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Self Portrait: Che Guevara
A PHOTOGRAPHIC AND LITERARY MEMOIR
At last, Che in his own words, beyond the icon! Discover the personal side of the legendary Che Guevara in this photographic and literary memoir that includes unpublished short stories, letters and poems written to his family, as well as photos from the Guevara family album, showing a surprisingly sensitive and artistic side to a man often seen as a hard-line revolutionary.
Unique among the many books about Che Guevara, this self-portrait reveals his remarkable candor, irony, dry wit, and, above all, his passion.
Edited by prominent Latin American poet and intellectual Victor Casaus, with the assistance of Che’s children and widow (Aleida March).
"Che was the most complete human being of our age."—Jean-Paul Sartre
"This beautiful, enlightening volume humanizes Che." —RAIN TAXI
305 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2003
About the author
Ernesto Che Guevara
529 books2,238 followersErnesto "Che" Guevara, commonly known as El Che or simply Che, was a Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, since his death Guevara's stylized visage has become an ubiquitous countercultural symbol and global icon within popular culture.
His belief in the necessity of world revolution to advance the interests of the poor prompted his involvement in Guatemala's social reforms under President Jacobo Arbenz, whose eventual CIA-assisted overthrow solidified Guevara's radical ideology. Later, while living in Mexico City, he met Raúl and Fidel Castro, joined their movement, and travelled to Cuba with the intention of overthrowing the U.S.-backed Batista regime. Guevara soon rose to prominence among the insurgents, was promoted to second-in-command, and played a pivotal role in the successful two year guerrilla campaign that topled the Cuban government.
After serving in a number of key roles in the new government, Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to foment revolution abroad, first unsuccessfully in Congo-Kinshasa and later in Bolivia, where he was captured by CIA-assisted Bolivian forces and executed.
Guevara remains both a revered and reviled historical figure, polarized in the collective imagination in a multitude of biographies, memoirs, essays, documentaries, songs, and films. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, while an Alberto Korda photograph of him entitled "Guerrillero Heroico," was declared "the most famous photograph in the world" by the Maryland Institute of Art.
His belief in the necessity of world revolution to advance the interests of the poor prompted his involvement in Guatemala's social reforms under President Jacobo Arbenz, whose eventual CIA-assisted overthrow solidified Guevara's radical ideology. Later, while living in Mexico City, he met Raúl and Fidel Castro, joined their movement, and travelled to Cuba with the intention of overthrowing the U.S.-backed Batista regime. Guevara soon rose to prominence among the insurgents, was promoted to second-in-command, and played a pivotal role in the successful two year guerrilla campaign that topled the Cuban government.
After serving in a number of key roles in the new government, Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to foment revolution abroad, first unsuccessfully in Congo-Kinshasa and later in Bolivia, where he was captured by CIA-assisted Bolivian forces and executed.
Guevara remains both a revered and reviled historical figure, polarized in the collective imagination in a multitude of biographies, memoirs, essays, documentaries, songs, and films. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, while an Alberto Korda photograph of him entitled "Guerrillero Heroico," was declared "the most famous photograph in the world" by the Maryland Institute of Art.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 30, 2007
This is an awesome coffee table book for the revolutionary minded! This book has many photos of Che, photos by Che, and some of Che’s letters and poetry. Unlike other book about Che this one does not try to indoctrinate the reader into becoming a communist.
October 19, 2017
The first 100 pages, a lot taken from Motorcycle Diaries I presume, were a little hard to sit through at times with the constant detail given to everything Che was seeing, but as it got into his travels to Mexico and subsequently Cuba to lead the Revolution, it's very eye-opening to read through day-to-day notes, seeing personal letters, etc. Especially regarding his ethics and his ideological stance and how people had chosen to present him in media in the past.
January 21, 2014
The photos in the book are wonderful. There is also some commentary about Che throughout the book along with some of Che's letters, poems, and journal writings .
March 27, 2019
Loved this book having read others on Che. This isn't a must read but is full of photos which humanised him for me.
