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Subcomandante Marcos: Global Rebel Icon
The unexpected insurrection of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in 1994 toppled the notion that the triumph of neoliberalism represented the end of history. In the clamor that followed, a masked, pipe-smoking horseman appeared as the spokesperson for the indigenous rebels.
In this book, Nick Henck provides a concise and accessible overview of the life, thought, and achievements of the professor-turned-guerrilla Subcomandante Marcos. Through his academic exodus and immersion in the indigenous communities of the Lacandon jungle, to his participation in a guerilla army, to his eloquent articulation of the struggles of oppressed peoples around the world, Marcos became a revered and inspiring enigma. Henck explores Marcos’s considerable accomplishments in four main his role as spokesperson for the Zapatistas; his contribution to Latin American literature and a new political language for the left; his work in making Mexico a more democratic, inclusive, and just nation; and his role as an inspirational international political icon. Published for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Zapatista uprising, this book is not just a biography but also a reminder that there are alternative ways of doing that another world is possible.
In this book, Nick Henck provides a concise and accessible overview of the life, thought, and achievements of the professor-turned-guerrilla Subcomandante Marcos. Through his academic exodus and immersion in the indigenous communities of the Lacandon jungle, to his participation in a guerilla army, to his eloquent articulation of the struggles of oppressed peoples around the world, Marcos became a revered and inspiring enigma. Henck explores Marcos’s considerable accomplishments in four main his role as spokesperson for the Zapatistas; his contribution to Latin American literature and a new political language for the left; his work in making Mexico a more democratic, inclusive, and just nation; and his role as an inspirational international political icon. Published for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Zapatista uprising, this book is not just a biography but also a reminder that there are alternative ways of doing that another world is possible.
200 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2019
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May 31, 2023
For those who don’t know Marcos, this book is a great basic introduction that can be read in a single sitting. My only criticism is that it pretty much skips straight to Marcos’ role in the EZLN and doesn’t give that much context about his life before, or the path that lead him there.
For those of us who already know and love Marcos, this book doesn’t add anything new. It’s more of a reminder of why we love Marcos packed into a little more than one hundred pages. At the end there’s also one of Marcos’ communiqués that was never before published in English as a bonus. If that’s the only thing you read from this book, it’ll still have been worth your time and money!
The best part about this book, however, in my opinion is the extensive bibliography and list of other books to read and documentaries to watch about Marcos and the Zapatistas in general. This book gets your foot through the door but it also provides a lot of further reading.
For those of us who already know and love Marcos, this book doesn’t add anything new. It’s more of a reminder of why we love Marcos packed into a little more than one hundred pages. At the end there’s also one of Marcos’ communiqués that was never before published in English as a bonus. If that’s the only thing you read from this book, it’ll still have been worth your time and money!
The best part about this book, however, in my opinion is the extensive bibliography and list of other books to read and documentaries to watch about Marcos and the Zapatistas in general. This book gets your foot through the door but it also provides a lot of further reading.
Displaying 1 of 1 review