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The Guerrillas
Rayon : Histoire Editeur : Solar Date de parution : 1967 Description : In-8, 444 pages, relié entoilé avec jaquette parfaite, occasion, très bon état. Envois quotidiens du mardi au samedi. Les commandes sont adressées sous enveloppes bulles. Photos supplémentaires de l'ouvrage sur simple demande. Réponses aux questions dans les 12h00. Librairie Le Piano-Livre. Merci. Référence catalogue 46328. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks
- GenresHistory
237 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
37 people want to read
About the author
Jean Lartéguy
116 books58 followersLartéguy was born into what he called "one of those families of poor mountain peasants whose names are found inscribed on war memorials, but not in history books." Both his father and uncle had served in the First World War. With his country conquered by the Germans, Lartéguy escaped from France into Spain in March 1942. He remained there for nine months and spent time in a Francoist jail before joining the Free French Forces as an officer in the 1st Commando Group (1er groupe de commandos). During the war, he fought in Italy; Vosges and Belfort, France; and Germany. He remained on active duty for seven years until becoming a captain in the reserves in order to enter the field of journalism. Lartéguy received numerous military awards, to include: Légion d'honneur, Croix de guerre 1939-1945, and the Croix de guerre T.O.E.
After his military service, Lartéguy worked as a war correspondent, particularly for the magazine Paris Match. He covered conflicts in Azerbaijan, Korea, Palestine, Indochina, Algeria, and Vietnam. In pursuit of a story at the start of the Korean War, Lartéguy volunteered for the French Battalion and was wounded by an enemy hand grenade during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. In Latin America, he reported on various revolutions and insurgencies, and in 1967 encountered Che Guevara shortly before his capture and execution. In the July 1967 issue of Paris Match, Lartéguy wrote a major article entitled "Les Guerilleros", where he wrote: "At a time when Cuban revolutionaries want to create Vietnam's all over the world, the Americans run the risk of finding their own Algeria in Latin America."
In 1955, he received the Albert Londres Prize for journalism
His experiences as a soldier and war correspondent influenced his writing. Some of the most emphasized topics in his writing are decolonization, nationalism, the expansion of Communism, the state of post-war French society, and the unglamorous nature of war. His novel Les chimères noires evokes the role played by Roger Trinquier during the Katanga Crisis. Published in 1963 it portrays vividly the chaos of civil war in the Congo after the murder of Patrice Lumumba and the conflict between Moise Tshombe secessionist government and the United Nations Forces. The novel is very critical of Belgian colonialism and is also a reliable expression of European views of Central Africa after independence. Several of his book titles were translated into English, with the most successful being his Algerian War series: The Centurions and The Praetorians. The former was adapted into a major motion picture in 1966, entitled Lost Command and starred Anthony Quinn.
Also, with his novel The Centurions, Lartéguy is credited with being the first to envision the 'ticking time bomb' scenario, which has regained relevance in recent debates on the use of torture in a counter-terrorism role. His novels have been read by military professionals, including General David Petraeus, in the new context of modern terrorism.
After his military service, Lartéguy worked as a war correspondent, particularly for the magazine Paris Match. He covered conflicts in Azerbaijan, Korea, Palestine, Indochina, Algeria, and Vietnam. In pursuit of a story at the start of the Korean War, Lartéguy volunteered for the French Battalion and was wounded by an enemy hand grenade during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. In Latin America, he reported on various revolutions and insurgencies, and in 1967 encountered Che Guevara shortly before his capture and execution. In the July 1967 issue of Paris Match, Lartéguy wrote a major article entitled "Les Guerilleros", where he wrote: "At a time when Cuban revolutionaries want to create Vietnam's all over the world, the Americans run the risk of finding their own Algeria in Latin America."
In 1955, he received the Albert Londres Prize for journalism
His experiences as a soldier and war correspondent influenced his writing. Some of the most emphasized topics in his writing are decolonization, nationalism, the expansion of Communism, the state of post-war French society, and the unglamorous nature of war. His novel Les chimères noires evokes the role played by Roger Trinquier during the Katanga Crisis. Published in 1963 it portrays vividly the chaos of civil war in the Congo after the murder of Patrice Lumumba and the conflict between Moise Tshombe secessionist government and the United Nations Forces. The novel is very critical of Belgian colonialism and is also a reliable expression of European views of Central Africa after independence. Several of his book titles were translated into English, with the most successful being his Algerian War series: The Centurions and The Praetorians. The former was adapted into a major motion picture in 1966, entitled Lost Command and starred Anthony Quinn.
Also, with his novel The Centurions, Lartéguy is credited with being the first to envision the 'ticking time bomb' scenario, which has regained relevance in recent debates on the use of torture in a counter-terrorism role. His novels have been read by military professionals, including General David Petraeus, in the new context of modern terrorism.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 1, 2024
Great introduction to this period of Latin American history. Jumps around a lot between countries but shows the connectedness of all these struggles. Also shows some of the connections outside of the region. For example the solidarity between Latin American guerrillas and Vietnamese struggle. Also the support between different imperialist powers in their repression.
Anytime the US Green Berets show up, for example, there are mass graves, torture, and r**e in their wake. Particularly towards indigenous communities. Seems the Green Berets were picking up tactics during their stay in Vietnam, tormenting poor rice farmers. Seems anytime they face an actually armed adversary they quickly crumble.
I recently pulled up some clips off of Youtube searching for ‘Green Berets training’ and one of the top hits is one climbing into an ice bath. His tattoos sported a lot of deep cut Nazi memorabilia. Black suns, freikorp skulls, Nicaraguan death squad symbols, the lot. Guess they haven’t changed much the last 60 or so years.
Anyways, the downside to this book is the authors voice. He is a great journalist! He tells the facts and, judging by the text, was a good interviewer. However, he seems unable to connect the dots even as he lays them out. Anytime his opinion comes through on a matter, it seems half-baked or naive. When he leaves the opinions to his interviewees they seem more complete and understandable.
Looking into him it seems he was a French DeGallist. Curious his thoughts of the Algerians - perhaps thats one of his other books? He was also supportive of the guerrillas and understood their demands of freedom from foreign oppression, imperialism etc. Theres a contradiction here. His identity in the former clouds his conclusions regarding the latter.
The author hates Fidel Castro. He seems to love Che and respect the Cuban Revolution but takes the ground that its leadership weren’t any better than before or maybe just kinda/sorta? This leads him to think Fidel is behind so many tragedies that occur around this time, for example the plane crashes.
Now that we are a few decades removed, we all know most of these tragedies were carried out by the US or by US-backed Cuban supporters of the Batista regime. Many who were white supremacist Cubans. Not Fidel. It is public information, no longer conspiracy.
Another blind spot. He criticizes the post-revolution Cuban government for investing money into Afro-Cuban arts and culture. He witnesses a black woman in Havana dancing and singing to the revolution. He then goes on a tirade against “voodoo”. Pretty racist. And also, why is this bad policy? And what has it to do with black Cubans dancing and singing? Before the revolution black Cubans couldn’t go to a doctor, they weren’t allowed to read, their history and cultures were obliterated by the slave trade and still repressed into the 20th century. So the Fidel regime invests in supporting their cultural renaissance and thats *bad*? Okay dude.
Anytime the US Green Berets show up, for example, there are mass graves, torture, and r**e in their wake. Particularly towards indigenous communities. Seems the Green Berets were picking up tactics during their stay in Vietnam, tormenting poor rice farmers. Seems anytime they face an actually armed adversary they quickly crumble.
I recently pulled up some clips off of Youtube searching for ‘Green Berets training’ and one of the top hits is one climbing into an ice bath. His tattoos sported a lot of deep cut Nazi memorabilia. Black suns, freikorp skulls, Nicaraguan death squad symbols, the lot. Guess they haven’t changed much the last 60 or so years.
Anyways, the downside to this book is the authors voice. He is a great journalist! He tells the facts and, judging by the text, was a good interviewer. However, he seems unable to connect the dots even as he lays them out. Anytime his opinion comes through on a matter, it seems half-baked or naive. When he leaves the opinions to his interviewees they seem more complete and understandable.
Looking into him it seems he was a French DeGallist. Curious his thoughts of the Algerians - perhaps thats one of his other books? He was also supportive of the guerrillas and understood their demands of freedom from foreign oppression, imperialism etc. Theres a contradiction here. His identity in the former clouds his conclusions regarding the latter.
The author hates Fidel Castro. He seems to love Che and respect the Cuban Revolution but takes the ground that its leadership weren’t any better than before or maybe just kinda/sorta? This leads him to think Fidel is behind so many tragedies that occur around this time, for example the plane crashes.
Now that we are a few decades removed, we all know most of these tragedies were carried out by the US or by US-backed Cuban supporters of the Batista regime. Many who were white supremacist Cubans. Not Fidel. It is public information, no longer conspiracy.
Another blind spot. He criticizes the post-revolution Cuban government for investing money into Afro-Cuban arts and culture. He witnesses a black woman in Havana dancing and singing to the revolution. He then goes on a tirade against “voodoo”. Pretty racist. And also, why is this bad policy? And what has it to do with black Cubans dancing and singing? Before the revolution black Cubans couldn’t go to a doctor, they weren’t allowed to read, their history and cultures were obliterated by the slave trade and still repressed into the 20th century. So the Fidel regime invests in supporting their cultural renaissance and thats *bad*? Okay dude.
February 18, 2014
A collection connected reportage from across South America by the Novelist behind "the Praetorians". Cynical, bloody, and often very witty despite being a translation from french. I still don't understand why noone has reprinted Larteguy's works. His hero worship of Che Guevara is off-putting but grounded more in the man's propaganda when he lived then the extreme cult of personality after his death.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews