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Fidel Castro: In His Own Words
FIDEL CASTRO
August 13, 1926 – November 26, 2016.
“A revolution is a struggle between the future and the past.”
-- Fidel Castro
From revolutionary and symbol of strength to Cold War adversary, Fidel Castro was one of the world’s most controversial leaders, and perhaps its most enduring. As Cuba’s towering and charismatic president for nearly fifty years, Castro’s influential leadership captivated allies and enemies alike. By virtue of passionate oration and committed sense of purpose—good or bad—Castro kept the Cuban people devoted and the world enthralled.
From his earliest years as a student rebel to his role in Cuba's social reform to The Cuban Missile Crisis, his life is covered in extensive detail within this book. The transfer of power to Raul Castro is explored as well as the changes to Cuban/American diplomatic relations, including Obama’s view of America’s relationship with Cuba. Castro’s death is covered as well as the world’s the reaction to it, including the views of American and Cuban people and the differing reactions of Obama and Trump.
A comprehensive look into each stage of Castro’s life and leadership
More than a dozen color photos spanning the Cuban leader’s life
Comes complete with Castro’s most resonating speeches
Fidel In His Own Words is not only a reflection of Castro’s life, triumphs, and misdeeds, but it is a look at the people and places affected by his politics before, during, and after the age of Cuban embargo. Regardless of readers’ political preference, there is no doubt that this captivating leader’s influence on the Cuban people, The United States, and the world will continue to echo through time.
August 13, 1926 – November 26, 2016.
“A revolution is a struggle between the future and the past.”
-- Fidel Castro
From revolutionary and symbol of strength to Cold War adversary, Fidel Castro was one of the world’s most controversial leaders, and perhaps its most enduring. As Cuba’s towering and charismatic president for nearly fifty years, Castro’s influential leadership captivated allies and enemies alike. By virtue of passionate oration and committed sense of purpose—good or bad—Castro kept the Cuban people devoted and the world enthralled.
From his earliest years as a student rebel to his role in Cuba's social reform to The Cuban Missile Crisis, his life is covered in extensive detail within this book. The transfer of power to Raul Castro is explored as well as the changes to Cuban/American diplomatic relations, including Obama’s view of America’s relationship with Cuba. Castro’s death is covered as well as the world’s the reaction to it, including the views of American and Cuban people and the differing reactions of Obama and Trump.
A comprehensive look into each stage of Castro’s life and leadership
More than a dozen color photos spanning the Cuban leader’s life
Comes complete with Castro’s most resonating speeches
Fidel In His Own Words is not only a reflection of Castro’s life, triumphs, and misdeeds, but it is a look at the people and places affected by his politics before, during, and after the age of Cuban embargo. Regardless of readers’ political preference, there is no doubt that this captivating leader’s influence on the Cuban people, The United States, and the world will continue to echo through time.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published January 17, 2017
10 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 18, 2023
No matter where one falls on the political spectrum, it is a universal truth that Castro was a fascinating and charismatic speaker, politician, and theorist. This book succeeds as a collection of Castro quotes, speeches, and letters.
However, it suffers heavily from Moore’s poor editorial writing. There are constant typographical errors (some that even change the meaning of quotes or sentences entirely), countless historical or factual errors (such as placing the Sierra Maestra within Mexico in one chapter), and the writing is—at times—incredibly repetitive.
This has a few interesting insights if you’re a newcomer to Castro, his life, and his perspective. Overall, though, Moore’s work here ends up being little more than weak and redundant editorializing around the quotes of one of modern history’s most prominent figures.
However, it suffers heavily from Moore’s poor editorial writing. There are constant typographical errors (some that even change the meaning of quotes or sentences entirely), countless historical or factual errors (such as placing the Sierra Maestra within Mexico in one chapter), and the writing is—at times—incredibly repetitive.
This has a few interesting insights if you’re a newcomer to Castro, his life, and his perspective. Overall, though, Moore’s work here ends up being little more than weak and redundant editorializing around the quotes of one of modern history’s most prominent figures.
June 29, 2020
When I read this book, i compared the cuban revolution with my country India's revolution. I feel that being tender to the wrongdoers was never in Castro's dictionary. Although, sometimes it is really desirable. He happened to have tackled US very well, but at what cost.
He says 14000 children were deported to US by their parents because of fear of cuban government. He says that it was a propaganda caused by CIA. But to that, it becomes very obvious that cuban masses would have been really paranoid of cuban government to believe that.
Anyhow, he justifies himself fruitfully and by reading castro people will truly know who the real revolutionary is.
He says 14000 children were deported to US by their parents because of fear of cuban government. He says that it was a propaganda caused by CIA. But to that, it becomes very obvious that cuban masses would have been really paranoid of cuban government to believe that.
Anyhow, he justifies himself fruitfully and by reading castro people will truly know who the real revolutionary is.
June 16, 2021
3 1/2 stars
September 27, 2021
I wanted to love this book. It did not transition well between the stories. Maybe as an introduction this works, but I wanted more. I would rather just read "his own words". I would recommend "La victoire de la liberté" or Che by Jon Lee Anderson
April 30, 2020
So, first of all I would like to say I shed a tear while reading the speech except titled "history will absolve me"
Just couldn't believe how true it is about what's going on with the world...
This book is definitely seeing things from fidel Castro's perspective... but I think that is only fair... I want to read more about Mandela since he was mentioned in the book...
Just couldn't believe how true it is about what's going on with the world...
This book is definitely seeing things from fidel Castro's perspective... but I think that is only fair... I want to read more about Mandela since he was mentioned in the book...
July 5, 2018
Could not finish this title. To many editorial mistakes, problems with articulation, and overall lack of framework.
March 10, 2023
This is a good collection of speeches and other writings by Castro. The chapters are largely chronological but they are framed as different political episodes in Castro's life so they do jump around a bit, for example the chapters on Cuba—US relations can't help overlapping. I listened to this as an audiobook, which is probably not the best format due to how it jumps around and how there are a couple appendices which contain other writings all lumped together.
Most illuminating to me were the chapters on Castro's early life. Elsewhere, his rise to power is sometimes portrayed as that of a charismatic leader who came out of nowhere to lead an armed uprising and establish military rule of Cuba against US wishes. However the early chapters of this book make clear how his political development started at a very young age and he was a respected politician and advocate of Cuban affairs long before he sailed on the Granma or stormed the Moncada barracks.
Most illuminating to me were the chapters on Castro's early life. Elsewhere, his rise to power is sometimes portrayed as that of a charismatic leader who came out of nowhere to lead an armed uprising and establish military rule of Cuba against US wishes. However the early chapters of this book make clear how his political development started at a very young age and he was a respected politician and advocate of Cuban affairs long before he sailed on the Granma or stormed the Moncada barracks.
June 16, 2019
We all know what happened to Fidel Castro.
First of all, I am not a left-winger, nor an opposer of Socialist itself. My objective of reading this is to understand what kind of morale justification defined him in his dictatorship.
Alex Moore is a damn good writer. However, I only gave him ⭐⭐⭐ as I believe he shows magnificent word-crafting in his other works, other than this. The world he uses for this book is not "best-picked". And the cut off between on sentence to another has been a bit confusing.
First of all, I am not a left-winger, nor an opposer of Socialist itself. My objective of reading this is to understand what kind of morale justification defined him in his dictatorship.
Alex Moore is a damn good writer. However, I only gave him ⭐⭐⭐ as I believe he shows magnificent word-crafting in his other works, other than this. The world he uses for this book is not "best-picked". And the cut off between on sentence to another has been a bit confusing.
July 14, 2024
Audiobook: interesting read hearing about the Cuban Revolution and what they went through. Second book I’ve read about it. Also interesting to see how Castro ruled and the issues between Cuba and the US.
September 14, 2024
The author turned an interview with Fidel to a book! here and there there are some quotes from Fidel and the rest is a very shallow and cartoonish explanation of Cuban history and situation.\
Not worth reading.
Not worth reading.
September 24, 2019
Poorly written piece of propaganda which he pitches as Fidel's words although the author goes out of his way to justify most of his subjects life.
April 5, 2020
3.5! super informative but a basic biography
December 14, 2020
Not knowing much about him it was rather interesting.
August 11, 2022
The book provides an overview of Castro’s life, the path and the aftermath of the Cuban revolution rather than providing a narrative “in Fidel’s words.” Serves as an introduction.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews