**Expanded Article**

“Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.” -Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara’s last words*

(Anderson, 1991:735)

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara de la Serna

Those words send shivers down my spine. One can't help but wonder, who was this man? In his unquenchable idealism, enlivened by clandestine activities and political conspiracies, he dared to deprive death of its satisfaction. Decades later, Comandante Che is now heroically revered.

Born Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, Che Guevara had an unexpected start. Unlike the ideology he died for, he was born into an affluent family of landed Argentinean elites. However, the family was on a path that would lead them to a more modest life later. Ernestito, as he was affectionately called, was born with asthma, which would limit and define him throughout his life.

At 7, Due to his recurring and debilitating asthma attacks, he was barred from engaging in strenuous activities. Strengthened by a close mother-son relationship, Ernesto developed a love for literature. He was a voracious reader for most of his life.

The Young Che groomed in an elite society

At 16, “Everything began with literature for him” (89). At this age, he was already quoting Freud and Nietzsche in his journal. He read widely, including Jack London, Bertrand Russell, Faulkner, Kafka, Camus, and Sartre. Neruda was often his favorite.

At 25, While in Medical School, Ernesto embarked on travels across a significant part of South America. He first used a bicycle, later outfitted with a motor, and then a motorbike. These travels were of great importance. In these austere journeys, characterized by occasional begging for food and hitchhiking, Che met the people of South America and saw the world through their forgotten faces and unheard voices. He wrote, “The person who wrote these notes died upon stepping once again onto Argentine soil. The person who edits and polishes them, me, is no longer. At least, I am not the person I was before. The vagabonding through ‘America’ has changed me more than I thought.” (167)

Che with his faithful bicycle he used for travelling

At 27, He met Fidel and Raul Castro, who later invited him to join the July 26 Movement for the liberation of Cuba from Batista. This was a critical step that launched Ernesto away from his earlier paradoxical behavior of complete apathy and radical declamations. He said, “I will be with the people, and I know it because I see it etched in the night that I, the eclectic dissector of doctrines and psychoanalyst of dogmas, howling like one possessed, will assault the barricades or trenches, will bathe my weapon in blood and, mad with fury, will slit the throat of any enemy who falls into my hands.” (201)

At 32, The July 26 Movement triumphed, Batista fled the country, and a new revolutionary government with Fidel Castro as the head pronounced Che Guevara as a Cuban Citizen by birth. Che helped implement land reforms and literacy improvement projects in liberated Cuba.

Che with Castro

At 36, He left his ministerial position, commander’s rank, and family to spark off new revolutions.

At 39, Che Guevara was captured in Bolivia. While tied down and held as a prisoner, he was shot dead, his hands were cut off, and he was buried in an unmarked mass grave. His remains were later exhumed and found through the confession of a retired Bolivian General who came clean to the author of this book.

Jon Lee Anderson did an excellent job writing this biography. He was an international investigative reporter, war correspondent, and staff writer for The New Yorker. His fastidiousness and training as an investigative writer were outstandingly employed. This well-researched work is based on extensive and exclusive primary sources provided by Che Guevara’s widow, Aleida March, a distinction that other written biographies lack. Anderson’s narrative is fluid and light. He presents the social milieu in Che’s environment, helping the reader understand how it shaped the man. He intermittently interjects intuitive comments that are rational and often factual. What I appreciate most is Anderson’s tone, which is objective and free from a ‘western’ bias.

This is a great piece of work not only because of Anderson’s writing skills but also because of what it has achieved. He was able to strip away the layers of laudatory accounts and legends surrounding this icon and reveal the real man within. Did I enjoy reading this biography? Definitely, yes! Did I come to know Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara? Yes! Will I recommend this? This is the book one must read to truly know Che Guevara.

*Accounts vary on this, and the incident itself has become almost mythologized. Other accounts suggest that this is Che’s last written word as contained in his Bolivian diary.

This review, along with my other reviews, has been cross-posted at imbookedindefinitely

As a biography,

for the moment, let's put aside the content. Jon Lee Anderson has achieved something truly remarkable here.

Out of all the biographies I have read, this one is undoubtedly the most extensive and comprehensive.

From Ernesto's youth on an Argentinean farm, to his days on the motorcycle, to his first encounter with Fidel Castro and everything that followed,

this book covers it all in incredibly detailed fashion.

