Fidel and Che
A Revolutionary Friendship
Published on 8. January 2009
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-0-340-92343-6 (ISBN)
Description
FIDEL AND CHE: A REVOLUTIONARY FRIENDSHIP is the story of the peasant's son, scholar, and rebel -- Fidel Castro, and his fateful meeting with the itinerant doctor Ernesto (Che) Guevara. Not yet thirty, and both in exile, they met in Mexico City in 1955. By 1967 Che Guevara was dead. But over the course of their twelve year friendship they became two of the twentieth century's most compelling figures. The book follows Fidel and Che on their dramatic journey from Mexico's political underground, to war in the Cuban mountains, and ultimately into the heart of the Cold War. Drawing on extensive research, including recently declassified material, Simon Reid-Henry interviews key personalities across three continents. He takes us to the heart of Fidel and Che's unique relationship as what began as a political association became the most profound friendship of their lives. FIDEL AND CHE is set against the tide of revolution. It is the story of two men who shared a common dream; who became friends, comrades and brothers-in-arms and who, finally, would make an epic choice between their friendship and their beliefs.
Reviews / Votes
'Reid-Henry goes back to primary source materials, to reassess an intellectual and personal friendship and to present it as excitingly and readably as a Cold War political thriller.' -- The Times 'Reid-Henry brings back the danger and intense emotions of that revolutionary period. His omniscient position and colloquial prose suit the action, so that it reads like adventure fiction.' -- Independent 'absorbing account of their friendship' -- Sunday Times 'Simon Reid-Henry is a fluid writer and this, his first book is well-paced.' -- Financial Times 'Ably illuminates the dynamics of one of the post-war era's most fascinating partnerships, in an account that is lucid, well-researched and highly readable.' -- City AM 'Two big figures, one fine debut: It is quite a task to make your first book a lucid, pulsating study of not one but two huge figures, but Simon Reid-Henry pulls it off ... The two men's early lives are skilfully drawn, with playground anecdotes ... subtly deploying his own extensive travel and recently declassified sources, Reid-Henry produces a taut history of two men who brought out the best in each other and came to embody the very notion of modern-day protest.' -- The Economist's Intelligent LifeMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Dimensions
Height: 243 mm
Width: 180 mm
Thickness: 40 mm
Weight
780 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-340-92343-6 (9780340923436)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Simon Reid-Henry is a writer and prize-winning scholar of the Cuban revolution. He lives with his partner in London where he lectures in geography at Queen Mary, University of London. This is his first book.