traveling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary
Che desde la Memoria: El que fui (Che Guevara Publishing Project / Ocean Sur)
America Latina : Despertar De UN Continente / Latin America : A Continent Wakes: A Continent Wakes (Guevara, Ernesto, Works.)
The Motorcycle Diaries (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: 192088811X

Book Description

"When I read these notes for the first time, I was quite young myself and I immediately identified with this man who narrated his adventures in such a spontaneous manner . . .

"There were moments when I literally took over Granado's place on the motorbike and clung to my dad's back, journeying with him over the mountains and around the lakes . . .

"To tell you the truth, the more I read, the more I was in love with the boy my father had been . . ."- from Aleida Guevara's preface

"A journey, a number of journeys. Ernesto Guevara in search of adventure, Ernesto Guevara in search of America, Ernesto Guevara in search of Che. On this journey of journeys, solitude found solidarity, 'I' turned into 'we'."-Eduardo Galeano

Customer Reviews:

SUPER BUENO!.......2005-10-11

NO HAY NADA MAS LINDO QUE LEER ACERCA DE NUESTROS PAISES, APRENDER DE ELLOS, POR LOS OJOS DE UN JOVEN VIAJANTE COMO "CHE GUEVARA". SE LOS RECOMIENDO! LEANLO! :)

The Cuban Intervention in Angola, 1965-1991: From Che Guevara to Cuito Cuanavale (Cass Military Studies)

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The Cuban Intervention in Angola, 1965-1991: From Che Guevara to Cuito Cuanavale (Cass Military Studies)
Edward George
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415350158

Book Description

Book Description

Is there an alternative to the neoliberal globalization that is ravaging our planet? Collected here are three classic works by Che Guevara, including his essay, "Socialism and Man in Cuba." (Also available in Spanish as Justicia Global ISBN 1-876175-46-X)

Customer Reviews:

A Revolutionary's View In Favor of Socialism.......2005-08-31

Humanistic Socialism. When you read this book, you can really see the flexibility, a far cry and major difference from the scientific Hegelian materialism of Marx, the dogmatism of Luxemburg and the authoritarianism of Lenin. The difference is a socialism, which emphasizes the need to listen to and work with the people in a democratic means, rejecting the exploitation found in authoritarian and bureaucracy found in the former Soviet and European socialism.

Of course this socialism is also against the neo-liberal free market fundamentalism in the framework of the capitalistic economy dominated by the strong players who take advantage over the weak, under the same rules applied for all under the misleading terminology of "free trade."

In this system of humanistic socialism, che speaks of the flexibility of state control, which in turn, acts in accordance between the state and the masses or proletariat, which includes compromises as to private ownership in certain cases, as in the many farmers, and in creating a societal structure devoid of exploitation, one based on the principles of socialism in an equalitarian, fair and just society where all are entered into the economic privileges which are available. There are of course limitations, however much is due not to the system itself but to the U.S. blockade against Cuba in obtaining raw materials, oil and other necessary items for people to survive and have any degree of prosperity.

The esteem in the whole thing is Guevara and Castro's efforts in this regard, rejecting all dogmatic and Hegelian formulas which create bureaucratic nightmares as witnessed in Soviet communism and the Eastern European block, which subsequently failed and is no more. Unfortunately, the results of such a fall are U.S. imperialism on the rise and on a much more dangerous level to the world community of autonomous and independent existence.

Now in response to the claim against socialism, (Von Mises) that socialism cannot perform economic planning from lack of a free market, Guerra speaks of a planning of fixed prices and trade agreements prior to the trading itself. The trading of goods for goods and services is also endorsed.

The only question that really hangs in the balance is that while humanistic socialism is flexible, fights exploitation, fights bureaucracy and so forth, it is still state control. And like a monarchy, the kingdom is ideal when the king works for the common interest of the proletariat, but when his successor replaces him or her, the balance of power can be radically altered to the point of Leninist and Stalinist authoritarian proportions. And so it is, the humanistic socialism practiced by Castro hangs in the fragility of his successors and/or the successors of the present leaders in the government. Over all, I find Che's political philosophy in this book very well to both read and consider. There is no question in the issues raised of both the fight of super power imperialism and the need for an equalitarian, non-exploitive government and society.

However my above question on socialism strongly argues against this fragility. For what Che's socialism espouses is really democracy, unlike the capitalistic representative forms. And this difference entails both education and self education where all citizens become active participants in government, where the culture itself is self-governing, removed from economic alienations. So in this sense, the succession of leaders would not alter the social and cultural fabric of the democratic individualization found in socialistic practice.

good place to start.........2005-06-08

If you want to get your feet wet in the waters of comunist ideals, this is a good book to start with.

Brief Encounters with Che Guevara: Stories (P.S.)

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Politics and the Short Story
Things Happen
Brief Encounters with Che Guevera
A taut and often moving first salvo
a not unproblematic worthwhile read

Brief Encounters with Che Guevara: Stories (P.S.)
Ben Fountain
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060885602
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

The well-meaning protagonists of Brief Encounters with Che Guevara are caught—to both disastrous and hilarious effect—in the maelstrom of political and social upheaval surrounding them. Ben Fountain's prize-winning debut speaks to the intimate connection between the foreign, the familiar, and the inescapably human.

Customer Reviews:

Politics and the Short Story.......2007-02-01

This debut collection is welcome relief from the usual workshopped-to-death, navel-gazing, interior short stories that seem so prevalent in the U.S. Fountain likes to take his characters to parts of the world not particularly welcoming to Americans and put them in challenging situations. For example, he has a particular interest in Haiti (which he's visited approximately thirty times), and it forms the backdrop for three of the stories.

In "Reve Haitien" (originally published in Harper's), a chess-playing Organization of American States observer in Haiti following Aristide's 2004 departure agrees to help a charismatic guerilla member. The plot involves smuggling paintings by Haitian masters to Miami in exchange for cash the guerillas can use to buy arms. The story shares themes with several others in the collection, as the Westerner comes to sympathize with the oppressed native and tried to help. (The main point of interest in the story for me was the paintings, many of which were by artists whom my grandparents collected in the '60s. One minor snag in the plotline is that the paintings are described as being rolled up and hidden in a duffle bag, but most of the paintings by these artists in my grandparents' collection are on solid chipboard and rather harder to convey.)

"The Good Ones Are Already Taken" takes place in North Carolina, but also references Haiti, as a young soldier's wife eagerly awaits the return of her Special Forces husband from Operation Uphold Democracy (1994-95). The husband returns home greatly affected by his interaction with the Haitian spirit world, forcing the wife to work hard to understand. The material is somewhat over the top, but Fountain manages to make it work for the most part. "Bouki and the Cocaine" (first published in Zoetrope and available freely online) is a pretty straightforward story about some poor fishermen whose civic attempts to interdict the local cocaine traffic result only in the local police profiting. In an Robin Hood-style operation, they decide to steal one more load and use a Port-au-Prince contact to help the community. The finale is somewhat predictable, but enjoyable in the manner of an Elmore Leonard caper.

In "Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera", a graduate ornithology student is swept up by FARC guerillas in Columbia and must survive as a hostage for half a year. Over the course of this time (which seems to be circa 1999), he gets to know the guerillas and comes to understand their struggle -- only to have the carpet jerked out from under him at the end. Originally published in Zoetrope (and available for free at their web site), it's a fairly solid piece, if a little too precious toward the end. "Asian Tiger" (also published in Zoetrope and available freely online) is my favorite of the collection. Here we meet a divorced pro golfer of the lowest tier, reduced to playing obscure, fourth-rate tournaments. After appearing the "Myanmar Peace and Enlightened Leadership Cup", he is made a lucrative offer he can't really refuse (for the sake of his daughters' college fund). Through his naive eyes, the Burmese junta takes on an even more bizarre visage, as he accompanies generals on foursomes involving shady American oilmen, a spook, and Japanese suits.

It's out of the frying pan and into the fire, as the next story (which first appeared in The Paris Review), "The Lion's Mouth", visits war-ravaged Sierra Leone. A female American aid worker hustles to improve the lives of a tiny few, while also getting sexually entangled with a diamond dealer. The topic of "blood diamonds" has been well-covered elsewhere, and this story does little to add to the topic. It's also the third story in the book to involve some manner of smuggling, and while the portrait of the various rebels, UN peacekeepers, and shady operatives is keen, the story itself is entirely predictable. The title story is a series of five vignettes in which the author recounts his fascination with Che Guevara and his encounters with several people who may have known him. It's rather aimless in comparison to the rest of the collection and didn't do much for me. "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers" is somewhat of an outlier as well, taking place in the music world of 19th-century Vienna, and following the strange story of the titular piano composition. It does an effective job of capturing the time and place, and there's a decent-enough story there, but it's so different from the rest of the collection that its inclusion is somewhat jarring.

On the whole, this is definitely a collection worth dipping into, but perhaps not as vital as some of the more enthusiastic reviews make out. One theme that is worth highlighting as particularly important is Fountain's representation of travel as privilege. In most of the stories, Americans "visit" the third world by choice and are able to leave, while those who live there suffer onward (and get exploited by Western business interests). I'll definitely keep an eye out for his Fountain's next work.

Things Happen.......2006-12-03

I really don't like short stories very much anymore-especially the kind that appear in places like "The New Yorker" (which is otherwise an exemplary magazine) - for the most part, it seems to me that these stories are humorless, shapeless chronicles of middle class angst that start from nowhere and, if you actaully bother to finish one, conlude in a morass of pointless self pity- leaving this reader with only one agonized thought - "WHO CARES".

If those are your kind of storeies, do not buy "Brief Encounters". Fountain's stories are crisp, compelling and often mordantly funny - there's not a wasted sentence, really not a wasted word. And, best of all, THINGS HAPPEN, EVENTS TRANSPIRE, and you turn the pages to see what's going to happen next.

Brief Encounters with Che Guevera.......2006-11-14

The best book of short stories I have read in years. The usual complaint about literary short stories is that they concern themselves with insignificant domestic issues and ignore the larger world; and the most telling complaint about fiction that does address the larger world issues is that it is boring. Well, here is a writer who can enter into any part of the Third World, however remote, however alien to our Western vourgeois life, and tell a story with dramatic power, in a language that is enviably concrete and vivid, with charcters pulsating with life, with suspense in the movement of the action painfully intense, yet without any tricks of the trade. I have never read such goo writing applied to such a world-view. Whether it is Haiti, Thailand, Sierra Leone, Columbis--this is the familiar territory of human character, for better and worse. With such books as this, reading becomes the real staff of life.

A taut and often moving first salvo.......2006-10-25

A collection of short stories that casts its gaze beyond authorial self-indulgence and deep into the world at large, author Ben Fountain's debut book presents the reader with snapshots of characters caught amidst forces they can sometimes scarcely comprehend, let alone control, yet also ventures deeply into the hearts of its protagonists. A highly memorable debut from an author who doubtless has much more to show us.

a not unproblematic worthwhile read.......2006-10-11

The enthusiasm and praises for Ben Fountain's collection is well-founded and well-deserved, so I won't repeat them here. But for those readers who may be interested in a different kind of review, I would like to add here that my only criticism with this collection is on the ideological/political level.

While the stories here are careful to avoid, indeed subvert, certain stereotypes and cliches, they also tend to reinforce others, the long history and tradition of western ethnography casting its problematic shadow, threatening to reduce not just the characters and landscapes to hollywood-esque cliches, but also the critical politics addressed here into facile journalism. To be sure, Fountain does resist Manichean, or back and white, moralizing (as one reader below suggests), and certainly, he does not shy away, for instance, from looking critically at his first-world characters' position relative to their third-world counterparts, but ultimately the stories are haunted by what one might call the "heart of darkness" syndrome that still, unfortunately, informs much of western literary, cinematic and journalistic output today.

Having said this, however, my intention is not to deter readers from this book. On the contrary, the stories here are well-written, well-crafted and rare in that there are very few contemporary North American writers who overtly engage with political issues in their short fiction (perhaps a good comparison here might be Ward Just, or even Tom Bissel and Tony D'Souza, though personally, for purely political/ideological reasons, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend the latter two). And as other readers have attested, there is a lot to admire here, a lot to enjoy and gain for those interested in good stories that offer not just engaging situations and plot, likeable characters and voice, but also the political broadstrokes of American involvement abroad. Particularly if you enjoy writers like Charles D'Ambrosio, Scott Snyder, Daniel Alarcon, perhaps David Means, Judy Budnitz, and even TC Boyle, you'll probably enjoy this collection. In fact it is hard to imagine that this collection would completely disppoint. And it is precisely for all of these reasons that I wished that the collection had been even more critically aware.

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey

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Better Translation, Great Book
Intriguing look into Che
Is Che Guevara a hero ?
Lads on the road
this translation leaves a lot unsaid

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey
Ernesto Che Guevara , and Aleida Guevara
Manufacturer: Ocean Press (AU)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life
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Self Portrait Che Guevara

ASIN: 1876175702

Book Description

These travel diaries capture the essence and exuberance of the young legend, Che Guevara. In January 1952, Che set out from Buenos Aires to explore South America on an ancient Norton motorcycle. He encounters an extraordinary range of people-from native Indians to copper miners, lepers and tourists-experiencing hardships and adventures that informed much of his later life.

This expanded, new edition from Ocean Press, published with exclusive access to the Che Guevara Archives held in Havana, includes a preface by Che's daughter, Aleida Guevara. It also features previously unpublished photos (taken by Che on his travels), as well as new, unpublished parts of the diaries, poems and letters.

"A Latin James Dean or Jack Kerouac."-Washington Post

"For every comic escapade of the carefree roustabout there is an equally eye-opening moment in the development of the future revolutionary leader. By the end of the journey, a politicized Che Guevara has emerged to predict his own revolutionary future."-Time

The publication of this new, expanded edition of The Motorcycle Diaries coincides with the release of Robert Redford's new film based on the Diaries. This film and another forthcoming from Steven Soderbergh in Fall 2003 will provoke even greater "Che-mania" and increase sales of all Ocean's titles on Che Guevara.

Customer Reviews:

Better Translation, Great Book.......2007-05-15

I'm so pleased that you had this earlier English translation of The Motorcycle Diaries and that it arrived in time for my Spanish class presentation. I also read the newer edition that came out with the movie in 2004. Your book had a much better translation. Thanks for your help. Sometimes older books are better books.

Intriguing look into Che.......2007-04-11

Seen the movie long before the book, but this book was very interesting to see how Che's thoughts began to form before he became only known as Che. Pictures in the centre were an added bonus. It's a quick read with concise notes (they are journal notes afterall), and it gave me a greater understanding and feeling of compassion for Ernesto Guevara - someone who I didn't know a lot about and in the USA you hear about how bad he is. Good thing I live in Canada, with an open mind.

Is Che Guevara a hero ?.......2007-01-13

Brad Delong, Matthew Yglesias, Armed Liberals and others have been having a discussion about whether Che Guevara can be considered a hero. Here is the hero in his own words:

"During the night I had a bad case of the runs and, being ashamed to leave a souvenir in the pot under my bed, I climbed out on to the window ledge and gave up all of my pain to the night and blackness beyond. The next morning I looked out to see the effect and saw that two metres below lay a big sheet of tin where they were sun-drying their peaches; the added spectacle was impressive."

(From The Motorcycle Diaries)
Sorry, but I see nothing heroic in sticking one's arse out the window and letting drive onto a pile of fruit. I would never do that- but then, I'm not a communist.

I was recently in venezuela ... I wish the people well. But I sadly fear that there are going to be a lot of tears shed when all is said and done.

Lads on the road.......2006-10-01

The text of the original motorcycle diaries gives a strong sense, much more than the movie, of the factors that influenced this artist/activist as young man. Idealistic, cheeky, sexually libidinous, political, strong minded. Che and his older companion set off on a wild journey across South America. The wretched poverty they witness across that continent - especially when he shares a blanket with a destitute beggar high up on the Andean Sierra - strikes home, as well as some of the aesthetic beauties of the wild and mystical land, such as the Inca ruins around Cuzco, Peru. Che's description of the stonework at the Sacsaywaman fortress rivals the greatest travel writings of Robert Byron, Bruce Chatwin or Patrick Leigh Fermor in its stylishness and accuracy of description.

In places the narrative drags though, obviously written at points of sheer exhaustion, or boredom, or lack of inspiration.

this translation leaves a lot unsaid.......2006-07-13

i really enjoyed the motorcycle diaries. when the movie was in theatres i decided to read the book first so that i could understand the film better, but i chose to read it in the original spanish version. it was thought provoking prose. i was impressed that such insight came from the child of a wealthy argentinean family. when i read the translation in english i was a little disappointed. i did think that it was very good, but a little bit of the nuance is lost. if at all possible i suggest that you read it in the original spanish text, it is a little bit more inspiring.

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Interesting but Flawed
VIB: Very Important Book
Bad book from a mad communist
An interesting glimpse into the mind of Che
Warning this book is intended to make martyrs

Guerrilla Warfare
Ernesto "Che" Guevara
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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On Guerrilla Warfare
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Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life

ASIN: 0803270755

Book Description

This indispensable book includes three of Che Guevara’s most influential essays describing his tactical philosophy of fighting a guerrilla war in Latin America. Guerrilla Warfare, written in 1960, outlines Guevara’s doctrine for guerrilla fighters, especially against Caribbean-style dictatorships. In Guerrilla Warfare: A Method (1963) and Message to the Tricontinental (1967), Guevara modified some of his earlier tenets. These latter two works move away from his earlier dogmatism, suggesting that Marxist revolution was possible even in purportedly democratic regimes. All three essays reflect his deeply held belief that a small, rural-based guerrilla army could trigger a revolution.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but Flawed.......2007-03-14

"Guerilla Warfare" explains well the method by which guerilla armies obtain their arms, using their enemy as their suppliers through hit and run captures of armaments. An overview of guerilla organization and methodology is provided. However, Che's personal experience seems to be his only source. The book lacks insights from the experiences of others in similar but culturally different and technologically different circumstances. Che makes universal inferences from his narrow experience. When he himself applied this theory, later in his life, to other circumstances, he failed. For example, he seems to believe that the will to fight a guerilla war can, in all cases, be created by the guerillas themselves. While it certainly would be inspirational to hear of a guerilla movement in one's own country fighting the forces of oppression, it is a mistake to believe that this will inevitably lead to a growing movement towards general insurrection. When Che tried this in Bolivia, he failed (fatally so).

