Castro, Fidel

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Randy Wayne White never disappoints!
R.W.White's rehearsal
Exciting but predictable
I spent a day there one month
Randy Wayne White Needs To Read This Book

Cuban Death-Lift
Randy Wayne White
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451220862

Book Description

When Fidel Castro allows thousands of Cubans to depart for America in the Mariel Boatlift, he exports the worst criminals and undesirables of his country along with them. To monitor the situation, the CIA sends infiltrators to Cuba-where they vanish without a trace. In desperation, the Agency turns to ex-Navy SEAL Dusky MacMorgan to go in and find out what happened.Amid the chaos and deception in Mariel's savage underworld, MacMorgan must keep on his toes and off the radar if he's going to discover the truth without disappearing himself.

Customer Reviews:

Randy Wayne White never disappoints!.......2007-05-14

Doc Ford is in fine form in this latest Randy Wayne White. Fans will happily find all their favorite people and places. This book reintroduces an old character, now dying and using Doc to finish his unfinished business. I love these books, I love Randy Wayne White's knowledge of these islands off the coast of Florida, the flora, fauna, and local color. You will not be disappointed in this one, which is exciting, violent and touching.

R.W.White's rehearsal.......2007-05-14

Randy Wayne White, writing as Randy Stryker (see Sgt. Stryker,aka John Wayne) is learning to be a great writer in this series of books. He keeps the historical data reasonably accurate, paints an interesting perspective of the Mariel Boatlift, and his stories hold the reader's attention. Although Cuban Death Lift is predictable, it is still a good read. It is here that we discover where Mr. White found Doc Ford's sidekick, Tomlinson.

Exciting but predictable.......2007-05-13

Being a huge RWW fan and having run out of Doc Ford books to read I have been reading these re-published Dusky MacMorgan books. The third in the series is much like the first two- good action, interesting characters but a rather simple and predictable plot. One can clearly see that Randy was devloping and honing the skills that would serve him well and boost him to the top of the action-mystery-thriller genre in the Doc Ford books.
I enjoyed Cuban Death Lift and am happy I read it. Good entertainment.

I spent a day there one month.......2007-05-04

Fact #1 I am a big RWW fan. Fact #2 Randy Striker's ( aka RWW) books are not mentioned on the White web site. I read Hellhound's and M. Carolls' review of this book and decided to put it on my songline. If Randy wrote it I'm a goin' to read it.

Randy Wayne White Needs To Read This Book.......2007-04-20

Yes, I know. It's a dumb title for this review because Randy Wayne White wrote the thing. Why should he have to read it? Well, why INDEED!

If he could inject this much action and excitement into his Doc Ford series we'd all be the beneficiaries...including him.

I believe this is the third book in this series and all I can say is that I enjoyed the heck out of it. Very easy to read. Not a lot of characters to remember. Never dull. Even a little sex thrown into the mix.

Try it, you'll like it.

Havana: An Earl Swagger Novel (Earl Swagger Novels)

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Earl is back
Politics and bullets do mix
Good read... S. Hunter is better than this
Even Swagger cannot save the weak story
Sloppy Swagger Sleazes His Way Through Havana

Havana: An Earl Swagger Novel (Earl Swagger Novels)
Stephen Hunter
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743457978

Amazon.com

The field of male fantasy fiction receives a generous literary boost with the publication of Havana, Stephen Hunter's third novel (following Hot Springs and Pale Horse Coming) to feature straight-shooting ex-Marine and Arkansas state policeman Earl Swagger.

Reluctantly leaving his wife and hero-worshipping son at home, Swagger flies off to Cuba in 1953 to act as a bodyguard for "Boss" Harry Etheridge, a rainmaking Southern congressman who proposes investigating the influence of New York gangsters on the Guantanamo Naval Base. Almost as soon as his lungs fill with the humid Caribbean air, Swagger regrets accepting this assignment. Not only must he contend with posturing, backstabbing U.S. intelligence agents, but Boss Harry proves to be both incautiously lustful (forcing Earl to rescue him from a Havana brothel confrontation) and a big target for mobsters who don't want American politicians or anyone else upsetting the profitable criminal equilibrium of Batista-era Cuba. Swagger exacerbates the risk to his longevity by agreeing to help the U.S. government assassinate Cuba's revolutionary darling of the moment, Fidel Castro--a task that will pit this Arkansas lawman against a disenchanted Russian killer who's been charged with protecting and mentoring the 26-year-old agitator.

Given Swagger's well-established weaponry skills, it's hardly surprising that Havana is peppered with tightly choreographed shootouts, both on dusty country roads and in a Zanja Street porno theater full of moaning patrons. That's the male fantasy part; this novel's literary inclination shows in its portrayal of Havana as a richly decadent city full of shiny-fendered Cadillacs, jaded whores, and casinos flushing money onto Florida-bound boats. While Ernest Hemingway and mob boss Meyer Lansky make cameo appearances here, only Castro leaves much of an impression, whether he's bumbling through an attack on a military barracks or defending himself against a father who thinks him lazy, vain, and "womanly" ("I am between opportunities, but I swear to you, I am a man of destiny"). Although Swagger's climactic gunfight tests the limits of credibility, Havana remains an unusually substantive page-turner, expertly blending hostilities with humor and heart. --J. Kingston Pierce

Book Description

<CENTER>Outgunning all others in the arena of razor-edged action and sheer guts, New york Times bestselling author Stephen Hunter plunges Earl Swagger deep into a steamy underworld of power, politics, and blood...</CENTER>

Cuba 1953: The island is on fire.

The Mafia-run casinos are rolling, and it's just a 30-minute flight from Miami to a world of vice, gambling, sex, and drugs. The money is there for anyone who knows how to get it, including the Cuban government and the police, who want to keep their ally Uncle Sam happy. There's only one threat to this corrupt utopia: a silver-tongued, daring young revolutionary named Fidel Castro. With the Cold War underway, the Soviet Union has sent a sophisticated veteran agent to find and support the young upstart. To counter, the CIA has summoned Medal of Honor-winning ex-marine Sergeant Earl Swagger, whose heroic exploits have earned him the reputation of a man who doesn't know how to lose. But he's not just going to find Castro....

<CENTER>He's going to kill him.</CENTER>

Download Description

"Havana, the sultry spring of 1953: gambling is expensive, sex is cheap, and death is free. A half-hour by air from Miami, it's the world's hottest -- and most dangerous -- city. From the plush mobster casinos in Centro to the backstreet brothels on Zanja Street, you can get anything you want, for a price. The city is the linchpin of many empires: the Mafia's, the CIA's, numerous American corporations', El Presidente's, and even the vice lords' of Old Havana. It must be protected at all costs. But now there's a threat. A young lawyer, a kid named Castro, is giving speeches. He speaks of reform, of change, of self-determination. He speaks of...of revolution even. This danger must be dealt with. So, into the steamy, sunny climate of corruption come two men, both unafraid, both skilled, both tough as ball bearings. They would be friends in a sane world, for they are so similar in their capabilities and experiences. But now they have to be enemies, because the Cold War is at its apogee: one is American, the other Russian. The American is named Earl Swagger. A Medal of Honor winner on Iwo Jima, a toughened gunman from adventures in Hot Springs and the swamps of Mississippi, Earl has been conned by two young Old Boys of the CIA to become Our Gun in Havana. The Russian, Speshnev, also a veteran of tough battles (from Spain in '36 to Berlin in '45, with a few stays in the gulag just for seasoning), has a similar assignment: he too is sent by strategic gamesters to pay attention to that same young orator. But his job is protection, not elimination.

Customer Reviews:

Earl is back.......2007-02-10

This guy can write. I like the way he brought in the character of Earl in previous books and how we are now finding out more and more about him and how these facts helped formed the man, which was later reflected in his son. Improbable fiction but who cares. Entertaining and well written, keep on writing them.

Politics and bullets do mix.......2006-11-15

In this,the latest of the Earl Swagger novels, Stephen Hunter uses the backdrop of 1953 Cuba with its' complex mix of American capitalism run amok and emerging Soviet Communism. The ever virtous Swagger is plopped in the middle of this miasma by the CIA in an attempt to assasintate the rebel leader Fidel Castro.

I know a couple of the reviews have complained that you already know the outcome as Fidel was never assasinated, but I felt that this actually added intrigue to the book as the reader wonders how the usually unstoppable Swagger is going to be turned from his course. Although this book was not the testosterone fest that Hunters previous two novels (Hot Springs and especially Pale Horse Coming) were there is still enough bullets and fisticuffs to satisfy.

The greatest strength of this book was Hunter's ability to capture the atmosphere and feel of Cuba of the 1950's. By interjecting several real characters from American history and critically examining the United States involvement and behavior Hunter gives incredible creedence and a sense of reality to this tale. With the mob, CIA, Cuban Freedom Fighters and Soviet spies all involved it becomes almost impossible for Swagger to tell whom he can trust (if anybody).

The supporting characters, as usual with Hunters' recent work,are Portrayed with depth and feeling as well. As one reviewer stated the Soviet agent almost steals the story and provides a wondeful foil for Earl Swagger.

If you are looking for a good action-adventure novel with lots of political intrigue and set in one of the most tumultous locales in history then pick up a copy of Havana from one of the best American authors writing today.

Good read... S. Hunter is better than this.......2006-07-29

It was good but I know S. Hunter can do better. One thing I have to say is that noone writes better about a man fiddling a gun than S. Hunter. His writing is such that reader can feel the trigger on your fingertips and smell the gun powder.

If you already are S. Hunter fan, pick it up. If you haven't read S. Hunter book before, start off with Dirty White Boys or Point of Impact.

Even Swagger cannot save the weak story.......2006-06-25

Cuba in 1953 - a Mafia-run world of vice, gambling, sex and drugs. Of course police and the government all get their share out of it. Only the young revolutionary Fidel Castro might be the next threat to the corrupt Cuban government. Therefore the Soviet Union sends a highly experienced veteran agent to support Castro. To counter the CIA sends in Earl Swagger with a single goal: to kill Castro.

The story development is pretty slow and did not really grip me. Unlike former books I did not want to stay up late to finish it. The reason is obvious: the story is not convincing and has two really big flaws right from the start:
1) We all know that Castro is very much alive today. So you know that the mission will fail (for whatever reason).
2) If you read other Earl Swagger books before then you know that Earl is no cold-blooded killer. Therefore the basic idea does not work at all. The concept of Swagger turning into an assassin is just not "Swagger-like".

There are some Western-style like shootings in the book that are typical for the author and Earl's skills are fun to follow as usual but they cannot make up for the otherwise pencil thin story.
A great quote from Earl Swagger to support my thoughts: "No, I am not planning nothing except to get the hell off this place. It was a mistake ever coming. I have been shot at in too many hard places to die in a gutter in a city I don't know, for reasons I don't understand." Absolutely correct! The author should have followed this thought and should have let Swagger stay home! And I still do not understand why he wrote this story...

Further aspects that kind of spoiled the fun for me:
This time Swagger meets Fidel Castro. And Meyer Lansky! (Who is next? Young J. F. Kennedy?)
In "Hot Springs" Swagger knocked down Ben "Bugsy" Siegel. This time it is Hemmingway who is on the receiving end of of Earl's fist. (Again the same question: who is next?)
It starts to get a bit ridiculous.

Therefore even if this is a Swagger book which (normally) puts it way above the average book almost automatically, it is not one of Hunter's best works. Actually it is by far the only boring book with either Earl or Bob Lee Swagger in it! (So far there are 7.)
With "the day before midnight" (1989) Hunter already proofed that he does not need any Swagger character to write a fantastic page turner. Maybe it is about time for the author to invent a new hero and let Swagger rest in peace?!

Sloppy Swagger Sleazes His Way Through Havana.......2005-12-28

My favorite Stephen Hunter book is the ultraviolent thriller DIRTY WHITE BOYS. When Hunter is writing violence and guns, focusing on criminals and killers, he's brilliant and unstoppable. But what really sinks the Swagger books is the slow descent into self indulgence and hero worship, particularly the fawning treatment of Arkansas law man Earl Swagger.

Now I like Earl. I really do. But by the time he's in this Havana novel, Hunter has him practically walking on water. Earl is too good to be true. Born in the ugliest state in the Jim Crow South, but mysteriously free from racial prejudice. A "loving" husband and father who never seems to call his wife anything but "ma'am." Who never seems to have sex with his wife. Who never seems to talk to his wife except to tell her he's leaving home for another certain death mission -- because he loves her so much.

Now I know these are men's books, and I like to think of myself as being as manly as the next. But if Earl hates married life, why not say so? Why insult our intelligence? Why keep up the facade? Sometimes I think this guy is really a closeted homosexual!

And I'm fine with that -- really. Unlike Stephen Hunter, I'm not a mass of prejudices. But man, this writer can really get nutso on the stereotypes! Sleazy Latinos. Greasy goombahs. Greedy Jews. Corrupt politicians. The only foreigners Hunter really likes are Confederate soldiers and Waffen SS!

This HAVANA book has got some great gunfights, but Earl is so holier than thou it spoils the fun. And his enemies are so obviously Stephen Hunter's deranged redneck fantasies. Castro is presented as dumber than Dan Quayle. Every Cuban soldier is either a pervert or a psychopath. The Mafia is filled with cowards and fools motivated only by greed -- unlike the noble heroes of the Confederate Army, who fought unselfishly for slavery because it was the right thing to do.

Where does Stephen Hunter come from? Is he really an American? Or is he some kind of Nazi war criminal living in Argentina who taught himself to write in English by watching old John Wayne movies?

After Fidel: Raul Castro and the Future of Cuba's Revolution

Average customer rating:

After Fidel badly written
AFTER FIDEL provides all the historical and psychological analysis needed for an informed consideration of modern Cuba's future.
More Bio of Castro than Discussion of the Aftermath
Timely, Often Incisive Look at Cuba Under Fidel and What May Come After
Essential Reading for the Latin American Observer

After Fidel: Raul Castro and the Future of Cuba's Revolution
Brian Latell
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1403975078
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

This is a compelling behind-the-scenes account of the extraordinary Castro brothers and the impending dynastic succession of Fidel's younger brother Raul. Brian Latell, the CIA analyst who has followed Castro since the sixties, gives an unprecedented view into Fidel and Raul's remarkable relationship, revealing how they have collaborated in policy making, divided responsibilities, and resolved disagreements for more than forty years--a challenge to the notion that Fidel always acts alone. Latell has had more access to the brothers than anyone else in this country, and his briefs to the CIA informed much of U.S. policy. Based on his knowledge of Raul Castro, Latell makes projections on what kind of leader Raul would be and how the shift in power might influence U.S.-Cuban relations.

Customer Reviews:

After Fidel badly written.......2007-03-14

After having read a number of books on Fidel, I found Latell's book badly written, and worse than that, full of conjecture. The other reviewers who claim that Latell is not biased are way off base. Latell's distaste for Fidel is evident on every page. He also borrows quotes from other books. If you want to read a good book about Fidel, one which Latell obviously borrowed from heavily but then added his own interpretations, read "Castro's Cuba, Cuba's Fidel".

AFTER FIDEL provides all the historical and psychological analysis needed for an informed consideration of modern Cuba's future........2006-12-11

AFTER FIDEL: THE INSIDE STORY OF CASTRO'S REGIME AND CUBA'S NEXT LEADER is an important assessment given Fidel's recent health issues: it provides both a political history of Fidel's regime, an analysis of his approach and impact, and new information on his brother, their family life, and how Raul is growing more powerful. In analyzing Fidel and Raul Castro's relationship and evolving influence on Cuban history and culture, AFTER FIDEL provides all the historical and psychological analysis needed for an informed consideration of modern Cuba's future.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

More Bio of Castro than Discussion of the Aftermath.......2006-09-04

This is a well written bio. No histronics, no preaching, no selling of a viewpoint. The author is a former CIA officer and current teacher of the Cuban Revolution at Columbia U. He credits his sources by name, noting each person's relation to the events, which is welcome for the layman. While the title implies that the book is about "After Fidel", this topic comprises less than 1/4 of the text. While to predict the future, you need to know the past, the subtitle works better.

Latell defines how Castro, through extraordinary intellect, a sensitivity to competition and a lack of moral restraint was able to take over a small island country and make it his fiefdom. He was a svengali to his brother, Raul, who's unacknowledged skills were necessary to Fidel's rise and continued dominance. Raul, like the rest of Cuba, is compelled for pyschological and practical reasons to cater to Fidel's paranoia.

Raul ascends to head the military by demonstrating his loyalty through leading ruthless prosecutions including that of a good friend and confidant... a popular and successful general... who's crime was to "dis" Fidel in a private conversation. Unlike Fidel, Raul has a modicum of conscience regarding this particular execution. Raul had been known to have shown some humanity at least once before, in visiting his father while the revolution expropriated the family homestead. Raul is not seen in public and the author says he's an alcoholic. If Fidel were to die today, w/could the 75 year old Raul be the Deng Xiaoping of Cuba?

The situation of Lina (Castro's mother) and her children (Fidel, Raul + 5 others) living in a shack while Angel (father) and his legal wife live in the comfortable "big house" is reminiscent of a pre-Civil War US plantation. Eventually the children are recognized by their father but, I presume, the psychological damage had been done.

Latell gives details of some things of which I was only vaguely aware. One was Casto's early obsession with "liberating" Puerto Rico. Another was the group of "non-aligned" nations, which through design Castro leads. Fidel and the entire organization are later sidelined by his necessary statement of alignment with the Soviet Union when it invaded Afganistan.

There are insights on the workings of international information systems. I didn't know that the lack of coordintion of the FBI and CIA was that FBI cases lead to criminal trials and CIA material, witnesses, etc. must be confidential. A Cuban mole, now in prison, provides information to Fidel, and disinformation to us, for 8 years. An anecdote about a mango tree illustrates, not only Fidel's inability to deal with criticism, but also how international information systems keep tabs on each other.

While there is little text on the eventual succession, I recommend this highly readable bio. I don't know how it measures up to the many other Fidel bios, but the author has an interesting and clear style. He is precise in his language and labels what is known and what is speculative.

Timely, Often Incisive Look at Cuba Under Fidel and What May Come After.......2006-08-05

With Fidel Castro, nearing eighty and in a precarious medical condition, the mind reels as to what will become of Cuba the day after his death. Former CIA analyst Brian Latell has done a fairly thorough job in his book of painting the possible scenarios. Giving an easily understandable perspective to the magnitude of the regime change is much needed at this juncture since Castro has been in power for nearly half a century. That's an astounding four times longer than FDR's presidency to provide a comparison. Latell examines the profundity of Castro's sociopolitical influence in great detail and how significant events in his life built the fortitude of his leadership and contributed to its longevity.

The author is particularly enlightening when it comes to the heretofore enigmatic figure of Raul, Fidel's brother and next in line to succeed. It is only recently that the international media has paid that much attention to him. Unlike Fidel, Raul Castro does not have an intractable relationship with the ideologies that initiated the revolution so many years ago and consequently, we are unlikely to hear him as a mouthpiece for Fidel's dogmatic, long-winded speeches. Latell paints a portrait of a pragmatist who will put greater focus on the widespread socio-economic hardships that could cause another revolution. So preoccupied with popular support is Raul that he apparently advocates strongly for economic reforms despite past indiscretions. But this does not mean there is a new utopia in a nascent stage. Latell describes a Raul Castro regime as one that continues to restrict political freedoms for ordinary Cubans with relentless control over the society and only as-needed concessions.

The author offers an intriguing variation on the Raul scenario given the reality that Raul is only five years younger than Fidel. If Raul were to die before Fidel, the leadership vacuum would lead to even greater political instability since there appears to be no consensus among the central government, the Communist Party and the defense ministry as to what the succession plan should be. Latell forecasts the resulting chaos to lead inevitably to a greater flux of illegal immigrants into Florida and American military intervention to halt the inflow. His most penetrating insights show a post-Fidel Cuba most different in the way existing legacies would subside in favor of the harsh current realities of the government's human rights violations and the pervasive military dominance. He makes a strong case in showing how the Cuban military, the country's most powerful institution, will be the most instrumental factor in forging whatever identity Cuba will have long after either Castro brother passes. This is highly recommended reading and most timely.

Essential Reading for the Latin American Observer.......2006-07-12

With the advent of neo-leftist movements all over Latin America, Brian Latell's "After Fidel" is certainly essential reading for any businessman, observer or diplomat involved in Latin America.

Latell provides insightful analysis into the governing of Cuba by Fidel Castro and his brother Raul who Latell projects will take over the island nation after Fidel.