I simply can't fathom conducting the research for this book.

It's like an encyclopedia of a man's life!

That being said, it's a seamless read.

The book is substantial, and the details of early 60's Cuban/Soviet/American politics might slow you down around the middle,

but don't worry, Che will soon return to the jungles of the world, striving to liberate the oppressed.

Yes, Che was a communist, and yes, he has appeared on far too many t-shirts, bumper stickers, book bags, posters, and so on in the capitalist world,

but that's just how his legacy has been distorted.

The book tells the story of a powerful and extraordinary man who believed that all people deserved to be free from the shackles of imperialist tyranny.

It's definitely worth a read.

Long and dense but worth it - such an interesting read. Che is unflinchingly committed to his morals and holds himself to the same standards as his fellow soldiers. He never sought power of any kind and never put on false airs to appease people. It is very obvious that he is autistic as well, with a strong sense of justice, difficulty in social interaction, and intense focus on specific interests, etc. Anderson, however, does not fawn over who he is as a person. I spent the first half of the book detesting young Che. He was disrespectful to women, didn't shower even though he had the capability to, and was generally irresponsible, etc. But the reasons he is remembered in history are supported by the accounts of those who knew and were closest to him. I probably read for 2 - 3 hours a day for each of these 12 days and spent half of the time looking up word definitions.

I really should have known better than to think I was going to finish a 29-disc audio book.

I doubt I would fare better with a print version, though. I still find Che to be an interesting topic. However, maybe I'm more interested in his place in history and the political climate at the time than in the man himself.

This book relies heavily on Che's own letters and diaries. Honestly, he seemed like a self-absorbed dick! For example, I can't count the number of times his (eventual) wife Hilda was referred to as both desperate and ugly (but worthy of a pity fuck, apparently) by Che (or the author himself).

This from the man who's nickname was "Pig" and prided himself on never bathing or changing his clothes.

Is this an unpopular opinion? I'm not sure. But I just couldn't hang in there for 22 more discs. It seems that while Che may have had a significant impact on history, his personal character as presented in this book leaves a lot to be desired.

Perhaps I'll explore other aspects of his story to gain a more well-rounded understanding. But for now, I'm giving up on this particular audio book.

What an incredibly detailed and well-researched book on the mythical character of Che Guevara!

The great part about biographies is that they are also a historical read. To understand Che well, one needs to understand the world that was going on around him.

After asking people who Che was, you'll find some say he was a revolutionary hero, while many others villify him and spread false claims about him. I needed to have my own informed opinion, so I decided it was time to read about him for myself. This book has over a hundred literary sources and countless interviews and conversations with people who knew Che personally, which really amounted to a clear picture of who the man was.

Before reading this book, I was already intrigued by the famous Alberto Korda photograph, as are countless others, but I wanted to get to the root of who he really was.

You learn about his upbringing in Argentina, his asthma which continued to plague him until his last days, his early explorations of political theory, and his motorcycle trips where he saw the impacts of poverty and poor living conditions that affected his people and the people in countless other Latin American countries.

From meeting Fidel Castro in Mexico City to joining the Cuban Revolution, you discover what guerilla warfare was truly like in the Sierra Maestra.

Then we learn about the years Che spent at the top of the food chain in Cuba at Fidel's side. Without a doubt, Che was the more politically outspoken of the two. Che considered it his life mission to truly push forward a Communist society in a way that he believed could work.

At his heart, Che was a revolutionary, and that's why he didn't settle in Cuba and would go on to fight in the Congo and Bolivia. While he was well-versed in political theory, he was someone who attempted to bring about real change through bloody revolution. While not being a communist myself, I found Che's beliefs fascinating and his passion behind them admirable.

Overall, this was an excellent book with a ton of information and is at the top of my list of books I've read this year. Side note, at 730 pages, it is officially the longest book I've ever read. Time to go read something a bit lighter now.

Exceptionally written, this book takes the reader on a slow, methodical, and largely impartial journey through the birth, life, and inevitable death of Che Guevara.

The author skillfully weaves together first-person interviews, journals, speeches, and other secondary sources to create a vivid and detailed portrait of this iconic figure.

What truly strikes me about this book is the power of the writing. Despite being a slower read, it has the ability to transport the reader to different locations such as Cuba, Argentina, and the Congo with just a few pages.

You can almost hear the echo of voices, smell the campfire, and feel the humidity in the air. I first read this book in 2005, and upon rereading it, I was still able to recall certain passages that had stayed with me over the past 16 years.

This reading has left me with an enormous amount of respect, not necessarily for Guevara's cause, but for him as an individual. His story is one of passion, idealism, and sacrifice, and this book does an excellent job of capturing that essence.

Overall, it is a must-read for anyone interested in history, politics, or the life of an extraordinary individual.

What I have learned from this book (apart from some truly remarkable historical treasures) is as follows:

First and foremost, journalists play a crucial role. They are the ones who bring the truth to the public, shining a light on important events and issues.

Secondly, economists are equally significant. In the case of Cuba, the free operation of both journalists and economists could have brought about enormous benefits.

Thirdly, for any revolutionary, place and time are of utmost importance. Che Guevara could have reaped great advantages if he had recognized this fact.

Finally, no one should desire for others to read their private diaries, as the person who writes the diary often comes across as an unpleasant individual. I'm sorry, Che, but it's the truth.

These are the valuable lessons that I have gleaned from this book, and they have given me a new perspective on various aspects of history and society.

Didn’t finish the book once I realized what an atrocious sham it is. Which is truly a pity. Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara is indeed a captivating subject when it comes to the study of human nature and depravity.

Anderson might truly believe the drivel written within these pages, or perhaps he is hell-bent on perpetuating the lies that envelop Che Guevara. I earnestly encourage anyone perusing this biography to delve a little deeper into legitimate sources to unearth the genuine truth about Guevara.

It is a huge stretch to label this work as academically rigorous and exhaustively researched. In fact, it is more than just a stretch. The primary sources are fabricated propaganda pieces from Che or his chief publicist (Fidel and his regime historians) or equally dubious sources, such as his wife, who manages his estate and the money it provides her (care to wager where her loyalties lie?). Every single bit of these sources is filled to the brim with blatant lies. In almost every sentence, it would be far more accurate to substitute antonyms for every descriptive noun and adjective used.

Contemporary eyewitness accounts, and an actual copy of Che’s own handwritten field diary (not the fake “Motorcycle Diaries,” produced by Fidel’s minions) nearly contradict every ‘fact’ that the seemingly intellectually indulgent Anderson sycophantically vomits up in this hagiography. Real sources that Anderson couldn’t be bothered to read and reference because they would have contradicted his preordained conclusion about his hero. Nay, authentic and easily accessible sources would have demolished that narrative. Anderson is either lazy, incredibly dishonest, or simply easily fooled. A little investigation into Anderson’s past reveals his shameful, motivated approach to his subject – a man he clearly idolizes blindly.

Che was a brutal, psychopathic mass murderer – one of the worst individuals in history, in the same league as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, and Castro himself (except all of them were also shrewd and competent in at least a few crucial ways).

The true reality is that Che never won a battle, seldom participated in any, and when he did, he tended to cower or flee in a panicked frenzy from his post. He had no concern for the common man. He loathed the Cuban people. He mistreated his family and virtually anyone he came into contact with. Contrary to his transparently fabricated press, he was an economic imbecile, ruining every aspect of the Cuban economy that he touched. He failed at school and in his profession (he was never a doctor as he claimed), was a fake intellectual who spouted nonsense (compare to Peter Sellers’ Chance the Gardner in “Being There”), and failed at everything except for indiscriminate killing (but only when the victims were defenseless). There is truly nothing to admire about this man, aside from his successful ability to deceive and hoodwink most of academia and the western media, not to mention a number of gullible politicians, the intelligentsia, and today’s youth.

Guevara strikes me as an extreme example of the Dunning Kruger effect, in which the incompetent falsely envision themselves as the exact opposite and expend vast amounts of psychic energy constructing false accounts of their exploits and accusing the competent people around them of conspiring to make them look bad. These kinds of folks resent nearly everyone competent and normal around them and lash out as the bullies they truly are. It ranges from awful to tragic when they stumble, Peter Principle style, into positions of unearned power.

Those still interested in reading this propaganda tome are encouraged to check out other FACTUAL accounts of Guevara. Make up your own mind after becoming more fully informed.

Try “Exposing the Real Che Guevara,” by Humberto E. Fontova. It is heavily researched, with interviews and direct, unguarded quotes from Che himself and eyewitnesses who were victimized by this monstrous man or who fought alongside him and witnessed his cowardice, incompetence, and brutality and were unafraid to speak the truth. If you have an open mind, you will likely arrive at a very different (reality-based) conclusion than the one Anderson is attempting to force-feed you here.

This biography of an epic life is truly masterful.

It artfully combines the responsible factuality and fairness characteristic of a historian with a delicate touch of romanticism.

Occasionally, the author can't resist inserting some judgmental adjectives here and there, but he is always spot-on.

I began reading the book without much respect for Che Guevara, but by the time I finished, I had developed a profound sense of admiration.

Even if you are put off by his ideas or his perceived ruthlessness, you simply can't help but pick up this book and be astounded by Che.

As the book reaches the account of his execution, it is nearly impossible not to be moved.

The book is filled with an abundance of detail, and the context is crucial for understanding Che's life and the directions his leanings led him.

I learned an incredible amount about the time period, the settings, and the larger-than-life figures who crossed paths with Che or influenced his fate.

Moreover, this book corrected my misconceptions and oversimplifications regarding Che and the cult that has grown around his memory.

I am extremely glad that I read this. I feel more knowledgeable, yet at the same time, it feels as if I could have just finished reading a great fictional novel.

That's how extraordinary Che's life was, and Anderson's work narrates it with such finesse.

This is not a flawless book. There are several reasons for this, but mainly because it is written by a liberal Statesian who fails to truly understand the essence of why Che fought for what he did, why he believed what he did, and why so many people honor him.

Nevertheless, it is extremely good. Not only does it explore a great deal of Che's life in a thrilling and exciting manner, but it also offers a significant amount of context regarding the world he lived in. This book has taught me far more about the Cuban Revolution and the period on the island from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s than any other source I have encountered so far.

It has also revealed to me how much of an economist and philosopher Che was. Even though Jon Lee Anderson may not have fully grasped what the man was saying, many of us Marxists likely will. When compared to the USSR and its unapologetic revisionism, Che was definitely on the right ideological track. Che's almost Christ-like legacy is well-earned, and this book precisely demonstrates why.

Overall, despite its flaws, this book is a valuable and engaging read that provides a deeper understanding of Che Guevara and his significance in history.

Among the fallen and fading giants of Communism, Che Guevara stands out prominently.

Few of them had a shorter life; while the title of "Major Communist Figure" seemed to bestow Fidel Castro, Deng Xiaoping, Kim Il Sung and others with a Methuselah-like longevity, Che didn't even reach his fortieth birthday.

However, few also lived a life so filled with romantic adventure, intrigue, myth and mystery. It's a life that still holds a certain allure, a life that, for many, still appears worthy of veneration and emulation.

It is challenging to pen a biography about someone larger than life, difficult to convey both the person and the myth, but Anderson has done an outstanding job on both fronts.

Besides being well-written, "Che" is excellently and thoroughly researched, an even more difficult and crucial achievement. Given the timing of Che's life and the ages of his contemporaries, Anderson's interviews and discussions with many of the major players in his life and death mean that this book will remain the definitive work on the subject.

Importantly, too, Anderson shows us not the exaggerated and distorted figure that many have seen, but the true dimensions of a man and his actions.

On one level, those actions were significant: the Argentinian-born Che lived a truly epic life. After a relatively secure youth, Che trained to be a doctor, and then, before his studies were completed, he embarked on a continent-spanning motorcycle journey with a friend.

Perhaps it was a sign of things to come: throughout his life, Che seemed better at starting new things than at bringing old things to a successful conclusion.

Che's journey helped solidify the sentiments that would underpin his life: ever after, he maintained a pan-Latin American sensibility, a sympathy for the region's poor and downtrodden, and a belief that the United States was to blame for the region's ills.

In support of those beliefs, he first played a minor role in Guatemala's ill-fated revolution, and then joined Fidel Castro's revolution-in-training in Mexico.

Castro and company's subsequent landing in Cuba seemed like a quixotic endeavor: he, Che, and a mere handful of men were attempting to incite an island-wide revolution.

But they succeeded against seemingly insurmountable odds, driving Batista's regime from power and finding themselves triumphantly in control of the levers of power in Havana.

And that success was, in many ways, Che's downfall.

At the tender age of thirty, Che found himself one of the most important men in Cuba.

Mindful of the untimely demise of the Guatemalan revolution, Che helped Castro strengthen the Cuban revolution by ruthlessly purging the island of those who were not committed to it.

But his temperament remained that of the brash revolutionary, not that of the patient technocrat he was expected to become, and when it came time to actually govern the country and make the revolution a success, Che and his ilk were failures.

Anderson does a masterful job of describing how disastrous the Cuban revolution was for Cuba.

In distancing themselves from the United States and aligning their country with the Soviet Union, Castro and Che wreaked havoc on the Cuban economy.

Che was a fanatical and austere idealist truly dedicated to his cause, but few shared his level of commitment; many of those with the technical expertise to keep the nation's sugar mills running fled the country rather than work for a man who knew a little about revolutions but very little about running an economy.

"Cuba's revolutionaries clearly had not thought through the consequences of a complete break with the United States," Anderson writes, going on to describe the numerous problems that brought the island nation's economy to a grinding halt: sulphuric Soviet petroleum that corroded the piping in American-built refineries, Soviet technicians unable to handle modern American technology, and even metric Soviet tools that couldn't be used to repair American-built machines.

Given these setbacks, it's no wonder Che grew impatient with the life of a bureaucrat and sought to repeat his notable triumph by fomenting revolutions in the Congo and, later, Bolivia.

For a brief moment in time, the revolutionary dream seemed real and powerful again; Che envisioned a worldwide struggle against what he saw as American imperialism and saw himself as the man to spark this revolutionary world war.

Not until bin Laden would the United States encounter a similarly unyielding and mysterious foe willing to do battle and inspire followers in every corner of the globe.

But the myth of Che was more powerful than the man himself. In both the Congo and Bolivia, Anderson writes, Che made the mistake of "forcing himself unannounced" on a pre-existing local rebellion, acting as if his mere presence would determine the difference between success and failure.

Such tactics did not endear him to the local Communist leaders, let alone the general populations in those countries; instead of leading a popular revolution in Bolivia, Che and his men found themselves alone and on the run, abandoned even by many of their fellow Communists, pursued into the mountains by government forces aided and abetted by the CIA, where they were finally captured and executed.

Still, the myth endured; austere, handsome, and dedicated to his cause, Che became more useful in death than he had been in life, more successful as a symbol of Cuba's revolution than he had been as a man involved in running it.

Consequently, his life retained its allure even after the death of the ideology for which he sacrificed it.

There are some flaws in Anderson's book. It could have benefited from one more edit; this reviewer noticed a couple of typos that hopefully will be corrected in future editions.

More importantly, although Anderson does an excellent job of conveying Che's character, both his strengths (determination and idealism) and his weaknesses (hubris and naivete), he doesn't do as well in describing others in Che's life: some secondary characters remain poorly understood by the end of the book.

Finally, he gives relatively short shrift to some rather important events, like the Cuban Missile Crisis.

What we do learn about that episode is fascinating, though, and speaks to the strength of Anderson's book: Che seemed quite willing to have his adopted homeland destroyed in a nuclear war for the sake of the revolutionary ideal.

It is in such details that Anderson reveals the dark side of the Guevara myth, and for that, we must be grateful to him, for he has painted a full and complete portrait that enriches our understanding of this captivating man.

Those interested in him need look no further than this book: before reading it, I knew little about Che; after reading it, I felt I had come to know the man.

Book, valuable to many people. Firstly, to those who are interested in the history of the Cold War. Che Guevara, as we might translate it, was an important figure in that history.

The book is also valuable to those who are interested in communism historically, philosophically or psychologically. It is a very detailed portrayal of a communist personality. But the book is also valuable to those who uncritically admire Che Guevara or who also uncritically do not condemn him. It is always better to cultivate such feelings critically and the book will surely help to create a critical perspective.

And overall, this biography with rare details is a study of how the mind of a person thirsty for knowledge, a peculiarly altruistic spirit and the will burdened by the struggle with oneself wanders, strays, and ultimately - perishes. Not only in a transferred, but also in a very direct sense.