The Real Fidel Castro

by Leycester Coltman

Rhetoric during and after the Cold War years has painted starkly contrasting portraits of Cuba’s Fidel an unblemished idealist on the one hand, a ruthless dictator on the other. This insightful book, the most intimate and dispassionate biography of the revolutionary leader to date, shows that neither assessment is true.
Leycester Coltman, British ambassador to Cuba in the early 1990s, came as close to personal friendship with Castro as any foreigner was permitted. With frequent contact and regular conversations, Coltman was in a unique position to observe the dictator’s personality in both public and private situations. Here he presents a close-up view of the man who for half a century has been loved, admired, feared, and hated, but seldom really understood.
Coltman chronicles the events of the Cuban leader’s extraordinary life from the political activism of his university days in Havana to periods of exile, imprisonment, and guerilla warfare alongside Che Guevara, to the uncertainties of his old age. Drawing on personal observation and archival sources in Cuba and abroad, Coltman explores the contradiction between the private character and the public reputation, and highlights the complexities of the consummate actor who continues to play a crucial role on the international stage.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Historical

360 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1990

Reviews

[Kathlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well balanced and very readable biography. My only criticism would be the limited bibliography - probably the result of the unexpected death of the author.

[Michael Gerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

A relatively balanced take on the Cuban dictator, "The Real Fidel Castro" offers a fascinating look at one of the twentieth century's divisive figures.

[Anton Segers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een boeiende brok recente geschiedenis.
Een leerzame biografie van Fidel Castro’s leven en persoon, van Britse makelij, genuanceerd.
Een aangename verrassing dat een westerse ambassadeur zoveel oog heeft voor de positieve aspecten en de prestaties van de Cubaanse -lees communistische- revolutie. Zonder de beperkingen ervan over het hoofd te zien.
(Ruim voer om eindelijk een eind te stellen aan die misdadige economische boycot.)

[David Gabrić · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very objective story about how Fidel Castro became a controversial revolutionary figure. Tackles the dark halves of capitalism, American imperialism, and its impact on Cuba and other Latin American countries, as well as on Fidel's desire for a change, a rebellion.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally I finished!!! Good info, kinda a stiff read. Very intresting to have a non U.S perspective on Cuba and Fidel.

[Ed Fenendael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well written; The British ambassador to Cuba wrote it and I feel it is very informative.

[Balaji Ar · Rating 4 out of 5]

How much of a man can be rebellious and revolutionist to his country and life. Felt heart warmed with the history of Castro and Cuba. Wonderfully scripted by Coltman picking history at the fullest.

[Daniel Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in Florida, and Castro was one of those people I always heard about in the news (I still remember the Elián Gonzalez episode), but the dynamic between Castro/Cuba and the U.S. was always kind of vague to me. All I knew was that he was a Communist and therefore a villain. The author of this bio was a long time British diplomat in the Caribbean, and I got the distinct sense that he kind of admired Castro. This isn't hero worship. He finds things to criticize, but overall he seems to take a pretty defensive tone regarding Castro's intentions and actions, and does not at all portray him as the cartoon evil dictator that, in America, he is often made out to be.

There is no getting around the fact that under Castro, there was no freedom of the press, there were political prisoners kept by the thousands in appalling conditions, the church was persecuted, and communism—an inherently unjust and repressive economic system—was held as dogma. Coltman does mention these things, but doesn't really spend any time on them. There is a reason why people tried to escaped Cuba for years by the raft-load, and no one was trying to raft in the other direction.

At the same time, this book was helpful in illuminating Cold War geopolitics. To the extent that Castro sincerely wanted to maintain Cuba's independence and help it reach its full national potential, that desire can be appreciated, and plenty of his criticisms of U.S. actions in Latin America did have merit (after all, plenty of other Latin American dictators, including Castro's predecessor Batista, were propped up by the U.S.). But, Castro himself chose the ideology of Marxism and became dependent on the Soviet Union, and forced his people to suffer all kinds of deprivations in the name of his own misguided vision. Only he is responsible for that.

[Richard Gruner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, informative, balanced

The author is well qualified to make observations and judgements about Castro, events, and diplomacy. The presentation is interesting, well paced, and clearly expressed. The result is a generally balanced examination of a controversial figure without the histrionics of an idealogue.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening perspective.

[Anamya Goldfish Sailor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lol
I like fidel.

[John Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed balanced. I learned a lot.