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July 24th, 2010 
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Product Description
The book of the popular movie STARRING GAEL GARCIA BERNAL NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The young Che Guevara’s lively and highly entertaining travel diary.This new, expanded edition features exclusive, unpublished photos taken by the 23-year-old Ernesto on his journey across a continent, and a tender preface by Aleida Guevara, offering an insightful perspective on the man and the icon. “As his journey progresses, Guevara’s voice seems to deepen, to… More >>
The Motorcycle Diaries : Notes on a Latin American Journey
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Brad Delong, Matthew Yglesias, Armed Liberals and others have been having a discussion about whether Che Guevara can be considered a hero. Here is the hero in his own words:
“During the night I had a bad case of the runs and, being ashamed to leave a souvenir in the pot under my bed, I climbed out on to the window ledge and gave up all of my pain to the night and blackness beyond. The next morning I looked out to see the effect and saw that two metres below lay a big sheet of tin where they were sun-drying their peaches; the added spectacle was impressive.”
(From The Motorcycle Diaries)
Sorry, but I see nothing heroic in sticking one’s arse out the window and letting drive onto a pile of fruit. I would never do that- but then, I’m not a communist.
I was recently in venezuela … I wish the people well. But I sadly fear that there are going to be a lot of tears shed when all is said and done.
Rating: 3 / 5
Those nostalgic for leftist propaganda will no doubt find solace and meaning in this book. In that case, there is little sense in preaching to the choir. Now, for those simply curious to read about the face that adorns your T-shirt or perhaps seeking a more balanced view of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, you will most certainly not find what you are looking for in this book.
Guevara was a failure. His ignominious inability to foment revolution in Africa and South America is well documented. More importantly, far from being the humane and compassionate apostle admired by college professors everywhere, Guevara was directly responsible for a host of atrocities in the wake of the Cuban Revolution. An estimated 2000-4000 Cubans met their end via firing squads (without any hint of due process I might add) organized by Che. The man was also instrumental in setting up internment camps for those deemed enemies of the revolution; to label him Castro’s Himmler (certainly not the first person to suggest this) would be an accurate historical analogy. He was in essence not much more than a misguided, bloodthirsty thug responsible for destroying countless lives, a sad character of which history is replete. Che would no doubt detest being remembered for his senseless trip in a motorcycle and would instead relish the glory and honor of rounding up prisoners to put before firing squads; after all, it was his revolutionary duty.
It would behoove those enlightened enough to seek the “truth” to search elsewhere and I will gladly point you in another direction. “Journey to the Heart of Cuba” by Carlos Alberto Montaner is an excellent starting point. Daniel James’ “Che Guevara: A Biography,” is a refreshing alternative to the typical romanticized Guevara biography. “Cuba: Order and Revolution” by Jorge I. Dominguez provides another masterful account of the Cuban Revolution. “Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington, and Africa, 1959-1976″ by Piero Gleijeses not only touches upon Guevara’s bungling misadventures in Africa but also covers an often neglected chapter of the Cold War.
Again, I can only hope that those reading this will reflect before joining the pathetic cult of the `Che’ and forking down $ for a lousy shirt.
Rating: 1 / 5
It reminded me a little of Mark Twain’s
travel books and some of Hemingway. They were both better writers.
The translator appears to be British or Canadian which doesn’t help a lot ( lorries
all the way through for trucks or whatever else they were?).
You can’t claim he was a civil right activist: his comments
about the South American Indians show he wasn’t very much interested in other than those with
Spanish heritage. I’ve read Hitler’s book from prison , Gandhi’s works and some of Marx.
All are better political writers than Che here.
This fellow comes off as an opportunist who happens to be a doctor
with a bad case of asthma. I think he was an educated man and very intelligent.
Is there some other better example of his mature writing?
I don’t think this does a fair job of representing him.
His only redeeming feature was his involvement in treatment of leprosy.
From this book he comes off as a bum and a con-man.
Rating: 2 / 5
The Motorcycle Diaries is yet another attempt to re-write history and repackage a terrorist. Che was a mentally inbalanced man who by the time he arrived in Cuba, was full of hate, and with his hand killed dozens and ordered the death of thousands. Personally a racist who had antipathy for Indians and people of African ancestry, Che Guevara was a selfish man who did not value others views or lives.
His policies caused the collapse of the Cuban economy, the persecution of thousands and the painful separation and exile of over a million people. Ruthless, cold blooded and calculating he was Fidel Castro’s main henchman, who early in the Revolution terrorised and eliminated everyone who could challenge his Marxist Leninist ideas. Leftists and socialists love and adore him beause he was the most visible anti-American terrorist to come out of the Cuban Revolution.
The main goal of Che Guevara was not peace and love, but hate and destruction. His view of social change was the imposition by brute force of communist/socialist ideals. Anyone who lived through his terror can clearly explain the truth. His hate of US Democracy, and the free market system was his driving force. Those who follow him today use his image to gain inspiration and continue with the same goals! Those who are not aware of his past, need to know the truth by reading more than just this one sided book.
This book is not a romantic account of a young idealist, but a carefully crafted propaganda tool. Imagine finding romanticism in a movie of a young Adolf Hitler riding in a motorcycle around Andalucia in the 1920′s and deciding that the poor Gypsies where oppressed and in need of help in order to lift themselves from poverty and remove the yoke foreign Bankers had on Spain. As a result, the idealistic, kind and moral young Hitler returns to Germany and begins creating the Nationalist Socialist Party (Nazi Party) in order to proceed with his plans to help the helpless and oppressed. This book on Che Guevara, is the same kind of garbage, for those with little brains who want to believe in anything Anti-American.
Rating: 1 / 5
this is the best book about my idol “che” guevera which was the best person to live since god and that his assasination was underserving and messed up they should kill the people who killed “che”
Rating: 5 / 5