I would recommend this book as a summary of Che's insights into guerilla warfare but would caution the reader to avoid accepting Che's conclusions as well founded. Avoid his mistake and read the works of Mao and others before drawing universal conclusions on guerilla warfare.

VIB: Very Important Book.......2006-06-20

WARNING!

Some people are afraid of reality. Please read this book.

Bad book from a mad communist.......2006-03-19

Here in Brazil, about ten years ago, I tried to read this bad book, but I never finished it.I tried to read, one book printed in Argentina, wrote in spanish.This book is bad about even guerrilla warfare.
In fact, never any of the tatics describe in this book gave victory to any army or revolution.The sucess in Cuba, came not from victory in battle.In fact, never happened a single battle in cuban revolution.It came from the cowardy of Batista and his mafia's government.
Ever when an army or even mercenaries TRIED to defeat Che Guevara, they got it, very fast and whith no dificulties.This happened in Congo, to exemple.Finally, in Bolivia, who wasn't and never was a military power, Che was ridiculous at guerrilla.Even so, Che Guevara was easily defeated in Bolivia, and murdered soon after surrendered in 1967.
In fact, any guerrilla in this world got any military victory, using Guevara's tatics and theories.
Many parts of Latin America had communists taking power, but in any of then using guerrilla warfare.
The ever used Gramsci's theories and books to take the power.
Brazil is an exemple.Our communists tried some guerrillas, using Cuba's money and support between 1960 and 1974.All of then were easily and fast defeated.
After all, our left has total control of this coutry, but from press, scools, TVs, etc. control.
As Antonio Gramsci wrote in 1930's Italy, when the left controls the intelectuals, the media, the school sistem, all society is put under left's control without a single shot.
This happened in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela,etc.

An interesting glimpse into the mind of Che .......2005-12-25

Whether you idolize or loathe Ernesto Che Guevara, it is undeniable that his revolutionary spirit and idealism are almost without comparison in history. This book provides a glimpse into Che's thoughts and plans for the future after the succesful otherthrow of the dictator Fulgencio Batista by Castro's Cuban revolutionaries.

Most of the book itself (123 pages of it) is an actual handbook on how to conduct guerilla warfare in an environment like the Sierra Maestra mountains. This part of the book is interesting for its brief explanations of how to make tank traps, molotov cocktails, and for its exploration of guerrila tactics, all discussed in a clearly didactic style. There are multiple instances in this part of the book where Che explicitly outlines the conditions that are absolutely necessary for successful guerilla warfare. However, it is his own neglect of these basic conditions that led to his eventual capture and execution in Bolivia (this is obviously not in the book). I personally, found Che's exploration of the guerilla fighter's psyche and motivations more interesting than the dated fighting tactics.

The book also contains two of Che's essays where he reveals his internationalism and calls upon the replication of revolution based on Cuba's example. In his "Message to the Tricontinental", he famously calls for the creation of "many Vietnams". These essays give the reader a sense of Che's long-standing antipathy towards the United States and other imperialistic regimes.

If you believe that armed struggle via guerilla warfare is the primary means for revolution, then you need to read this book (and find a jungle to carry out your revolution). If you don't believe that the "staccato singing of machine guns" will be able to bring down imperialist regimes, then this book may upset you or intrigue you for its irrelevance. Either way, it is a glimpse into the mind of a truly quixotic revolutionary.

Warning this book is intended to make martyrs.......2005-12-01

Guerrilla Warfare: Che Guevara
by Ernesto Guevara

Warning this book seems intended to make martyrs

Over the years this book has proved far more useful to mislead potential guerrillas than to educate them. The handmade weaponry described are ineffective and or failed tools of war. The tactics suggested have led to defeat in the Americas and in Africa. The cause described has never helped the poor and down trodden. One could readily ponder if the real intent was to make martyrs for the cause of mythical communist paradise. One wonders how many, aside from the author, died violently because of all the above.

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CHE IS BACK AND VICTORIA'S GOT HIM
Heroes? ... Let Go!
Identity revealed
Gary Hart is John Blackthorn---oh, this is too rich!!!!
A great premise that falls flat on its face

I, Che Guevara: A Novel
John Blackthorn
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Before Night Falls
Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life

ASIN: 0688167608

Book Description

Sometime during the summer of 1999 a mysterious elderly stranger appears in rural towns around Cuba, quietly advocating a new kind of politics he calls "the true republic." Old-timers begin to suspect that the stranger, who calls himself Ernesto Blanco, may actually be the martyr Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Shortly thereafter, Fidel Castro steps down from power in exchange for a commitment from the United States to recognize Cuba and lift the embargo. Diplomatic recognition, in turn, is conditioned upon free elections.

Two traditional parties are formed: One is a successor to the Communist Party and the other is composed of U.S./Mafia-backed Cuban exiles. As the True Republic movement spreads like wildfire throughout Cuba, each faction devises a plot to get rid of Ernesto Blanco-by assassination if necessary.

I, Che Guevara culminates in a frantic last-minute run up to the election in which assassins from both sides play key roles. Within the context of this revolutionary adventure, Cuba becomes a metaphor for the struggle of people throughout the world to evolve a new kind of politics, a politics with a human face.

Customer Reviews:

CHE IS BACK AND VICTORIA'S GOT HIM.......2004-07-03

For those of you too young to understand the not so subtle reference made in my title, here's the background for it. Shortly after the end of World War II, probably in 1946 or 1947, Clark Gable returned to Hollywood from his stint in the military service. His co-star in one of his firsr post-WWII movies was Greer Garson. The headline in several of the ads for this movie was "Gable's Back and Garson's Got Him." In this novel, Che Guevara has returned from his assumed death 32 years earlier, and Victoria Savidge, almost has-been news anchor for a minor TV network is his (platonic) love interest. Hence my title.

The plot outline follows along these lines: Fidel Castro decides that it is time for him to retire, but wants to get something out of his retirement for the people of Cuba. He believes that this can be accomplished is by taking some action that will get "Tio Sam's" sanctions removed along with their acceptance of certain other caveats to be set by him. He, in turn is willing to make some promises of his own. The caveats are that the U.S., in addition to removing the sanctions, exchange ambassadors, and provide computers for all Cuban students. The promises are for truly free elections for the first time in Cuban history. These elections will be open to monitoring by outsiders such as Jimmy Carter's minions.

The U.S. accepts his offer, removes the sanctions, and gives Cuba official recognition by setting up an Embassy.

As might be expected, the old line power structure sets up a political party aimed at keeping the themselves in power. The Miami exiles, paired with Casino interests who want to make Cuba into the kind of gambling haven it was before Castro, form a second party. The stakes are big, and these two parties run campaigns that take the worst of U.S. campaigning, and run high powered negative campaigns.

As things are getting under way, an asthmatic old man starts entering small mountain villages and, over cups of coffee engages the villagers in conversations in which he tells them that, if they wanted to, they could become the backbone of a new kind of government. This government could be a sort of bottom-up rather than top down government in which each small town would be essentially self governing and self supporting. (The old Town Meeting type of government) There could be low interest loans with long payout periods so the farmers could own their own land, etc. There also would need to be a small centralized government that needn't so much rule as to provide assistance where needed. It seems that in his 32 years of exile, this charismatic old man had been reading works by Plato, and the U.S.'s own T. Jefferson, as he called him.

Over a few months, there is a groundswell of support for the old man's ideas. Eventually people begin to realize that he is Che Guevara, and that he didn't die in Bolivia. He never tells anyone he is Che, but goes by the name of Ernesto Blanco. And he makes it plain that he wants no power or position of leadership for himself, but just wants to help the people help themselves.

Eventually this groundswell of support becomes so great that both of the major parties, fearing this movement more than they feared one another, hire assassins to stop him before it is too late.

Now for Victoria. She starts out as a TV anchorwoman on a last chance assignment to Cuba. Either she breaks a big story or her career is over. When we first meet her, she is a shallow person with no convictions and no idealism, only thinking of herself and her career. After several weeks in the mountains with Che and his small core group, she succumbs to the influence of Che's humble, pure personality and his idealism and exchanges her shallow self-centered perspective for a more honest one.

To summarize the action of the book as described in more detail above: Two political parties determined to win at any costs; A movement backing a people oriented concept introduced by Che; A nearly has been reporter who evolves from shallow reporter to insightful idealist; Two assassins determined to stop Che before he does too much damage; And three other key members of Che's inner circle who help him out in dozens of small, but important, ways. The suspense is provided by the uncertainty of the outcome of this most important election, and by the possibilities of success or failure of the assassination attempts.

It doesn't say so in __I, CHE GUEVARA__, but in other places the pseudonomynous author has been identified as ex-Senator Gary Hart. Hart has made the heart of his novel, not the action, but Che's ideas and idealism. Every few pages, Hart interrupts the flow of the action with one of Che's interior monologues in which he reveals his ideas, and how and why he grew from the type of revolutionary he once was to someone espousing a revolution of ideas. These passages, I believe, are the real reason Hart wrote the book.

While I question whether, in real life, there could be such a massive growth of support in such a short time for these new (old) ideas, or if they even could gain such support in the small peasant communities where Che gained his first few adherents, I admire the idealism and the concepts of Jeffersonian/Platonian Democracy he was espousing.

One other observarion before I quit. This book was published in 1998, long before our current political season. In it, a college professor in Montana (I think it is Montana) latches on to Che's ideas for a people-power government, and declares for the Senate. Putting to work Che's principles of government by and for individuals, he sets up a web site in which he asks for supporters and donees for his campaign based on these principles. He limits individual donations to $20.00 or less, and he gets several hundred thousand supporters who donate an average of almost $18.00 each. Is it possible that this is where a recent internet based campaign got its idea for a political campaign along almost exactly these same lines? It's certainly possible.

Heroes? ... Let Go!.......2003-12-09

John Blackthorn does an admirable job in taking two traditionally condemned ideas, Revolution and Anarchism, and applying them to his story in a way that makes us identify them for the positive things that they really are. We read as the venom of revolution to society is seeped out of the word and we are redirected to a new definition to the word. After reading the book revolution ceases to be the series of bloody encounters that it is associated with and becomes a concept of change, of reformation through thoughts. Similarly in his discussion of the revolutionary theme where he implants the concept of anarchism in the readers mind the author does an equally commendable job of painting a positive concept of anarchism. As opposed to the image of disorder that the word creates in people's imagination, blackthorn makes anarchism a mark of order and contentment. He presents it in a positive light, as it being the basis of 'our need not to need'. Hence I liked John Blackthorn's book, I Che Guavera, for this strong trait it holds.

The author shows a paradoxical writing in his work as he reveals traces of a non dictator in Fidel as opposed to the image of the tyrant he seeks to portray. Although the author's reference to the 'considerable anger' [of party members upon hearing about his decision to step down] that went 'unexpressed' (p.39) suggests fear in the party and therefore a dictatorship by Castro, the existence of a party by itself contradicts his implication. It draws our attention to the uncharacteristic nature of Cuba's dictatorship, if we call it so. The traditional trend of dictatorship, which includes disposing of the party, seems to be missing in this particular dictatorship. Hitler's Nazi party was only a medium through which he administered massive espionage and control over the people. Stalin communist party was the framework of the ladder he used to climb into power with and got cleaned up in the purges only a decade after his rise to power, whereas Mussolini's was a weapon that was used to create a picture of that so can an individual who retains a party for half a century, sits in a meeting where the same party discusses 'the future of Cuba in a way that didn't include him' (p.41) be really called a dictator? Hence I believe Blackthorn shows a strong weakness in painting a picture of a dictator that Fidel is supposed to be if his book is to have any weight in world politics.

Another flaw in the author's work is in his treatment of the communist party where he shows bias. By 'telling' us through the mouth of one of the party members about how the party was 'getting everybody to vote for it' (p.39) the author tries draw a picture of the state of the communist party in Cuba. However I found it hard to picture politicians sitting around in party meetings and openly 'laugh' about how they manipulate the public to get votes. I felt author's narration was biased in his own favor to create an atmosphere of simple mindedness that could not handle democracy, therefore strengthening his plot. These are people who managed to stay in power for close to 5 decades and according to historian Alan Bullock's theory power is only retained for so long by people with well structured intentions or intentionalists and not these simple minded individuals who gather in an office to disagree on party names and not ideologies. Furthermore as the theory goes when you carry a lie for so long you would forget that it is indeed a lie and hence I see the reality being one where these politicians no longer acknowledge their deceit after so long a time. So I find Blackthorn's use of chapter 7 to be a 'cheap' way of uncovering the truth about Castro's party.

Romanticism is another idea that I recognized in the book. The myth of Che that the Cuban people hold as of the only man who could save them is a demonstration of the romantic thinking that precedes the concept of hero's and heroic actions. Hence when Che makes an observation on the Cuban people and how they are 'longing for a hero'... 'they pray for someone to save them' we recognize elements of romanticism in the society. Ironically enough this observation by the author can also be made on the author. The fact that he had to resurrect a dead hero to help him his theme highlights his romanticism. As he chose to communicate his message through a dead man we realize that, most of the time, it is the messenger that matters and not the message. This is also exhibited in the way that the communist party in chapter 7 dwells on the name of the party for the reality is, due to romanticism, society idolizes the concept of heroes and institutions and the kind more than what they are really about.

Hatred for church is another concept that I recognized in the book and is another source of discussion in class. Powerful rival to the state, Che's expressed hatred of church (p.14) has a clear resemblance to that of 20th century dictators like Stalin and Lenin who openly disowned the Orthodox church and tried to replace it with their cult of personality, Hitler who moved the bible from the altar in the church and replace it with Mein Kampf and Mussolini who entered a concordat with the church to keep it out of his business. Hence in reading about Che's attitude towards the church we read about the forming of another dictator if ever he had wanted to assume formal power.

Gary Hart, alias John Blackthorn, makes a significant contribution to the world for his book is not merely an assessment of history but is a promoter of reflective thinking to any reader. It invites us to examine our stand in the world of the 'visionary' versus the 'practical', for if you are not a revolutionary you are a practical person. While reading his book I was able to examine my inner self and found that I am one who is often satisfied by the state of things, rarely advocating change and generally at the height of contentment. Gary Hart makes me an enemy of the Revolution, a reader who admires his book immensely but fails to identify herself with the Che's of the world. Yet!

Identity revealed.......2003-05-09

The mysterious, "internationally known," author of this novel is none other than Gary "Monkey Business" Hart, former Senator from Colorado. His warm regard for Che Guevara is typical of the fuzzy-minded generation which always thought that "Dr. Castro's" bloody tyranny would turn out well.

Gary Hart is John Blackthorn---oh, this is too rich!!!!.......2002-02-07

I, Che Guevara

First off, in order to read this book you have to know who Che was and what he was about. So I think you should get Che by Jon Anderson, a biography of the revolutionary. It's what I did and with the marked irony of the covers, it also serves as a primer on the focus of the novel.

Then accept whole-heartedly that these are two entirely different books/perspectives/realities.

That said. I, Che is a good novel but if you know anything about Che it slowly degenerates strictly around his character. The premise is simple: Che ain't dead, there was a switch but Che has decided that his former way isn't working and he starts a socialist movement, eventually getting a democratic election in Cuba going after Fidel steps down.

This book is a Washington Establishment wet dream. Kind of like watching Rambo so that you can feel that you really did win in Vietnam. It further helps that the chief architect, Che turns against his former ideals and overthrows the country he helped to overthrow. From that perspective it comes off rather weak. But from the light of progressing Che as a person who changes his ideology to suit the world rather than demand that the world fit into his former ideology of socialism-Communism, the book works. But more than anything this book is about the power of the media in elections. Cuba becomes a petrie dish of socialism versus democracy and a hybrid of the two wins out. The book at its heart is idealistic on one hand and a blatant sucking up on the other. Che and Fidel never meet in the book, never have the fateful conversation that we're all waiting for so Che, this new Che remains the figure of glaring spotlight. The constant shuffling game of whether or not this is the real Che is silly after awhile and though this new Che tries to explain his evasiveness, it never quite goes over.

Now in comparison to the real Che. Merde. I hope the man is dead because if not Mr. Blackthorn better watch out, this book is a mockery of who and what Che (rightfully or wrongly) stood for. It goes against his character of rigid discipline and fanatical zeal for changing the world. It is a clever What if..? but it kind of borders on the taste level of ---"What if grandma had become a prostitute instead of marrying grandpa?" because in the end there is the taste that the new Che has prostituted himself in a slow, subversive way to the true ideals of the Republic from the writings of Thomas Jefferson. One of Che's adamant feelings was on slavery, neo or otherwise. This is an attempt to integrate Che into democracy through a man that Che would've seen as a bourgeois Yanqui. Che was all for killing the bourgeois Yanquis and there were quite a few public executions after the Cuban revolution where Che ordered or carried out the order to cleanse.

Nah, he wouldn't have gone to the other side so easily, so anonymously.
However this book is for an American audience, an audience that won't sit down with a great scholarly, biography in one hand and the fictionalized what if in the other. That would require shutting off the TV and having a thought or two. So I, Che finds its' way into bestseller-dom through American ignorance. Now that, both Che's would agree with.

Go get Che by Jon Anderson, a better, more gripping, visceral read. You won't always like the real Che but you will understand who he was.
Three stars.

A great premise that falls flat on its face.......2001-08-15

Blackthorn has managed to take a great concept for a novel with unique potential and turn into unreadable drivel. The idea that Guevera didn't die and that Castro ultimately gives up power and all the consequences following is quite tantalizing. But it's just too far fetched to be taken seriously, especially when the narration focuses on the thoughts and musings of Guevara. Che is warped into some type of soap opera character coming out of hiding to reclaim Cuba, and the story also fails in large part because of the awful dialogue. Every time Che appears in the story and you are forced to read the dreadful dialogue you almost become angry at the author. The writer seems to have done some good research and has some great imagination, but just can't put it all together and write it. I had great expectations for this book and was more dissapointed than I had been in a long while.

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