The sucession is important as Latin American enters a period of neo-leftism lead by Venezuela's Chavez and marked by movements in Bolivia and Mexico. Cuba's potential support and possible involvement in these movements is at the top of the agenda for any analysis of the Latin America's political economy today.

Raul is a compelling character - living for the most part away from the public eye - yet obviously holding critical influence and sway over government deliberations in every area of Cuba's domestic and foreign policy.

Contrasting the two brothers is psychological as well as political theater - it is clear that some day Raul will certainly be able to direct policies his way independently of his brother and free of any rivalry which exists in any close relationship between brothers. Latell's key contribution is to project Cuba's future policies based upon his insights into the interactions between the two in the past. Latell leaves us hungry for the sequel which will certainly come soon: Cuba After Raul.

Average customer rating:

Fidel Castro, el comandante
Neatly presented case for the defence.

Fidel Castro Handbook
George Galloway
Manufacturer: M Q Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1840726881
Release Date: 2006-10-15

Book Description

In the year that Fidel Castro turns eighty, this is a fresh look at his life from childhood, through his dramatic conquest of power, and his extraordinary, charismatic leadership of Cuba over forty-seven years?including sharply focused ?takes? on the guerrilla struggle in the Sierra Maestra, life with the Soviet Union, involvement in Third World politics, and survival in the face of the hostility of the United States just ninety miles away. The author has researched archives from Havana, London, Washington, and Madrid and conducted original interviews with Fidel Castro's contemporaries, in Cuba and throughout the world, that provide fascinating insights into his personality and achievements.

Customer Reviews:

Fidel Castro, el comandante.......2007-02-13

Dear John, believe it or not, Mr Castro is a brave man who will be in the history books forever. He's not an ordinary man and he made something happen. He's fighting against the U.S. empire, an admirable act in itself. On the other hand, Bush will be remembered but because of the bad decisions he made, both as president and as a person. Heck, Mr Hussein was better than Bush and will always be remembered, now as a martyr. Another person that comes to mind is President Hugo Chavez. Lastly, dictators? How do you call a "president" that goes against his own congress and imposes his will on his people? Perhaps you'd check the latest polls.

Neatly presented case for the defence........2007-02-09

In a bibliographical note at the end of his life in pictures of the `Maximum Leader' the controversial MP for London's Bethnal Green & Bow constituency notes the wealth of material on Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. As to why a further contribution to the already vast literature should be thought necessary, George Galloway states openly in his preface that he is `a partisan for Cuba, for its revolution, for its leadership, for its role in the world'. So in proclaiming his partisanship Galloway makes it clear that in this case there will be none of the biographer's customary distancing and objectivity. He describes briefly his own youthful political awakening and lifelong commitment to the socialist cause, and admits that his is no dispassionate `either-or' account of the Great Revolutionary's life. Fidel - the familiar first name is used throughout - is the living embodiment, his policies the practical realisation, of what the author holds sacred. By foregoing objectivity Galloway attempts to portray the man of flesh and blood, his human qualities, something on which he presumably feels previous biographers have laid insufficient emphasis.

The book's magazine-supplement style of layout and presentation distinguishes it from other more detailed accounts. Several quotations from Castro and other leading figures are highlighted in bold print, sometimes filling entire pages, while the many photographs, some previously unpublished, complement the various phases of a life of heroics and high drama told with a nice sense of pacing and proportion. The main points of an extraordinary epic are sketched from his childhood and family background through the first stirrings of revolutionary zeal, the assault on the Moncada Barracks, the meeting with Guevara and the consolidation of the 26th of July Movement before the final taking of power, the restructuring of Cuba against a background of US-instigated terror and assassination plots, the Missile Crisis, and Castro's role on the international stage as a champion of the Third World's cause. Aside from the main narrative are the contributions of six interviewees who are summoned, effectively, as witnesses for the defence.

Leader of the Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcon notes how under Batista's rule the population as a whole had little trust in politicians, and the success of the revolution was down to Fidel's `uniting the people'. It was also down to his formidable skills as a military commander which Galloway prompts Ramiro Valdes, former Minister of the Interior, to elaborate on, while in the sphere of the arts Culture Minister Abel Prieto insists that their leader has no prejudices, not even against `decadent' western popular music! Some observations on the ever-present threat from the colossus of the north are made by Washington-based immigration lawyer Jose Pertierra and former US diplomat Wayne S Smith, the latter of whom resigned his post in protest at Reagan's deranged anti-Cuba policy. Pertierra, representing the Venezuelan Government, discusses the case of the vile Posada Carriles whose extradition to Venezuela from the US is currently sought in connection with the 1976 bombing of a Cuban passenger plane off Barbados. According to Pertierra declassified CIA documents show that the US Government ignored the Agency's warnings about the known terrorist's intentions. On a more encouraging note those of us who support the cause may take some comfort from the lawyer's statement that Miami's extreme right-wing émigré clique do not wield as much power as they like to think, and that ultimately the US Government will negotiate with Cuba however noisy and hysterical the objections raised.

Cuba's offer of doctors and medical supplies following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina was predictably refused. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice (`Color Purple') Walker, the final interviewee, condemns the childish attitude of a US Administration that would rather bear old grudges than actually save lives. In fact throughout the book examples of Castro's magnanimity and forbearance are described which cast the enemy in a poor light. Despite the Bay of Pigs fiasco he acknowledged Kennedy's potential as an enlightened human being and politician, and thirty years later Clinton's hob-nobbing with some of Miami's worst elements provoked a similarly calm reaction. The routine demonisation omits to mention such details and nor does it explain why, even during the desperate economic slough of the early `90s, there was no `Ceausescu moment' for the supposed tyrant. (That there was no `Allende moment' either is explained by Castro's appointment of himself, post-'59, as Military Commander-in-Chief of the Rebel Armed Forces and the bringing to trial of the hard-core Batista remnant. On a visit to Chile in 1971 he is said to have had serious doubts about the newly elected president's naïve, ultimately fatal, belief in the army's neutrality.)

It will be said, with some justification, that Galloway stands so in awe of his subject that he inclines towards hagiolatry and therefore underplays some of the less palatable aspects of Castro's rule. For example, the proclamation in support of the Soviet clampdown during Czechoslovakia's `Prague Spring' is not mentioned, and the Stalinist persecution in 1970/71 of dissident poet Heberto Padilla, whose enforced, televised auto-denunciation was condemned at the time by Sartre and other prominent intellectuals, is passed over rather lightly. There are several sources which Galloway himself cites containing more information on these and other issues, for example Robert E Quirke's 800-odd page biography, an out-and-out hatchet job but of some value if read between the lines. Much preferred is ex-British ambassador to Cuba Leycester Coltman's balanced and generally sympathetic `The Real Fidel Castro'. I would personally also recommend Sheldon B. Liss' `Fidel Castro's Political and Social Thought' (Latin American Perspectives Series, No 13), a useful adjunct to Galloway's `Handbook' as it follows a similar partisan line although it does refer to the Czech events of '68 (and, incidentally, rules out of order Cuban `dissident' Armando Valladares whose fictions Quirke has swallowed hook, line and sinker.)

It is Galloway's contention, in effect, that history has indeed absolved Fidel Castro and is doing so once again with the `Axis of Good' partnership alongside President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Bolivia's Evo Morales. A recent piece in the conservative London `Spectator' (20/01/07) takes a very different view, but for those unacquainted with the facts of an extraordinary life and career this affectionate portrayal of the great survivor is as readable and engaging an introduction as any.

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Fidel , por delante y por los costados
Un libro muy completo...
Fascinating, Revelatory, Highly Enjoyable.
Fidel Castro Biografia a dos voces
The 21st Century top book!

Fidel Castro: Biografía a dos voces
Ignacio Ramonet
Manufacturer: Debate
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Compañero: vida y muerte del Che Guevara
After Fidel: Raul Castro and the Future of Cuba's Revolution
Understanding the Venezuelan Revolution: Hugo Chavez Talks to Marta Harnecker
Fidel:: A Critical Portrait
Hegemonia O Supervivencia: El Dominio Mundial De Eeuu

ASIN: 0307376532
Release Date: 2006-07-04

Book Description

El 13 de agosto el enigmatico dictador cumplirá sus 80 años en esta tierra. En Fidel Castro: Biografía a dos voces, Igancio Ramonet, sociòlogo, teórico de cultura, periodista y una de las voces más representativas del movimiento altermundista, ha logrado desvelar —tras semanas de intensas conversaciones- las claves de la Revolución cubana a través de la biografía humana y política del último «monstruo sagrado» de la política internacional: el polémico Fidel Castro. Testimonio excepcional y análisis histórico, este libro es una auténtica «biografía a dos voces»: la memoria oral del comandante.

¿Cómo fue su infancia? ¿Dónde y cuándo se forjó el rebelde? ¿Cómo eran sus relaciones con Che Guevara? ¿Estuvo el mundo al borde de una guerra nuclear durante la llamada «crisis de los misiles»? ¿Cuántas veces han querido asesinarlo? ¿Qué impresión le causó el papa Juan Pablo II cuando visitó la isla en 1998? ¿Por qué crtica tanto a Felipe González y a José María Aznar mientras alaba la figura del rey Juan Carlos? ¿Qué piensa de la globalización neoliberal, de la guerra de Irak y del presidente Bush? ¿Por qué las autoridades cubanas arrestaron a unos setenta opositores no violentos en marzo de 2003 y aplicaron, ese mismo año la pena de muerte a los secuestrados de una lancha? ¿Existe corrupción en el régimen? ¿Es el socialismo en Cuba realmente «irreversible»? ¿Hacia dónde camina la política y la economía de la isal? ¿Que ocurrirá despues de Fidel Castro?

El exhaustivo cuestionario de Ignacio Ramonet —más de cien horas de entrevistas y de inéditas revelaciones- es al tiempo un recorrido apasionante por la controvertida figura de Fidel Castro y un formidable relato sobre el pasado, el presente y el provenir de la Revolución.

Customer Reviews:

Fidel , por delante y por los costados.......2007-03-11

Exhaustive and perhaps exhausting interview of Fidel. Fascinating questions in relation to salient issues of human rights and wrongs in Cuba. A rather astonishing intellectual dexterity in response to salient political concerns.
A truly remarkable work that allows for discerning skills and capacities of a knowledgeable and persistent political figure.
The accompanying DVD and what it reveals about childhood of Fidel and contemporary Cuba...so intriguing!

Un libro muy completo..........2007-02-20

"Fidel Castro:Biografia a dos voces" es un excelente libro que merece traduccion en ingles para aclarar dudas y prejuicios del publico americano sobre este controversial lider. A pesar de su avanzada edad y estado de salud, Fidel Castro presenta muy claramente todo evento desde la Revolucion Cubana, su relacion con el Che Guevara, y el presente y futuro de su pais. La conversacion entre el autor y Castro es presentada de manera que uno se siente que esta en el mismo cuarto con ellos durante la entrevista. Un libro muy entretenido.

Fascinating, Revelatory, Highly Enjoyable........2007-02-16

Let us hope that one day, even under the burning climate of the Bush regime, we will see "Fidel Castro: Biografia A Dos Voces," published in an English translation for those who do not speak Spanish. But for bilengual readers like myself, this is the best book available in a long time on the life and times of Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. Ignacio Ramonet has done an amazing service by documenting in great detail through many hours of interviews the life, ideas and dreams of one of the most controversial, influential world leaders of the past century and the early years of this one. This should be the definitive book for anyone wanting a detailed analysis of what exactly are the ideas behind Fidel Castro and the revolution he ignited a half century ago. This is also a valuable book because it is the only real book on Castro that goes into Cuba's influence on today's Latin America and leaders such as Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. Castro recounts in stunning detail Cuba's role in helping bring Chavez back to power after an illegal, U.S.-backed coup sponsored by Venezuela's rich elites and radical right ousted Chavez for 48 hours. Castro recounts how Chavez's daughter called Havana to report that her father had not resigned as the coup plotters reported, but was overthrown and held prisoner. It was Cuba that relayed the information to major media outlets so the world could know of the crime that had occurred in Venezuela against her elected government. Ramonet takes us through Castro's childhood to his days as a passionate law student beginning to join the liberation movement to free Cuba from foreign domination of it's resources, market and culture. There are wonderful moments of memory dealing with the Revolution and Castro's friendship with icon Che Guevara. For those suckered by Fox News propaganda, Castro here reminds us that Cuba was the first nation to condemn the September 11 terrorist attacks, and eventhough Castro is opposed to the war in Iraq, he concedes that Saddam Hussein was a thug and much of his attitudes contributed to opening the door for Bush's imperialist war. The picture we get here is not of some vicious tyrant as the radical right likes to paint anyone with different views, instead we get the thoughts and ideas of a world leader who has changed much of Latin American history forever. There is little the current Bush regime will be able to do to curve the rise of socialism in the Americas, "Fidel Castro: Biografia A Dos Voces" is a perfect information tool to know how those roots were planted and what socialism really means. Castro's mastery of language is impressive and his careful, detailed analysis of world leaders, events and policies is impressive. His words are worth reading, especially in these times when blind imperial rage threatens to distabalize the Middle East if not the world. Here is one of the best books to come out of the Spanish market in a long time.

Fidel Castro Biografia a dos voces.......2007-01-12

Excellent. I read the Spanish version. Is a book that you have to keep for future references!!

The 21st Century top book!.......2007-01-06

Thank you very much Mr,Ignacio Ramonet i love it ....

The Mystique of Conspiracy: Oswald, Castro, and the CIA

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interesting

The Mystique of Conspiracy: Oswald, Castro, and the CIA
Brian Bugge
Manufacturer: Provocative Ideas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0960170812

Book Description

The Mystique of Conspiracy delves into the mystery surrounding the JFK assassination. It focuses mainly on anti-Castro Cuban exiles and their relationship with the CIA, but it also offers an excellent framework to gauge the "plausibility" of any conspiracy theory. Unique to this work is the offer included at the back of the book to involve the reader in an online exchange with the author. The author, an online Professor of criminal justice at the University of Phoenix, will guide the reader/student into formulating his or her own credible approach to solving the nagging mystery behind the JFK assassination (or any conspiracy theory they are interested in). Also compelling is the Foreword and personal letters included in the Appendix written to the author in 1978 by David Atlee Phillips, former CIA Western Hemisphere Division Chief. Mr. Phillips passed away in 1988, but many have tried to link him directly to a CIA plot to assassinate JFK utilizing anti-Castro Cuban exiles. A new name in the annals of the JFK assassination is CIA covert operative George Joannides. Mr. Joannides passed away in 1999, but his role in directing a group of anti-Castro Cuban exiles who had contact with the assassin in New Orleans several months before the assassination has never been made public up until now. As recent as 2005 the CIA went to court and blocked the release of any documents on George Joannides. David Atlee Phillips was Mr. Joannides' supervisor in the CIA. This book will be of interest to anyone interested in the "mystique" surrounding conspiracy theories, whether it is JFK, RFK, MLK, Princess Diana, 9/11 or Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, killed in London by radioactive polonium 210. There is a common thread that runs through them all. The author will reveal what that is.

Customer Reviews:

interesting.......2007-02-21

As the leading civilian authority on the U.S. Secret Service (and President Kennedy's interaction with the agency), I was much interested in this book by Brian Bugge; his pedigree speaks for itself. If you are at all interested in the anti-Castro Cuban connection to the case, as well as the CIA's responsibilities in this area, you will not go wrong in purchasing this work. Vince Palamara

Alina: memorias de la hija rebelde de Fidel Castro

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Alina: memorias de la hija rebelde de Fidel Castro
Alina Fernández
Manufacturer: Plaza & Janes Editores
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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True Believer: Inside the Investigation and Capture of Ana Montes, Cuba's Master Spy

ASIN: 8401010802

Book Description

La hija de Fidel en sus propias palabras. Un documento extraordinario, un testimonio de la vida compleja y llena de una mujer cubana de la era de la revolución.

The Man Who Invented Fidel: Castro, Cuba, and Herbert L. Matthews of The New York Times

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A Timely Look Back at Castro's Beginnings
the man who invented fidel
Fidelity to Truth
Another example of dishonest reporting at the NYTimes
Fascinating but somewhat misleading

The Man Who Invented Fidel: Castro, Cuba, and Herbert L. Matthews of The New York Times
Anthony Depalma
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1586483323

Book Description

This dramatic story of how a New York Times reporter helped Castro come to power offers illuminating insight into the fraught history of Cuban-American relations and the precarious balance between truth and myth

In 1957, Herbert L. Matthews of the New York Times, then considered one of the premiere foreign correspondents of his time, tracked down Fidel Castro in Cuba's Sierra Maestra mountains and returned with what was considered the scoop of the century. His heroic portrayal of Castro, who was then believed dead, had a powerful effect on American perceptions of Cuba, both in and out of the government, and profoundly influenced the fall of the Batista regime. When Castro emerged as a Soviet-backed dictator, Matthews became a scapegoat; his paper turned on him, his career foundered, and he was accused of betraying his country.

In this fascinating book, New York Times reporter DePalma investigates the Matthews case to reveal how it contains the story not just of one newspaperman but of an age, not just how Castro came to power but how America determines who its enemies are. He re-creates the atmosphere of revolutionary Cuba and Cold War America, and clarifies the facts of Castro's ascension and political evolution from the many myths that have sprung up around them. Through a dramatic, ironic, in ways tragic story, The Man Who Invented Fidel offers provocative insights into Cuban politics, the Cuban-American relationship, and the many difficult balancing acts of responsible journalism.

Customer Reviews:

A Timely Look Back at Castro's Beginnings.......2007-03-20

Now that it seems likely Castro's regime is finally waltzing through its twilight years in Cuba, this book provides a timely look back at how it all started. It seems reports of his death were greatly exaggerated - back in 1957. That's the year he returned to the Oriente District of Cuba with the ragtag band of revolutionaries he had rallied to the cause of Cuban liberation. For months, everyone in Cuba assumed that he and his entire little brigade had been wiped out by Batista's soldiers as they patrolled that densely wooded part of Cuba's southern coast.

However this book isn't really about Castro. It's about Herbert Matthews, the New York Times reporter who hiked into those woods, got an interview with Castro, and brought out the news that Castro was actually alive and well. It's about how Castro made such an impression on Matthews during that brief interview, that Matthews forever after championed and defended Castro to the American public, denying all the growing suspicions that Castro might turn out to be, not a liberator, but a Communist dictator.

I had hoped that this book might shed some light on how Castro's presumed idealism (if indeed it ever existed) morphed into just another raw exercise of power. But there is no psychological analysis here. There isn't much insight into how yet another revolution turned into tyranny - other than DePalma's observations that Castro was always flexible, looking for the better chance to consolidate his power. You'll have to look to other books for deeper answers to why so many revolutions fail, if in fact such answers exist anywhere.

This book stays more exclusively with Matthews. It tracks his dogged belief in Castro's overall good intentions. And it follows the public's reaction to Matthews' reporting - from initial enthusiastic acceptance of Matthew's heroic view of Castro, to repudiation and even revilement.

DePalma's writing tends to be plain and reportorial, although he does get in the occasional telling turn-of-phrase - as for example when he compares Matthews to a piñata that so many delighted in bashing for America's failed forecasting of Castro's intentions. Generally though, DePalma just writes good clear sentences that make for easy reading. In a relatively short time, this book will arc you the whole way from Castro's rebel retreat, through the Bay of Pigs, and on to the more recent stand-off between the U.S. and Cuba.

the man who invented fidel.......2007-01-28

Found it to be a light and enjoyable read of Cuba of the Fifties and Sixties and the United States reactions to what was taking place there. Specifically Batista, Fidel, Revolution and Communism. The story about NY Times journalist Herbert Matthews and his relationship with Fidel, who Anthony DePalma uses to help you relive that experience make the story much more real then your normal run of the mill book on Fidel and his rise to power.

Fidelity to Truth.......2006-07-17

While many will buy this book to learn about Cuba and Castro, I think its greater value will be for those interested in journalism. How close can a reporter be to his or her source before bias surely intrudes? When does a reporter's decided notions of what ought to happen, prevent even-handed and clear reporting? How much backing--or control-- should be given an experienced reporter by a newspaper's editors?

To me, the story of Herbert L. Matthews is of current interest not because of what happened with Castro over fifty years ago--but of how it informs today's debate over current journalistic standards at The New York Times and other major media outlets.

Another example of dishonest reporting at the NYTimes .......2006-07-13

This is some good reporting about the facts associated with what Herb Matthews did to paint a phony picture of Castro for consumption in the USA during the height of the Cold War. There are many good details that show that Matthews really followed in the tradition of Walter Duranty who mislead the world about Stalin's mass murder of Ukrainians which was on an even greater scale than Hitler's treatment of Jews, Roma, and others during his attempt to conquer the world and rid it of non-Aryans.
The problem with this book is that Depalma gives Matthews way too much the benefit of the doubt when it comes to whether he was just naive, or if his political agenda, in a newsroom full of Communist sympathizers at the Times, led him to write fiction instead of honest reporting of Castro.
Matthews is one of many whose dishonest reporting should have made the Times fall by the wayside as many papers did all over the country, but when you have such deep pockets, and a politically driven leadership in a very liberal town, you don't need honest reporting when preaching to the liberal choir.
But in any event this is a good read as long as you recognize the editorializing vs. the reporting.

Fascinating but somewhat misleading.......2006-06-28

Having visited Cuba several times and seen the political and economic basketcase up close and personal, I find the history of the Cuban Revolution and of that whole era endlessly fascinating. Although I suppose some would say that's like finding a really ugly car crash fascinating!

This book tackles the subject from another angle and a very interesting one at that. But it's a little misleading. The provocative title would have you believe the New York Times is alone responsible for decades of misery and repression of the Cuban people from the Castro regime. Not to mention the everpresent Cold War thorn-in-the-side for Uncle Sam.

As for "inventing" Fidel. . . well, that famous NY Times article came out in 1957. But Fidel Castro was a prominent figure in Cuba for years before that, especially from 1953 onwards with the storming of the Moncada Barracks and his now infamous "History will absolve me" speech which was published and read widely throughout the country at that time.

The fact is there were scores of American journalists who portrayed Castro as a popular liberator. And more importantly, there were several Cuban newspapers that were supportive of Castro as well. Most Cubans on the island probably didn't get their ideas of Castro from reading the New York Times! It's more likely those perceptions came from the prominent Cuban magazines and newspapers of that era, such as Bohemia, not to mention Cuban radio.

What's painfully ironic is that many of Castro's Cuban supporters would soon go into exile in southern Florida once it became apparent the Revolution was not democratic in nature. Castro was using his immense charisma, skills at demagoguery, and his political cunning to consolidate power. Can we blame Herbert Matthews for this too?

The fact is if Mr. Matthews is guilty of being hoodwinked by the nefarious Mr. Castro, then so were millions of Cubans. While many middle-class Cubans got out soon after the revolution, it would take some years for the disillusionment to spread down the socioeconomic ladder -- as at the height of his powers, Fidel was quite the populist in Cuba. Imagine listening to George W. Bush for 4+ hours straight! Yet Castro's long-winded speeches would hold his ardent supporters rapt in attention for hours during the early years of the Revolution.

Nowadays, Mr. Castro still makes long-winded speeches but today, Cubans listen only half-heartedly if at all. They're more concerned with putting food on the table and survival than with the principles of socialism or Marxism. It's too bad he's still around screwing up a potentially beautiful country. But to excoriate Mr. Matthews for "inventing" Fidel is not only misguided but condescendingly ethnocentric.

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Ask a Cuban!
Hooray for Humberto for having the guts to write this book
Even more Miami lies
Correct? Maybe, but poorly written.
Poorly Written Hate Mongering

Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant
Humberto Fontova
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895260433

Book Description

Fidel exposes the hypocrisy of Castro's liberal fan club, delivering the brutal truth about the tyrant the Fidelistas call the first and greatest hero to appear in the world.

Customer Reviews:

Ask a Cuban!.......2007-05-15

Back in the early 80's I was a stupid liberal who believed the propaganda in the media (agitprop) regarding Fidel being a "benevolent" dictator after reading a glowing book extolling his many virtues and painting a picture of a utopian Cuba. When my Nicarguan and El Salvadoran immigrant friends vociferously disagreed with me, I read "Against All Hope" by Armando Valladeros, my first book on Communist dictatorsip, which shook me to the core. I began to question my preconceived notions and embarked on a journey through the rich genre of anti-Communist literature by those who actually LIVED under the brutal regimes--Nien Cheng, Haing Ngor and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, among others. Their stories are distressingly similar, harrowing and painful to read, about the malignant ideology which crushes the human spirit and justifies beatings, murder, incarceration, and all manner of evil while masquerading as good, just and humane. I also read books by American authors who had been Communists, had second thoughts and left the "progressive" faith: Collier and Horowitz, Whittaker Chambers, etc. These wonderful authors turned me around politically and philosophically, and helped me to start thinking critically. I now apologize to the Cuban people (and all the victims of Communist repression and genocide in the 20th Century) for my previous naivete, but in my defense I was young, Democrat and had tried hallucinogens and marijuana, all of which clouded my judgement back then. Plus, I used to believe Mike Wallace and the liberal media. Big mistake! For some reason they are vested in their "progressive" fantasies and do not let the truth disturb them...and they all seem to hate this country which has given them so much. Very sad.

"Fidel, Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant" by Herbert Fontova is a very important addition to this genre because it offers history, facts, and story after story by witness after witness, about Cuba, Che, Fidel, and many of the prominent American sycophants who toady up to this corrupt, murderous, barbaric dictator. Did you know Fidel is one of the world's richest men (Forbe's magazine) and a master of propaganda, having learned from the masters (Soviets). This is a bitingly funny, touching and comprehenive book. Fontova is clearly passionate about this subject, which to me makes this book even more enjoyable. It is sorely needed because Fidel is finally going to his just reward in the netherworld--and the Cuban people may finally get a reprieve after 50 years (a half century!) of suffering and countless deaths. What happens next--in the very near future--is history in the making. I will be watching closely, hoping and praying for Cuban freedom, for the USA and the rest of the free world, and to see how the liberals in Hollywood and the media react. Will they hysterically mourn his passing or finally TELL THE TRUTH about this monster? Their reactions will say more about them than Fidel. Who do you believe--a rich American who flies to Cuba on a private jet and has a "personal audience," with Fidel, sumptuous food and living accommodations for a few days--or the average Cuban who has actually lived the nightmare? It will be very illuminating, especially when the obituaries and books are written and hidden stories emerge, as they always do after the death of a tyrant...Can anyone now alive remember how sweet life was before the revolution?

Hooray for Humberto for having the guts to write this book.......2007-02-27

I love this book and cannot wait for Humberto's next book on Che. I find his information very well researched and reflective of his extensive and informed studies in Latin American History in which he has his Masters degree from Tulane University.

I am a first generation American. My mother left Cuba in 1960 at age 15 and she, like so many other Cuban exiles,have in fact been back to visit Cuba recently, and we have had several family members in Cuba visit and keep in touch.

Before Castro, Cuba was a very enlightened country. As indicated in Humberto's book, the per-capita income was high and the standards of living were high also. This was because Batista encouraged unionization and established a minimum wage in Cuba.

This did not go over well with the wealthy property owners or business owners. When Castro came about and promised reform, it was primarily the upper classes that supported him. They wanted to do away with the unions and minimum wage for their own economic gain.

The people that supported Castro were not the poor farm workers or laborors. The poor people opposed Castro as indicated in Humberto's book. They had more to gain by keeping Batista then they did by having Castro take over the country.

The Cuban people that backed Castro and Che were expecting socio-economic reform, not the political reform that was the end result.

I think more people should read this book. Hollywood glamorizes Che and Castro as heros that liberated the poor people of Cuba. Reading this book may help people to the realization that Castro and Che took this beautiful, tourist magnet of a country and turned it into a third world country that "not even Hatians" (per Humberto) ant to immigrate to.

Even more Miami lies.......2007-02-26

This author is incredibly biased and left Cuba when he was a child- too young to remember or understand anything. I don't know his family's story, but the truth is that most of the Miamians have never even been to Cuba and are 2nd and 3rd generation, and that the first wave of Cubans was not poor people on rafts- it was fascists who supported Batista, rich brothel and casino owners, mobsters, etc. Not a great crowd, to say the least. People love Fidel Castro throughout the world for a reason... check out "Fidel, the Untold Story" for a good documentary that gives the other side. I'm not saying Fidel hasn't done some bad things, but he's not even close to the Stalin that the liars in Miami paint him as. For all my anti-Communist sentiment, I have to say, this book is ridiculous. Anyone who actually believes that Cuba was better under Batista had better think twice about the sources they are hearing.

Correct? Maybe, but poorly written........2007-02-22

This is called a book, but written in the form of a blog. I was reading Fidel and instead of facts about the dictator or his rule, I was bombarded with a rant about the evil of the left and hollywood in America. Instead of true history this is a partisan rant.

Poorly Written Hate Mongering.......2007-01-31

"Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant" is the kind of radical right-wing piece of hate speech so commonly published and rarely ever read or taken seriously except by radical right-wingers who've already made their mind up about the subject. Do the research and you will see that most of Humberto Fontova's facts are completely off. Che Guevara for example was not a Stalinist, he was a Marxist, true, but he even cautioned against implementing EVERY Marxist idea to a society (this is outlined in "The Che Guevara Reader"). Fontova's claims of the Cuban system are also off, Cuba has the highest life expectancy rate in Latin America and even the purest water sources for the population. Fontova obviously belongs to the hateful Miami Cuban Mafia that would be happy to see Cuba return to it's previous status of a virtual U.S. colony and racist state. Fontova rarely ever touches upon the fact that the United States waged an illegal terrorist campaign on Cuba that has killed hundreds (unlike the false "genocide" numbers Fontova provides here which are ludicrous), in fact, one of the key terrorist, Luis Posada Carrilles, is in U.S. custody and has admitted to blowing up a Cuban airliner with 75 civilians onboard, the Bush White House refuses to extradite him. Fontova calls popular figures such as Oliver Stone "idiots," eventhough he probably couldn't hold his own on a debate with Stone and goes on to lash at other cultural figures (I suppose Fontova also considers Nobel-Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez to be a half-wit for his friendship with Castro). To make matters worse, Fontova has a dead writing style that borders on the monotone. The use of language is bare and simplistic, throwing accusations without facts, attacking others without valid reason and supporting terrorist actions against a sovereign nation. For the real facts on Cuba I would recommend the titles published by Ocean including "Fidel: My Early Years," "Che Guevara Reader," "Latin America: A Continent Awakens" and many others. If you want to read radical right-wing propaganda that would make the likes of Oliver North and Pat Robertson proud, this is the book for you.

In Defense of Socialism: Four Speeches on the 30th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution (Fidel Castro Speeches, Vol. 4, 1988-89)

Average customer rating:

an unflinching partisan
What future for humanity?
They speak to the future
Fidel Castro's speeches in English, elected and edited

In Defense of Socialism: Four Speeches on the 30th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution (Fidel Castro Speeches, Vol. 4, 1988-89)
Fidel Castro , and Mary-Alice Waters
Manufacturer: Pathfinder Press (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Marianas in Combat: Tete Puebla & the Mariana Grajales Women's Platoon in Cuba's Revolutionary War, 1956-58

ASIN: 0873485394

Book Description

Economic and social progress is not only possible without the dog-eat-dog competition of capitalism, but socialism remains the only way forward for humanity. He describes the decisive place of Cuban volunteer combatants in the final stage of the struggle in Angola against the invasion forces of the South African apartheid regime.

Customer Reviews:

an unflinching partisan.......2002-03-31

This book gives you a chance to hear Fidel Castro as he rejects the "new thinking" in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. In four 1988-89 speeches he champions Cuba's socialist revolution and critiques the failures of the bureaucratic regimes in the USSR and Eastern Europe.

He also reviews how these countries' examples had introduced weaknesses in Cuba's system and announces a campaign to correct these errors and reassert the principles of socialism. This collection gives you insight, not only into Cuba, but also into capitalism and socialism in general.

What future for humanity?.......2002-03-03

These are four speeches by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, given to mass rallies and meetings in 1989. Castro gives a reasoned, factual defense of socialism as the way forward for humanity with a rich analysis of some of the sharpest conflicts in the world at that time, from the economic and social crisis in Third World countries to the U.S. war against Nicaragua and El Salvador. Especially interesting is the detailed account of the South African invasion of Angola, Cuba's response of sending tens of thousands of volunteers to fight along with the Angolans, and of the death-blow dealt to apartheid in the battle at Cuito Cuanavale.

Castro also explains some of the early history of the Cuban revolution, such as how workers and peasants, led by the Rebel Army, actually took power in 1959. He takes up some of the big questions posed to anyone interested in building a new society, based on efforts the Cubans were then making to overcome bureaucratism, corruption and inefficiency. What is the relation between the individual and society, material wages versus moral and political consciousness, the use of technology and its impact on workers lives?

Don't miss this one!

They speak to the future.......2002-02-19

Even the US government admits that Cuba has survived the "special period," the disaster brought about by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the other Stalinist governments at the hands of their own working people. Castro made these speeches at the start of the special period, speaking from the strength of Cuba's victories in Africa against South African Apartheid imperialism, from its successful defeat of those who took the bribes of Washington and the drug Cartel. These speeches show the confidence of Fidel and the Cuban revoloutionists in working people in Cuba and around the world. Though they are 11 and 12 years old as I write, when you read these speeches you will understand why they speak to the socialist future of working people, not to the past.

While this book is not always available on Amazon, it is always available from BooksfromPathfinder, an Amazon Z store that you can get to by clicking on New and Used further up this page!

Fidel Castro's speeches in English, elected and edited.......2000-06-15

Fidel Castro is known for public speeches that last 6, 7, 8 hours or longer. These four translated speeches are mercifully shorter (because they have been edited). They represent the explanaiton of the start of the "special period" when Cuba, now stripped of Soviet aid, had to justify to his people the coming years of suffering. An important historical document for understanding Castro's view of history and Cuban life.

Rulers and Royalty:

Rulers and Royalty

Rulers and Royalty