The Che Guevara Reader: Writings on Politics & Revolution

by David Deutschmann (Editor), Maria del Carmen Ari Garcia (Editor)

Overview

Selected writings—speeches, essays, and letters—by one of the most widely known guerilla fighters, political theorists, and organizers, Che Guevara.

Widely revered as a true revolutionary, this collection of writings from Ernesto Che Guevara highlight his principled politics and praxis in the fight against capitalism and US imperialism. Incisive speeches, critical essays, and personal letters not only serve as a primer of the Cuban revolutionary movement, but also analyze the importance of practicing international solidarity, reflect on violent resistance, and explicate the dangerous failures of capitalism.

Accompanied by an extensive bibliography of Guevara's writing, a timeline of his life, and an all-encompassing glossary of individuals, organizations, and publications, the Che Guevara Reader provides insights into the historical, political, and cultural context for Guevara's radicalization. From some of his most famous speeches such as "Create Two, Three, Many Vietnams" to intimate, personal letters addressed to comrades around the world and his own children, this book extends Che's legacy and paints a stunning picture of a revolutionary struggling for a better world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781644211120
Publisher:	Seven Stories Press
Publication date:	06/21/2022
Series:	The Che Guevara Library
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	635,732
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

ERNESTO GUEVARA DE LA SERNA was born in Rosario, Argentina, on June 14, 1928. While studying for a medical degree in Buenos Aires, he took a trip with his friend Alberto Granado on an old Norton motorcycle through all of Latin America, the basis for The Motorcycle Diaries. During his travels he witnessed the Bolivian revolution in 1953; and, in Guatemala in 1954, the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz by US-backed forces. Forced to leave Guatemala, he went to Mexico City, where he linked up with exiled Cuban revolutionaries and met Fidel Castro in 1955. Che joined their expedition to Cuba, where the revolutionary war began in the Sierra Maestra mountains. At first Che was the troop doctor, and later became Rebel Army commander in July 1957. Following the rebels’ victory on January 1, 1959, he was a key leader of the new revolutionary government and also of the political organization that in 1965 became the Communist Party of Cuba.

Table of Contents

Ernesto Che Guevara ix

Introduction to the second edition David Deutschmann 1

Chronology 7

Part 1 The Cuban Revolutionary War

Selections from Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War

A revolution begins 19

Alegría de Pío 23

The battle of La Plata 26

A betrayal in the making 30

The murdered puppy 35

Interlude 37

A decisive meeting 42

The final offensive and the battle of Santa Clara 47

El Patojo 57

What we have learned and what we have taught (December 1958) 61

The essence of guerrilla struggle (1960) 64

Guerrilla warfare: A method (September 1963) 70

Part 2 The Cuba Years 1959-65

Social ideals of the Rebel Army (January 29, 1959) 87

Political sovereignty and economic independence (March 20, 1960) 96

Speech to medical students and health workers (August 20, 1960) 112

Notes for the study of the ideology of the Cuban Revolution (October 1960) 121

Cuba: Historical exception or vanguard in the anticolonial struggle? (April 9, 1961) 130

A new culture of work (August 21, 1962) 143

The cadre: Backbone of the revolution (September 1962) 153

To be a Young Communist (October 20, 1962) 158

A party of the working class (1963) 169

Against bureaucratism (February 1963) 178

On the budgetary finance system (February 1964) 184

Socialism and man in Cuba (1965) 212

Part 3 International Solidarity

Speech to the Latin American youth congress (July 28, 1960) 231

The OAS conference at Punta del Este (August 8, 1961) 242

The Cuban Revolution's influence in Latin America (May 18, 1962) 275

Tactics and strategy of the Latin American revolution (October-November 1962) 294

The philosophy of plunder must cease (March 25, 1964) 305

At the United Nations (December 11, 1964) 325

At the Afro-Asian conference in Algeria (February 24, 1965) 340

Create two, three, many Vietnams (Message to the Tricontinental, April 1967) 350

Part 4 Letters

To José E. Martí Leyva 365

To José Tiquet 366

To Dr. Fernando Barral 367

To Carlos Franqui 368

To Guillermo Lorentzen 370

To Peter Marucci 371

To Dr. Aleida Coto Martínez 372

To the compañeros of the Motorcycle Assembly Plant 373

To Pablo Diaz González 374

To Lydia Ares Rodríguez 375

To María Rosario Guevara 375

To José Medero Mestre 377

To Eduardo B. Ordaz Ducungé 379

To Haydée Santamaría 380

To Dr. Regino G. Boti 381

To Elias Entralgo 382

To my children 383

To my parents 384

To Hildita 385

To Fidel Castro 386

To my children 388

Notes 390

Glossary 404

Bibliography of Che Guevara's writings and speeches 414

Index 432

Editorial Reviews

"If I were to recommend one of Che’s books to readers who want an introduction to his bold ideas, dialectical thinking and his concise yet expressive style, I would recommend this one."—Jonah Raskin, Counterpunch

From the Publisher