Long-time Cuban leader Fidel Castro has a reputation for making long-winded speeches. Once behind a podium, he easily fumes and blusters for hours at a time. That fact alone gives reason to cautiously approach his autobiography, Fidel Castro, My Life (Fidel Castro and Ignacio Ramonet, translated from Spanish by Andrew Hurley, 2008, Scribner, 724 pages).
Naturally, the book's weighty and substantial. After all, Castro, the world's most experienced living head-of-state, ruled his island nation from 1959 until 2008, always a Communist thorn jabbing at the United States. Beginning with Dwight Eisenhower and ending with George W. Bush, he defied 10 American presidents.
So there's much to discuss. Although seldom interviewed at length previously, Castro grants days of his time to Ramonet, an editor from Le Monde Diplomatique. In great detail, they cover Castro's childhood, the Cuban revolution's initial failures and ultimate success, his friendship with the legendary Che Guevara, America's ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban missile crisis. And that's just for starters.
Castro encountered many other giants of modern history, everyone from Indira Gandhi to Ernest Hemingway, from Jiang Zemin to Nelson Mandela and Boris Yeltsin to Saddam Hussein. Naturally, he has strong opinions about everyone, many of which he reveals.
Among his achievements, Castro cites Cubans' high life expectancy (longer than for Americans thanks to accessible medical care) and the successes of Cuban universities. What does he think about democracy, human rights, dissidents and defectors? To find out, this is the book to read. Along the way, this infamous Cuban also discusses other topics, like cigars and long beards.
Swept into office by revolution, Castro retired with less fuss, simply handing power to his younger brother Raul. Obviously, the younger Castro's time at the top will be much shorter.
After interviewing the dictator for more than 100 hours, Ramonet helps Fidel Castro to depict himself as controversial, charismatic and heroic, even likeable. Notably, Castro fought off illnesses, motivated by a desire to finish approving the text.
Ramonet has previous books, namely Wars of the 21st Century and Geopolitics of Chaos. He contributes to a Spanish newspaper, El Pais (The Country).
Fidel Castro may not be many people's favorite world leader, but much of his story fascinates.
Approval rating: 73 per cent.
For more information: www.simonsays.com
(November 19, 2008)
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