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Camilo: Señor de la vanguardia
574 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
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July 13, 2018
The book is in Spanish and it’s hard to find---I had to buy my copy from an open-air bookseller in Havana. But for reading about Camilo Cienfuegos, that much-forgotten hero of the Cuban Revolution, there are only two books, Carlos Franqui’s brief Camilo Cienfuegos, and this longer study by William Galvez.
Galvez served under Camilo in the final months of the rebellion, he stayed in Cuba and still writes occasional pieces about Fidel and his followers. This compilation is massive (574 pages in a tight font), and it can be tedious. The author writes a somewhat turgid Spanish—in contrast to the lively tone of Camilo’s letters and his reports from the front. Still, Galvez has gathered hundreds of documents covering Camilo’s youth, his time in the Sierra Maestra and the ten months he served as head of the Cuban Army. Transcriptions are included of many of Camilo’s speeches, and there’s a long description of Fidel’s investigation into his disappearance in the fall of 1959.
This a company book, so to speak. Galvez is always loyal to Fidel and the Revolution, and at times I mistrust the slant of his reportage. All the same, the book is exhaustive and remarkably detailed. I think the casual reader would find it ponderous, but because of its near-monopoly on the subject, it’s also indispensable. Hard to rank a book like this—but I’ll call it four stars.
Galvez served under Camilo in the final months of the rebellion, he stayed in Cuba and still writes occasional pieces about Fidel and his followers. This compilation is massive (574 pages in a tight font), and it can be tedious. The author writes a somewhat turgid Spanish—in contrast to the lively tone of Camilo’s letters and his reports from the front. Still, Galvez has gathered hundreds of documents covering Camilo’s youth, his time in the Sierra Maestra and the ten months he served as head of the Cuban Army. Transcriptions are included of many of Camilo’s speeches, and there’s a long description of Fidel’s investigation into his disappearance in the fall of 1959.
This a company book, so to speak. Galvez is always loyal to Fidel and the Revolution, and at times I mistrust the slant of his reportage. All the same, the book is exhaustive and remarkably detailed. I think the casual reader would find it ponderous, but because of its near-monopoly on the subject, it’s also indispensable. Hard to rank a book like this—but I’ll call it four stars.
Displaying 1 of 1 review