Fidel Castro: My Life: A Spoken Autobiography
by Fidel Castro, Ignacio Ramonet
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Book Summary Information
Author: Fidel Castro, Ignacio RamonetEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Format: Audiobook, CD, Unabridged
Published: 2008-02-01
ISBN: 1400105927
Publisher: Tantor Media
Book Reviews of Fidel Castro: My Life: A Spoken Autobiography
Book Review: Castro's infomercial
Summary: 2 Stars
"My Life" is essentially Fidel Castro doing an infomercial about himself. The entire book is literally one long question and answer interview.
Castro chose for this verbal autobiogrpahy, the uncritical Ignacio Ramonet. With the exception of questions regarding the death penalty, Ramonet is mostly apolitcal, but at least he had the deceny to admit as much in his introduction.
Also, in his introduciton, Ramonet states he felt that "family questions" were obviously considered "out of bounds." Now, I understand "family issues" are considered very private in the Hispanic culture, but after reading "My Life" I still don't know anything about Mrs. Castro or even if there is a Fidel Jr.
Through his telling to Ramonet, Castro does make some persuasive points. Not to "spoil the ending" but to avoid hundred of pages of dry reading, here are some of the highlights:
1) Castro has sincerely worked to avoid a "cult of personality". There are no statues of him erected in his honor, he is not pictured on Cuban currency, his photogrpah does not hang in government offices etc.
2) He is against mistreating prisoners of war (e.g. during the revolution) because, besides being "wrong," mistreating prisoners plays into the "enemy's hand."
3) Sending doctors to improvished areas thorughout the world, not only is the "right" thing to do, it helps bolster Cuba's standing in the international community.
4) Providing free health care and education (even college/vocational school for laid off sugar care workers) genuinely endears him to many, if not most, of his people.
However, Castro is not presuasive when he argues that the immigration policy of the United States is the cause of great suffering for the Cuban people, that the Cuban constiution provides meaningful "referendum rights" to the poeple, and that Marxism is "good" and capitalism is "bad".
Besides these persuasive and not-so persuasive points, "My Life" has little to offer the general reader. It is essentially humorless and there are few "human interest" stories. In short, like most informercials, "My Life" is repetitive and boring. So, unless you truly NEED a book on Castro, buy something else.
Summary of Fidel Castro: My Life: A Spoken Autobiography
Based on over 100 hours of interviews with Fidel Castro conducted over three years, Fidel Castro: My Life is as close to a memoir as we will ever get from the Cuban leader. Here Castro speaks with raw frankness about the events of his extraordinary life and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.Biographies & Memoirs Books
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