Cuba Libre!: Che, Fidel, and the Improbable Revolution That Changed World History (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780735218161)

The surprising story of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and the scrappy band of rebel men and women who followed them.

Most people are familiar with the basics of the Cuban Revolution of 1956-1959: it was led by two of the twentieth century's most charismatic figures, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara; it successfully overthrew the island nation's US-backed dictator; and it quickly went awry under Fidel's rule.

But less is remembered about the amateur nature of the movement or the lives of its players. In this wildly entertaining and meticulously researched account, historian and journalist Tony Perrottet unravels the human drama behind history's most improbable revolution: a scruffy handful of self-taught revolutionaries--many of them kids just out of college, literature majors, and art students, and including a number of extraordinary women--who defeated 40,000 professional soldiers to overthrow the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Cuba Libre 's deep dive into the revolution reveals fascinating details: How did Fidel's highly organized lover Celia S nchez whip the male guerrillas into shape? Who were the two dozen American volunteers who joined the Cuban rebels? How do you make land mines from condensed milk cans--or, for that matter, cook chorizo la guerrilla (sausage guerrilla-style)?

Cuba Libre is an absorbing look back at a liberation movement that captured the world's imagination with its spectacular drama, foolhardy bravery, tragedy, and, sometimes, high comedy--and that set the stage for Cold War tensions that pushed the world to the brink of nuclear war.

Author: Tony Perrottet
ISBN-10: 0735218161
ISBN-13: 9780735218161
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Language: English
Published: 01/22/2019
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 1.40d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2018
Booklist 12/15/2018 pg. 81
BookPage 01/01/2019
Library Journal 01/01/2019 pg. 84