May 27, 2026
Some notes:
Che: “We separated from the couple who were heading for the sulphur mines in the mountains where the climate is so bad and the living conditions so hard that you don’t need a work permit and nobody asks what your politics are. The only thing that matters is the enthusiasm with which the worker sets to ruining his health in search of a few meagre crumbs that barely provide his subsistence... It's a great pity they repress people like that.”
The foreman at Chuquicamata coper mine to Che: “Many people like you ask me technical questions but it's rare to ask how many lives it has cost. I can’t answer you doctors but thank you for asking.”
Che on Chile: ‘The land has the capacity to sustain enough livestock (especially sheep) and cereals to provide for its population. There are necessary mineral resources to transform it into a powerful industrial country: iron, copper, coal, tin, silver, manganese and nitrates. The biggest effort Chile should make is to shake its uncomfortable Yankee friend from its back, a task that for the moment at least is Herculean, given the quantity of dollars the US has invested here and the ease with which it flexes its economic muscle whenever its interests seem threatened.’
Che on origins of the native people of Honduras or Guatemala: ‘I arrived at the fruit company hospital where there is a complex of small but very beautiful ruins. There I became totally convinced of what my Latin American blood did not want to acknowledge: that our forbears are Asian... there are figures in bas relief that are Buddha himself, all the details show it, for they are exactly the same as in the ancient Hindu civilisations.’
Che on the army of the Batista government: ‘While Batista’s army laid their hands on everything they fancied in [the peasants] huts –including the women, of course, -Fidel Castro’s people respected the peasants’ property and paid generously for everything consumed.’
Che on the International Monetary Fund: ’If [the International Monetary Fund] is an element of liberation for Latin America, I believe that it should have demonstrated that. Until now, I have not been aware of any such demonstration. The IMF performs an entirely different function: precisely that of ensuring that capital based outside of Latin America controls all of Latin America.’
On Cuba’s interests in foreign countries: ‘The only thing that can concern Cuba in foreign countries is what products they have to exchange for Cuban products and under what conditions they wish to do so’
On Cubans who oppose the Cuban government after the revolution: ‘The Cuban sectors opposing the present revolutionary government are capitalist parasites directly affected by the government's work, among them the big landowners.’
‘[Che] mentioned a large US controlled estate of 150,000 hectares –Atlantico del Golfo –noting that such interests are related to a certain type of US landowning capital that “in some cases have financed the coup attempts we have seen of late. We have no doubt”, he added “that there will be more of them in the future.”
Referring to popular support for the revolutionary government of Cuba, Guevara said that “it comes from all sectors with something to gain in economic and moral terms: the peasants and workers, basically, and the middle class sectors including all kinds of professionals and honest traders.”’
Che on being labelled a communist: ‘I am not a communist... the fact is that the owners of Jules Dubois –United Fruit and other fruit, mining, livestock, telephone and electric companies [are] exploiters of the people.’
[There was a reference to Dennyk made by Che, maybe a philosopher? But I was unable to find any information on an online search, so I don’t know who this is]
Che on the Congo: ‘The Congo is a Bayu [land of sorcerers] with a president, but the people are well intentioned.’
The excerpt from ‘The Stone’ a story written by Che references the Muganga, the man who administered the magic Dawa rights that protected the Congolese soldiers against bullets, something that reminded me of a book I read, ‘Guns and Rain: Guerrillas and Spirit Mediums in Zimbabwe’ by David Lan.
And from the excerpt of ‘The Stone’, Che writes of the ‘desperate death gaze fixed at a moment of extreme fear. Because one is afraid. Why deny it?’
Che: “We separated from the couple who were heading for the sulphur mines in the mountains where the climate is so bad and the living conditions so hard that you don’t need a work permit and nobody asks what your politics are. The only thing that matters is the enthusiasm with which the worker sets to ruining his health in search of a few meagre crumbs that barely provide his subsistence... It's a great pity they repress people like that.”
The foreman at Chuquicamata coper mine to Che: “Many people like you ask me technical questions but it's rare to ask how many lives it has cost. I can’t answer you doctors but thank you for asking.”
Che on Chile: ‘The land has the capacity to sustain enough livestock (especially sheep) and cereals to provide for its population. There are necessary mineral resources to transform it into a powerful industrial country: iron, copper, coal, tin, silver, manganese and nitrates. The biggest effort Chile should make is to shake its uncomfortable Yankee friend from its back, a task that for the moment at least is Herculean, given the quantity of dollars the US has invested here and the ease with which it flexes its economic muscle whenever its interests seem threatened.’
Che on origins of the native people of Honduras or Guatemala: ‘I arrived at the fruit company hospital where there is a complex of small but very beautiful ruins. There I became totally convinced of what my Latin American blood did not want to acknowledge: that our forbears are Asian... there are figures in bas relief that are Buddha himself, all the details show it, for they are exactly the same as in the ancient Hindu civilisations.’
Che on the army of the Batista government: ‘While Batista’s army laid their hands on everything they fancied in [the peasants] huts –including the women, of course, -Fidel Castro’s people respected the peasants’ property and paid generously for everything consumed.’
Che on the International Monetary Fund: ’If [the International Monetary Fund] is an element of liberation for Latin America, I believe that it should have demonstrated that. Until now, I have not been aware of any such demonstration. The IMF performs an entirely different function: precisely that of ensuring that capital based outside of Latin America controls all of Latin America.’
On Cuba’s interests in foreign countries: ‘The only thing that can concern Cuba in foreign countries is what products they have to exchange for Cuban products and under what conditions they wish to do so’
On Cubans who oppose the Cuban government after the revolution: ‘The Cuban sectors opposing the present revolutionary government are capitalist parasites directly affected by the government's work, among them the big landowners.’
‘[Che] mentioned a large US controlled estate of 150,000 hectares –Atlantico del Golfo –noting that such interests are related to a certain type of US landowning capital that “in some cases have financed the coup attempts we have seen of late. We have no doubt”, he added “that there will be more of them in the future.”
Referring to popular support for the revolutionary government of Cuba, Guevara said that “it comes from all sectors with something to gain in economic and moral terms: the peasants and workers, basically, and the middle class sectors including all kinds of professionals and honest traders.”’
Che on being labelled a communist: ‘I am not a communist... the fact is that the owners of Jules Dubois –United Fruit and other fruit, mining, livestock, telephone and electric companies [are] exploiters of the people.’
[There was a reference to Dennyk made by Che, maybe a philosopher? But I was unable to find any information on an online search, so I don’t know who this is]
Che on the Congo: ‘The Congo is a Bayu [land of sorcerers] with a president, but the people are well intentioned.’
The excerpt from ‘The Stone’ a story written by Che references the Muganga, the man who administered the magic Dawa rights that protected the Congolese soldiers against bullets, something that reminded me of a book I read, ‘Guns and Rain: Guerrillas and Spirit Mediums in Zimbabwe’ by David Lan.
And from the excerpt of ‘The Stone’, Che writes of the ‘desperate death gaze fixed at a moment of extreme fear. Because one is afraid. Why deny it?’
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
Bir "coffee table book" olarak tasarlanmış olması kitabı daha okunur ve ilginç kılıyor. Ernesto Guvera'nın "Che" olmadan önce geçtiği yolu, günlüklerini ve mektuplarını okumak onu daha insani bir zeminden görmemizi sağlıyor. Özellikle Latin Amerikayı gezerken günlüğüne aldığı notlar çok edebi ve ilgi çekici. Dönemin ruhunda toplumun eğitimli kesimlerinde entelektüel bilgiye değer verildiğini ve bilgi açlığının olduğu görülebiliyor. Kitap içinde doğrudan Guevara'nın çektiği fotoğraflara yer verilmesi dönemi ve çevreyi O'nun gözünden algılamamızı sağlıyor. 1950-1960 ların politik ve toplumsal olarak kaynayan Latin Amerikasına tanık oluyoruz.
Kitabın ikinci bölümü eklektik bir okuyucu, yazar, gezgin, doktor bir Guevara'nın tamamen politikleşip keskin bir devrimci oluşunu gözler önüne seriyor. Küba'da M26/7 hareketine katılan Guevara Marksist ve Leninist bir çizgiden harekete destek veriyor. Küba için gösterdiği mücadele esnasında Ernesto'nun artık "Commandante Che" olduğuna tanık oluyoruz. Küba'nın son derece ücra ve mahrumiyet bölgesi olan dağlık Sierra Maestra bölgesinde sert koşullarda mücadele sürerken kendi zihnindeki "hombre nuevo" (yeni insan) yaratısına da kendisini adıyor. Yıllar ilerledikçe "Che"ilk gençliğinde gezdiği Latin Amerika'nın suni sınırlarla bölünmüş birbirine çok benzeyen halklarının kurtuluşu için Birleşik Amerika emperyalizmine karşı kesintisiz bir şekilde mücadele edilmesi gerektiği fikrini somutlaştırıyor. "Foco" teorisini ortaya koyan Che bunu doğrulamak için eyleme geçmekte tereddüt etmiyor. Bu açıdan bakıldığında Jean Paul Sartre' ın “Çağımızın eksiksiz insanı” ve “Che çağımızın en tamamlanmış insanıdır, yalnızca bir teorisyen değil, aynı zamanda bu teorilerini sahada uygulayan bir savaşçıdır" yorumunun ne kadar gerçekçi olduğu anlıyoruz. Che, Birleşik Büyük Latin Amerika için ABD emperyalizmine karşı And Dağlarını dev bir Sierra Maestra'ya dönüştürme projesini gerçeğe dönüştürmek için mücadele ederken öldürülüyor. Kitap içinde Bolivya günlüklerinden bölümler aktarıldığı kısımlarda bile berbat koşullara karşın iyimserliğini kaybetmemesi son derece şaşırtıcıdır. Bolivya ordusunca kaybedilen cesedinin 30 yıl sonra bulunması, toplumsal bellekte onu "mesih" seviyesine çıkarıyor. Che Miti' nin geçtiği yolu ve gerçekliğine inanmakta çok zorluk çekeceğiniz hayat hikayesini merak edenler için kitap çok iyi bir bütüncül bir derleme. Okuyucuyu tatmin eden yapısıyla konuyla ilgilenenlere farklı bir bakış açısı sunuyor.
Kitabın ikinci bölümü eklektik bir okuyucu, yazar, gezgin, doktor bir Guevara'nın tamamen politikleşip keskin bir devrimci oluşunu gözler önüne seriyor. Küba'da M26/7 hareketine katılan Guevara Marksist ve Leninist bir çizgiden harekete destek veriyor. Küba için gösterdiği mücadele esnasında Ernesto'nun artık "Commandante Che" olduğuna tanık oluyoruz. Küba'nın son derece ücra ve mahrumiyet bölgesi olan dağlık Sierra Maestra bölgesinde sert koşullarda mücadele sürerken kendi zihnindeki "hombre nuevo" (yeni insan) yaratısına da kendisini adıyor. Yıllar ilerledikçe "Che"ilk gençliğinde gezdiği Latin Amerika'nın suni sınırlarla bölünmüş birbirine çok benzeyen halklarının kurtuluşu için Birleşik Amerika emperyalizmine karşı kesintisiz bir şekilde mücadele edilmesi gerektiği fikrini somutlaştırıyor. "Foco" teorisini ortaya koyan Che bunu doğrulamak için eyleme geçmekte tereddüt etmiyor. Bu açıdan bakıldığında Jean Paul Sartre' ın “Çağımızın eksiksiz insanı” ve “Che çağımızın en tamamlanmış insanıdır, yalnızca bir teorisyen değil, aynı zamanda bu teorilerini sahada uygulayan bir savaşçıdır" yorumunun ne kadar gerçekçi olduğu anlıyoruz. Che, Birleşik Büyük Latin Amerika için ABD emperyalizmine karşı And Dağlarını dev bir Sierra Maestra'ya dönüştürme projesini gerçeğe dönüştürmek için mücadele ederken öldürülüyor. Kitap içinde Bolivya günlüklerinden bölümler aktarıldığı kısımlarda bile berbat koşullara karşın iyimserliğini kaybetmemesi son derece şaşırtıcıdır. Bolivya ordusunca kaybedilen cesedinin 30 yıl sonra bulunması, toplumsal bellekte onu "mesih" seviyesine çıkarıyor. Che Miti' nin geçtiği yolu ve gerçekliğine inanmakta çok zorluk çekeceğiniz hayat hikayesini merak edenler için kitap çok iyi bir bütüncül bir derleme. Okuyucuyu tatmin eden yapısıyla konuyla ilgilenenlere farklı bir bakış açısı sunuyor.
October 26, 2025
Emocionante biografía e historia del Che Guevara, personaje y héroe impresindible para reflexionar sobre la historia de Latinoamerica y el amor por la Revolución.
November 11, 2007
Es interesante de realmente leer las palabras del Che y no solamente la gente critica (los profesores de las universidades que prefieren ensenar sus ideas ideologicas a traves de los artistas y personas de la historia de buscar la verdad). El solo problema con el libro es que las cosas escritas vienen del gobierno y biblioteca de Cuba y, evidentemente, ellos que hacian el libro prefieren hacer del Che un santo y no quieren mostrar su costa mala y racista...(interesantemente, la misma currente de anti-yanquismo y anti-capitalista muy en la moda en las universidades de los Estados Unidos adonde los profesores reciben el dinero de escribir y hablar contra la vida competitiva y la libertad que se come...la ironia jamas se muere mis amigos...)
Hay una seccion cerca del fin que me interesaba mucho...sus escritos a veces profundas sur las obras de literatura de Pablo Neruda y otros. Che realmente fue verdaderamente un "Renaissance Man" y a traves este libro nosotros podemos ver como cerca todos sus escritos tienen el aire y ambiencia de la poesia. Tambien hay las fotos buenos (particularmente una foto con Che y un Fidel Castro muy jovencito en Mexico - sin barba y uniforme de guerrillero y una otra foto con Che leyendo un libro grande de Goethe - ironicamente pienso que es posible que Ernesto ha hacido el mismo pacto con Mephistopheles que Fausto, el mejor proganista de Goethe...)
Pienso que este libro (en espanol y tambien en ingles para mi gente gabacha!) es mucho mejor que leyendo una biografia de siete ciento paginas y el libro tiene muchas de fotas que es perfecto para todos los Che fans que siempre fuma el marijuana y escucha Bob Marley....
Hay una seccion cerca del fin que me interesaba mucho...sus escritos a veces profundas sur las obras de literatura de Pablo Neruda y otros. Che realmente fue verdaderamente un "Renaissance Man" y a traves este libro nosotros podemos ver como cerca todos sus escritos tienen el aire y ambiencia de la poesia. Tambien hay las fotos buenos (particularmente una foto con Che y un Fidel Castro muy jovencito en Mexico - sin barba y uniforme de guerrillero y una otra foto con Che leyendo un libro grande de Goethe - ironicamente pienso que es posible que Ernesto ha hacido el mismo pacto con Mephistopheles que Fausto, el mejor proganista de Goethe...)
Pienso que este libro (en espanol y tambien en ingles para mi gente gabacha!) es mucho mejor que leyendo una biografia de siete ciento paginas y el libro tiene muchas de fotas que es perfecto para todos los Che fans que siempre fuma el marijuana y escucha Bob Marley....
April 24, 2013
This is Che portraying himself
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews