It’s been a while since I read something written by Che himself, but this was a really solid deep-dive on his recordings from the day to day activities ranging from landing in the Oriente province up to just before victory. From the gate, I’ll admit that this isn’t the exact spot you want to look if you’re looking for a narrative or historical overview of the revolution itself. Rather, it’s where you’re gonna go if you’d prefer a glimpse into the guerrilla’s mind and his thoughts on what happened, as well as his exact perspectives and actions. A POV, if you will.
At times, like any work of this type, things felt a little boring, with entry after entry about hiding in a peasant’s hut and looking for food, but the good stuff is very good. It goes into pretty heavy detail, showing how he started primarily as the doctor for the July 26th movement, up to becoming commander. It included executions that took place and what would cause that in the first place (ya know, the famous ‘he was a murderer!’ bullshit that people run with, leaving out the part about the ‘victims’ being deserters, snitches, and even at some points rapists).
The progression of everything was also pretty neat, especially when it came to overlooked parts such as the battle of La Plata or the march towards Caracas Peak. Interviewers, including from the U.S., and different people joining with different stories that sometimes made their way in here were nice, and overall this was a very entertaining read, hashing out more about one of my favorite historical figures. It’s extra nice, knowing Che Guevara never meant for it to be published, so it feels all the more authentic.