Book Description
At last, Che on Che! Discover the personal side of the legendary Che Guevara in a way never before revealed to the world. This book includes many unpublished short stories and poems written to his wife and children, as well as photos from the Guevara family album, showing a surprisingly sensitive and artistic side to a man often seen as a hard-line revolutionary.
An enthusiastic amateur photographer, Che's self-portraits are a stunning feature of this selection along with some beautiful short stories, poems, and personal letters, which have just been released from his family's personal archives. Among the innumerable biographies and photo books on Che, this large format, attractively designed book is unique.
Edited by prominent Latin American poet and intellectual Victor Casaus, with the assistance of Che's widow and children.
Publication is planned to coincide with two new Che films (Robert Redford's film on The Motorcycle Diaries and a Steven Soderbergh biopic).
"Che was the most complete human being of our age."-Jean Paul Sartre
Customer Reviews:
Not quite what I had expected.......2007-08-01
I purchased Self Portrait because it sounded like a good biography/autobiography of Che Guevara. What the book actually is is a coffee table book, with small excerpts from Che's diaries and letters and commentary by the editor, Victor Casaus. It seems in some parts of the book that Casaus is more the author and that his words fill the pages more than Guevara's. This book has great photos of Guevara and it decorates my coffee table quite nicely, but if you are looking for a good history of Guevara, look elsewhere.
My Review on Self Portrait By Che Guevara.......2005-09-13
A very interesting way of portraying the Cuban hero through pictures. My one criticism is that the pictures at the end of the book are not captioned to tell us what they are or when they were taken.
Che on Che.......2005-04-07
This is a magnificent book... people might say that is pro-cuban biography but what we really have here is Che like the way he was... If you really want to know che this is the book you should be reading, pay no attention to the "gusanos" (the exiles from Miami that don't deserve to be called cubans)who don't like Che becuase he is a better man that all those "gusanos" put together... The reason Che will be present today and tomorrow is because his only dream was to liberate people all over the world without caring about skin color.
Hasta la victoria siempre!!!
Muerte a los "gusanos"!!!!
A Beautiful Book of Memoirs.......2005-03-20
If you are tired of the same books on Che Guevara, this is the different book. Formed by texts and images based upon Che's own life it follows mainly the same path of its biographers but in such a beautiful way it made his own daughter Aleyda (who rarely saw him) exclaim: "the photos in this book are so magnificent you feel a desire for kissing him, embracing him and keep talking to him" (she means with his own personal texts based in his own testimony).
The selection, prepared on the first hand with the remembrance of a lost love (by his widow) and on the other, by the professional eye of Victor Casaus (a Cuban cinematographer who had been many times a judge on international film competitions) you can follow Dr. Guevara from his childhood, young age, his travels, the Sierra Maestra up to his last days in Bolivia.
Sorry, no Christ figure photo (in the words of its own editor). Keep in mind this is a pro-Cuban Government book so you instead will find Fidel, but judge by yourself. My only last opinion is that if this people can produce such a book in a system so full of censorship, I do wonder what they can achieve in liberty!
Average customer rating:
- The Truth Hurts
- The Truth Hurts
- Great Photos of el Che
- Best photos
- A very interest book . . .
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Che: Images of a Revolutionary
Oscar Sola
Manufacturer: Pluto Press
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Similar Items:
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The Che Handbook
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El Che - Investigating a Legend
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Fidel's Cuba: A Revolution in Pictures
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Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life
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Companero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara
ASIN: 0745317006 |
Book Description
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928-67) is the twentieth century's most famous revolutionary. Che grew up in a bohemian family drawn from the landed gentry and went on to train as a physician. As a young doctor his travels in Latin America produced a political awakening that altered the course of his life. He joined the1952 riots against Juan Peron in Argentina, joined agitators in Bolivia, worked for the pro-Communist regime of Jacobe Arbenz Guzman in Guatemala and, when Arbenz was overthrown in 1954, fled to Mexico, where he first met Fidel Castro. Che became one of Castro's closest and most trusted friends, and after the 1956 rebel invasion of Cuba became his chief lieutenant. Che proved to be a resourceful guerilla leader and was instrumental in establishing the Communist state in Cuba. He continued to foster revolutionary activity in other countries until the time of his death in 1967 when he was captured and executed by government troops in Bolivia while directing a guerrilla group there. Che: Images of a Revolutionary features nearly 400 photographs--many of them never previously published. The book follows Che's life from early childhood to his career as a political activist. Writings by Che, including a number of his speeches and examples of literature written about him, by Fidel Castro and Allen Ginsberg and others, complement the visually stunning photographic collection. The book is a result of exhaustive research in public and private archives in Cuba, Argentina, Bolivia, Europe, and North America. A concluding chapter discusses the "Guevara myth" from his death until the present day.
Customer Reviews:
The Truth Hurts.......2002-12-07
This is not a book for the general public but for leftists.
And it isn't about HISTORY but about Communist mythologie.
Contains several omissions:
.It forgets to informate the readers about what Che Gue Vara did
when he and his guerrileros went to Bolivia to "Liberate" the Bolivian peasants: they assassinated about 50 people ( peasant and soldiers in ambushes ) BEFORE he himself was captured and executed.
The Bolivians felt strange about this "Liberation" and not even one (!) joined his "red terror" band ( they actually told the Bolivian army the precise local where the che's band was ).
In other words, CHE GUE VARA TASTED HIS OWN POISON but the author (and some reviewers) made him a martyr and think America is the real guiltie....
it hurts the intelligence of a rational person
.it says very little about Che's cruelty and crimes: in Las Cabanas prison he ordered the execution of hundreds of people( some of them former brothers in arms which refused communism and stayed democratic ).SOME OF THEM WERE SHOT BY HIM, to give the example...
CHE incentivated their followers during those executions: « DON'T WAISTE TIME WITH THE CAUSES, THIS IS A REVOLUTION, DON'T USE LEGAL METHODS OF THE BURGUEOSOIS, THE PROVE IS SECONDARY.
IT'S NECESSARY TO ACT BY CONVICTION!»
We bet they did.
And the Mass Killings of the "enemies of the people" in Santa Clara Prison (some years later )is practically omissed by the author.
etc etc i could go on AD INFINITUM..
Omited too is the TROPICAL GULAG, the concentration camps and prisons system( or "REEDUCATION" CAMPS like CHE used to called them),where have been imprisioned since 1959 until today about 100 000 political prisioners.
Read how they were and still are beaten and forced to drink they own urine in AGAINST ALL HOPE of Valladares in Amazon.com
The Truth Hurts.......2002-12-07
This is not a book for the general public but for leftists.
And it isn't about HISTORY but about Communist mythologie.
Contains several omissions:
.It forgets to informate the readers about what Che Gue Vara did
when he and his guerrileros went to Bolivia to "Liberate" the Bolivian peasants: they assassinated about 50 people ( peasant and soldiers in ambushes ) BEFORE he himself was captured and executed.
The Bolivians felt strange about this "Liberation" and not even one (!) joined his "red terror" band ( they actually told the Bolivian army the precise local where the che's band was ).
In other words, CHE GUE VARA TASTED HIS OWN POISON but the author (and some reviewers) made him a martyr and think America is the real guiltie....
it hurts the intelligence of a rational person
.it says very little about Che's cruelty and crimes: in Las Cabanas prison he ordered the execution of hundreds of people( some of them former brothers in arms which refused communism and stayed democratic ).SOME OF THEM WERE SHOT BY HIM, to give the example...
CHE incentivated their followers during those executions: « DON'T WAISTE TIME WITH THE CAUSES, THIS IS A REVOLUTION, DON'T USE LEGAL METHODS OF THE BURGUEOSOIS, THE PROVE IS SECONDARY.
IT'S NECESSARY TO ACT BY CONVICTION!»
We bet they did.
And the Mass Killings of the "enemies of the people" in Santa Clara Prison (some years later )is practically omissed by the author.
etc etc i could go on AD INFINITUM..
Omited too is the TROPICAL GULAG, the concentration camps and prisons system( or "REEDUCATION" CAMPS like CHE used to called them),where have been imprisioned since 1959 until today about 100 000 political prisioners.
Read how they were and still are beaten and forced to drink they own urine in AGAINST ALL HOPE of Valladares in Amazon.com
Great Photos of el Che.......2001-09-02
Filled with photos of Che from childhood until his death, if you want to know more about him thru photography then this book is a fine start. Also to read Che: A Revolutionary Life by Jon Lee Anderson, the best biography ever written about him.
Best photos.......2001-07-18
Anyone interested in one of the 20th centuries most enigmatic and charismatic figures will love this book. This is an excellent source to compliment the book by Jon Anderson or to enjoy by itself. Filled with over 400 photgraphs, many rare and never seen before, this book captures the image of the man in the various years of his life, most notably his years spent in Cuba. To see the man in all his glory, whether it be sipping his beloved mate, smoking a cigar or fighting his guerrilla war somewhere, his face is unforgetable and this book shows the many facets of his personality. The text is an easy read that can be read in one sitting but the pictures are priceless and require one's attention over and over. This is a book that sits prominently in full view in my house for quick browsing. The photos are exquisite, taken from various sources including one's taken by Che himself. Of particular interest is a section of the book that deals with the now fanous photo taken by Korda that is the image most people know of Che. This is the image that adorns everything from t-shirts to money that was taken during a service for for the victims of an explosion on a ship in 1960, one of the images of our times. The contact strip is included and the various degrees of differences can be noted. Of even more interest is the image of Che's corpse that was displayed by the Bolivian authorites and a comparison to the art of Mantegna's Dead Christ. The resemblance is uncanny. The open eyes of Che, even in death, are more alive than many of the people alive who walk around with tombstones in their eyes. This is an excepional book that chronicles the life and times of Ernesto Guevara, portraying an image in text and magnificent photographs of the man, not the myth, known as Che.
A very interest book . . ........2001-05-22
I think this is the best book of Che Guevara that I've read, and im really read a lot of him. It's perspective it's ecuanimous and objetive and show to the readers, many pictures of his life than we never know. I'm not triying to write some kind of promotion but i feel compromised to say my experience with the book.
Book Description
Never before has any biographer had such close access to Fidel Castro as did Tad Szule. The outcome of a long, direct relationship, this riveting portrait reveals astonishing and exclusive information about Cuba, the revolution, and the notorious, larger-than-life leader who has ruled his country with an iron fist for more than forty years.
Only Tad Szule could bring Fidel to such vivid life--the loves and losses of the man, the devious tactics of the conspirator, the triumphs and defeats of the revolutionary leader who challenged an American president and brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster.
From Jesuit schools to jungle hideouts and the Palace of the Revolution, here is Fidel...The Untold Story.
Never before has any biographer had such close access to Fidel Castro as did Tad Szulc. The outcome of a long, direct relationship, this riveting portrait reveals astonishing and exclusive information about Cuba, the revolution, and the notorious, larger-than-life leader who has ruled his country with an iron fist for more than forty years.
Only Tad Szulc could bring Fidel to such vivid life--the loves and losses of the man, the devious tactics of the conspirator, the triumphs and defeats of the revolutionary leader who challenged an American president and brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster.
From Jesuit schools to jungle hideouts and the Palace of the Revolution, here is FIDEL...THE UNTOLD STORY.
Customer Reviews:
The most objective book I have read on Fidel Castro.......2006-01-22
As someone born and raised in revolutionary Cuba and now living in the US for some years, I have read a lot on these subjects .......and from both sides of the ideological and political divide. " Fidel: A Critical Portrait" is simply one of the best, considering the depth of his research and the objectivity of his analysis of not only Fidel Castro, but also of the Cuban history in the last 50 years. This book by Tad Szulc is ,in my opinion, a must for anyone interested in really understanding Cuba and the Cuban revolution as well as the historical background that allowed things to happen the way they have. Furthermore, this book sheds light in what forces might come in play once Fidel Castro dies and Cuba can have a brighter future and its rightful place in America.
A fascinating history.......2004-07-29
I have recently discovered a wonderful genre of historical reading: Cuban history! From Fidel Castro, and Jose Marti, to Che Guevara and Antonio Maceo, the history of the island is rich with characters whose stories are as good as any fictional action/adventure tale. I have read plenty of stories about Fidel, and this one is the most complete. There is little information on Fidel's life (up until publication) that cannot be found in this book. The writing is objective, and focuses on both the triumphs and failures of the Castro regime. It is not a quick read, it is very detailed, and I had to renew it from the library twice. Say what you will about Fidel politically, the man has lived a fascinating life, and has survived insurmountable odds and countless assassination attempts. With incredible resourcefulness and sheer determination, he managed to survive. No doubt he has left an impact that cannot be ignored and only time will tell if in history, he is truly absolved.
Mark McGinty is the author of "Elvis and the Blue Moon Conspiracy"
Not like "Che" by Jon Lee Anderson..........2004-05-01
I thought that the Che biography by Jon Lee Anderson was awesome. It seemed very fact oriented and neutral. Very inspirational... After finishing that, I wanted to continue learning about Cuba's recent history and wished for a book just like Anderson's, but on the topic of Fidel. Anderson mentions that "Fidel: A Critical Portrait" is THE biography on Fidel so I decided to go with it...
Well, compared to my experience with the Che book, this one was very disapointing... it has a very pessimistic tone. Perhaps Szulc is objective, however he sometimes chooses to focus on negative items, unnecessarily. The book begins and ends in negativity. Just read the last 2 pages and note the items that Szulc chooses to end the book on... problems in Cuba like alcoholism, infrastructural neglect, uninspired youth. Plenty of coutries suffer these issues; does this make Cuba stand out?
The book does have alot of information in it and valuable anecdotes, but be prepared to wade through plenty of passive jibes from Sculz regarding Fidel.
The book's introduction starts out with a sort of defense by Szulc which can be summarized as "Fidel said I could slam him... as long as I'm objective". That right there set off warning flags for me.
As far as being a "Critical Portrait" goes, it deserves 5 stars. But I imagine that there will be a few other readers that came to this via the Che book and I wanted to call attention to the very different style and to brace themselves for a different experience.
This is how every biography should be.......2004-03-11
This book contains all the ingredients a great biography should have: comprehensive research, an interesting character, balanced and insightful analysis, and very good writing. Tad Szulc deserves all the credit he can get for putting together a book that could be used in a class as an example of how to write a biography. To me, Fidel Castro was an obstinate idealist who wanted the best for his people and country before losing himself in wrong ideas and absolutism, but you can form your own (well informed) opinion after reading this extraordinary chronicle of his life.
Fidel Castro.......2003-05-14
A biography worth to read with Frei Beto: Fidel & the religion
Average customer rating:
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Havana: Portrait of a City
Juliet Barclay
Manufacturer: Cassell Illustrated
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1844031276 |
Book Description
From its historic forts to its lushly tropical courtyards, from the city squares to the statues and fountains, take a captivating tour through the city of Havana. Magnificent color photographs capture the well-known spots and uncover the quiet corners; vintage black-and-white images showcase the important explorers who changed the course of Cuba's development, as well as landmarks of the past. A fascinating history traces life in Havana from the early 16th century to its heyday in the 19th . Information for the traveler guides the would-be tourist to this newly "in" holiday destination, made popular by the mainstream success of films and music, including the Buena Vista Social Club. It's a lovely tribute to the most extravagantly beautiful city in the Caribbean.
Average customer rating:
- Latin Sensual
- Summary
- Stunning male photography set against old world charm...
- !VIVA LOS CUBANOS!
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Somos cubanos
Thoma Benno , and
Benno Thoma
Manufacturer: Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh
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ASIN: 3861871157 |
Customer Reviews:
Latin Sensual.......2000-05-23
Somos Cubanos show erotic pics of young guys, brunet cubanos, very sensual, wonderful pictures, for men and women very specials.
Summary.......1999-12-01
'A book that will make you lobby hard for the end of the Cuban trade embargo....lots of gorgeous cubanos caught by the lens of the talented Benno Thoma.'
Stunning male photography set against old world charm..........1999-05-23
Somos Cubanos by Thoma Benno is a beautiful, large size, photography art book. Benno took these stunning photos of men while on a trip to Cuba. Set against the simplicity of everyday life and old world charm, these photos scream male sensuality. Printed on thick, high quality paper, these 60+ photos take us back in time when life was simple. Photos include singles, duos, portraits, semi nudes and nudes. Absolutely beautiful!
!VIVA LOS CUBANOS!.......1999-01-17
ARIBA ARIBA!! LUV THEM CUBANOS!
Average customer rating:
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Portrait of Cuba
Wayne S. Smith
Manufacturer: Turner Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1878685074 |
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Cuba: Portrait Of An Island
Ron Base , and
Donald Nausbaum
Manufacturer: Interlink Books
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Cuba: Mi Amor
ASIN: 1566565790 |
Book Description
In this unique collection of vibrant and enchanting photographs, Donald Nausbaum has captured the essence of Cuba, the Caribbean's most fascinating island. Cuba has long preoccupied the imagination of photographers, with its spectacular contrasts of lush scenery and historic architecture. Generations of artists and travellers have visited this magnificent Caribbean island, which is described in an evocative and information-packed introduction by Ron Base. In Cuba: Portrait of an Island, Donald Nausbaum presents us with a superlative collection of images showing the island in all its diverse, spectacular beauty.
The streets of Havana show a surreal mix of grandeur and decay but it retains a defiant elegance. Through its ruins there is a glimpse at its wildly vibrant nightlife, before settling on a rooftop to watch the sun set on this special city. Cuba's misty valleys, its grand colonial architecture, its stunning coastline and idyllic beaches are all waiting to be discovered by the unsuspecting visitor.
Nausbaum's portrait gives us a real sense of the island's scenery and evokes the rich diversity of Cuban life capturing images, which make us really feel Cuba. It takes us down spicy streets filled with music and the candy colors of the ubiquitous classic cars. It shows us, through snapshots, the essential elements of Cuban culture, from vivid pictures of gnarled, mahogany textured just-rolled cigars to images of bright carnival, of Cubans of every age dancing in every style to the incessant musical heart beat of the island. Cuba's fascinating political past and pervasive political mood, described in detail in Ron Base's introduction, also shows us its walls and billboards and its T-shirts plastered with that picture of Che Guavara, and the brightly painted political slogans and scrawled graffiti. In its most touching moments, this portrait shows us the humanity of Cuba, the children with cheeky faces playing in the streets, the old men making music together, the workers and the mothers and the activists, all brought together in this portrait of an island dancing in the sun.
Travelling frequently to the Caribbean, Nausbaum uses his camera to capture the very essence of the region, its breathtaking beauty, its culture, and its people. This skilled photo journalistic essay unlocks the treasures of Cuba, presenting a visual summation of its eclectic, exuberant atmosphere for those unfamiliar with the island and new images that are bound to startle and engage those who know and love it. Nausbaum presents us with a magnificent portrait of the Cuba described to us in the introduction: it is an island lodged in the imagination, haunted by old ghosts and faded glamor, felt as a shiver in your spine. It is complicated, conflicted and, ultimately, completely absorbing.
Average customer rating:
- highly informative
- Non-indigenous nature of the communist takeover of Cuba
- cm_garcia@msn.com
|
And the Russians Stayed: The Sovietization of Cuba : A Personal Portrait
Nestor T. Carbonell
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0688072135 |
Customer Reviews:
highly informative.......2007-05-09
I recently finished this higly informative book. I did not realize how deeply involved the Soviets were in the takeover and subsequent militarization of Cuba. The work is written with the passion of a man personally involved who deeply loves his country. It would be good to see a follow-up analysis in the years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Why does the regime seem to be able to hang on? What affect did the visit of Pope John Paul II have on the island? I recommend this book to be read along with "Against All Hope" by Armando Valladares.
Non-indigenous nature of the communist takeover of Cuba.......2007-03-13
Carbonell, Nestor T. 1989 And the Russians Stayed: The Sovietization of Cuba: A Personal Portrait. William Morrow & Co; New York ISBN-10 0688072135 ISBN-13: 978-0688072131
The strength of this history is its attention to detail and its rejection of academic theories which erroneously postulate an indigenous nature of the communist takeover of Cuba. One notes that such academic theories are generally proposed by non-Cuban scholars who with some reprehensible frequency accept the official Cuban government history of this matter in exchange for edited access to archives in Cuba. The balancing and correcting factor and the strength of this work is the author's personal experience in Cuba, and his deep knowledge of the Cuban condition. For instance, this is one of the few books that document the role of Fabio Grobart, the Stalinist éminence gris, and his machinations that guided Fidel Castro in his take over of Cuba. This diminishes Castro from a genius of evil to the role of a "chosen one;" however, to do otherwise as so many other authors do is to give this now dying leader improbable superhuman qualities and uncanny prescience. One quibble is the characterization of the Güajiro, the proud independent Cuban country folk, as peasants, when in reality their willingness to do battle and their skill in war makes them far more akin to English Yeoman than to downtrodden country laborers; and thus making this culture far more important than is generally viewed in the military history of Cuba.
cm_garcia@msn.com.......2003-05-19
I enjoyed this book as much as a Tom Clancy novel or a JFK conspiracy story. I couldn't put it down. It revealed interesting details regarding Castro's regime and events surrounding the revolution, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and the Cuban missle crisis. The author discusses facts about Cuba that you never hear about (outside of Miami's Cuban community). I think it could make a great movie.
Average customer rating:
|
The Land and People of Cuba. (Portraits of the Nations Series)
Victoria Ortiz
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: 0397313829 |
Customer Reviews:
EXCELLENT.......2007-06-15
All of Franqui's books are very goog. It is history from the "horses mouth".
Books:
- Skin
- Skin: The Complete Guide to Digitally Lighting, Photographing, and Retouching Faces and Bodies
- Skin: The Complete Guide to Digitally Lighting, Photographing, and Retouching Faces and Bodies
- Strangers to These Shores: Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States (Book Alone) (8th Edition)
- Structural Renovation of Buildings: Methods, Details, & Design Examples
- Sun Dancing: A Vision of Medieval Ireland
- The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images
- The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes(Expanded and Revised 5th Edition)
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The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey
Manifesto: Three Classic Essays on How to Change the World
Guerrilla Warfare
