What do you think?
Leading Lives
Che Guevara
Traces the life of the Latin American revolutionary and guerrilla fighter who joined Castro's movement to overthrow Cuba's government, served as minister of industry, and was killed while leading a Communist guerrilla force in Bolivia.
- GenresHistory
64 pages, Library Binding
First published April 1, 2003
About the author
David Downing
125 books507 followersDavid Downing is the author of a political thriller, two alternative histories and a number of books on military and political history and other subjects as diverse as Neil Young and Russian Football.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 3, 2011
This small but mighty book gives an interesting account of the man behind the myth and the impact he had on Latin American history.
It may not be comprehensive but still good enough to be called a ‘biography’- supported by illustrations with Photos and maps, detailed time-line, the key people during his time, places you could visit, and suggested further reading.
In a nutshell, the book attempts to give a brief biographical sketch of the revolutionary. It explains who Ernesto Che Guevara was and the events that lead to his unfortunate and cruel death.
Downing briefly reveals Che in childhood and youth, his motorcycle odyssey, his political and social beliefs, his stay at Guatemala, how he met Castro, the events he witnessed in Guatemala which lead the Argentine-born guerrilla to join the Cubans, as well as the role he played in the Cuban Revolution, his African dream which resulted in his attempt to start a revolution in the Republic of Congo, and how he met his death in Bolivia and the legacy he left behind.
I have since educated myself about Che: from documentaries to movies, books, articles, his translated speeches, etcetera. In view of that, I have not really discovered anything new or different from what I am familiar with prior to reading the book and neither will you if you already know his ‘full’ biography.
Nonetheless, Downing’s style of writing makes it a fine read. Besides, it is about Ernesto so it never gets boring. He [Che Guevara] is as alive today as they never wanted him to be.
It may not be comprehensive but still good enough to be called a ‘biography’- supported by illustrations with Photos and maps, detailed time-line, the key people during his time, places you could visit, and suggested further reading.
In a nutshell, the book attempts to give a brief biographical sketch of the revolutionary. It explains who Ernesto Che Guevara was and the events that lead to his unfortunate and cruel death.
Downing briefly reveals Che in childhood and youth, his motorcycle odyssey, his political and social beliefs, his stay at Guatemala, how he met Castro, the events he witnessed in Guatemala which lead the Argentine-born guerrilla to join the Cubans, as well as the role he played in the Cuban Revolution, his African dream which resulted in his attempt to start a revolution in the Republic of Congo, and how he met his death in Bolivia and the legacy he left behind.
I have since educated myself about Che: from documentaries to movies, books, articles, his translated speeches, etcetera. In view of that, I have not really discovered anything new or different from what I am familiar with prior to reading the book and neither will you if you already know his ‘full’ biography.
Nonetheless, Downing’s style of writing makes it a fine read. Besides, it is about Ernesto so it never gets boring. He [Che Guevara] is as alive today as they never wanted him to be.
July 5, 2011
A bit short and lacking to my linking, but a VERY introductory read about Che's life.
May 31, 2012
Very basic, and presented a favorable image of Che, which isn't bad, just a little intellectually dishonest. A good introductory read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews