Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Guerrilla Prince by Georgie Anne Geyer ISBN: 0-7407-2064-3 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Pub. Date: 07 February, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.94 (16 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Nice Overview, but...
Comment: Amazon steered me to this book when I was looking for more on Cuban politics after reading "Against All Hope" by Armando Valladares (a maginificent, poetic book about the horrors of life in the Cuban gulag).
Geyer presents a sweeping biography of Castro, from childhood all the way up to September 11. She offers real insight on Castro's psychology and crisply recounts events leading up the revolution. It is primarily a political history.
To me the most fascinating aspect of Castro's story is how easily he comes to power after starting out with such pathetically meager resources. His "liberation" of Cuba begins with a tragi-comic marine landing by a handful of hungry and confused rebels. Incredibly, by virtue of his irresistible personality, brilliant, bold, and ruthless tactics, and a hopelessly incompetent Batista regime, Castro takes control of Cuba. The story is remarkably similar to that of Pizarro's conquest of the Incas.
Two problems with the book. First, I think Geyer's narrative becomes quite sketchy after Castro reaches power. There's a lot going on, and she needs more detail to tie together all the political, psychological, and social threads of her story. Second, the writing is uneven: her descriptions of characters and events are passionate and dramatic, but her analysis is sometimes vague and hard to follow.
All in all, Geyer paints a pretty good picture of the Castro phenomenon. If you have never delved into this subject, you might be astonished at what's been going on 90 miles from the United States. Clearly, Geyer knows her material, since she personally knows many, many of the key political figures in Cuba and the United States. I think she is a very reliable source of information on a subject where reliable reporting is hard to find.
Rating: 5
Summary: the truth THE BEST BOOK ON CASTRO
Comment: Here is the true story of Castro, written largely from a foreign policy standpoint. This is not a story of the everyday man in Cuba(although we do learn that he suffered much economically). This is not an economic history of Castro's Cuba(Although we learn how much the economy declined and sugar production as well). This is the story of Castro's foreign flings and the cult of personality around him. We learn of Castro's invasions of a dozen countries in Africa, from Angola to the Congo. We learn equally of Castro's associations with his Latin American compatriots and his attempts to invade and infiltrate most of his neighbors. Those that love Castro and believe he created a socialist paradise in Cuba will not be happy with this book. Equally those wanting to learn the gruesome details of the many suppressed by Castro will also not be happy. This is a fair portrait of this larger then life Guerilla and the wrath he has brought upon the world. This is not a negative book that condemns Castro, in fact I find myself admiring him more after reading it. What one does have to ask themselves if they are an admirer of Castro is if he is truly loved by his people why are their no free elections? Why are other political parties outlawed in Cuba? Why are only government sponsored newspapers allowed? If Castro's socialism was such a paradise then why not let his own people write what they think of it, and say what they think, why murder your political rivals? Or banish them? It is so obvious that communism and all it brings is slavery to its own people, Cuba is a great example and this book tells all about Castro. The author could have done away with the investigation of the Kennedy murder because she reveals nothing new but pollutes many pages with theories.
Rating: 3
Summary: interesting
Comment: A very interesting read. However, the author fails to explore the truth about Castro in enough depth - mainly, why he continues to murder and oppress his own people in what's supposed to be "socialist paradise" (in quotations since 'socialist paradise' is most definitely an oxymoron). Nonetheless, it's probably the best book on Castro and I highly recommend it.
 |
Title: Why Nations go to War by John G. Stoessinger ISBN: 0312256604 Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Pub. Date: 04 August, 2000 List Price(USD): $36.95 |
 |
Title: Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by JUNG CHANG ISBN: 0385425473 Publisher: Anglophone Sa Pub. Date: 03 October, 1992 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: Stalin : The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russia'sSecret Archives by Edvard Radzinsky ISBN: 0385479549 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 18 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: Fidel Castro by Robert E. Quirk ISBN: 0393313271 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: September, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
 |
Title: Fidel: : A Critical Portrait by Tad Szulc ISBN: 0380808889 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
