Fidel: A Critical Portrait

This is an excellent biography by journalist Tad Sluc that portrays the life of Fidel Castro from his childhood, his Havana University days, and as leader of the Cuban Revolution. The first two thirds of this 650+ page book covers Castro's activities before the triumph of the Revolution. The author makes the observation that Castro grew up in an area economically dominated by American businesses, a fact that may have planted a seed of resentment in the young impressionable Fidel. Several chapters cover Castro's initial planning and execution of his first military assault of the Batista dictatorship at the Moncada barracks in 1953. It is evident from the Moncada Manifesto and the make up of his troops that his political movement was of a democratic nature and called for the restoration of the 1940 constitution. The only evidence of communist indoctrination only seems to exist under the command of his brother Raul and that of Guevara in 1958. Once the Revolution triumphs in 1959, Szluc goes into a detailed account of how Castro manipulated the country politically, militarily, and economically into the Soviet Communist Bloc with a parallel government that operated behind the cover of the pro-democracy cabinet led by provisional President Urrutia, who resigned his post and went into exile by mid-1959 because of communist infiltration in the government. Of particular interest are the narrations on the 1959 agrarian reform, the Bay of Pigs, the Escambray rebellion, and the Missile Crisis. Not much material on Castro's political repression, his interventionism in Latin America and not much on his militarist adventures in Africa. I would enjoy the story about Castro more if it was extended to go beyond the year 1985 - after the fall of the Soviet Union. Reader has to beware, as it is obvious that the interviews with Fidel and his cadre are mainly geared toward propaganda effects, although they are sometimes insightful. A must read for Cuban Revolution junkies!

I have recently discovered a wonderful genre of historical reading: Cuban history! From Fidel Castro, and Jose Marti, to Che Guevara and Antonio Maceo, the history of the island is rich with characters whose stories are as good as any fictional action/adventure tale. I have read plenty of stories about Fidel, and this one is the most complete. There is little information on Fidel's life (up until publication) that cannot be found in this book. The writing is objective, and focuses on both the triumphs and failures of the Castro regime. It is not a quick read, it is very detailed, and I had to renew it from the library twice. Say what you will about Fidel politically, the man has lived a fascinating life, and has survived insurmountable odds and countless assassination attempts. With incredible resourcefulness and sheer determination, he managed to survive. No doubt he has left an impact that cannot be ignored and only time will tell if in history, he is truly absolved. Mark McGinty is the author of "Elvis and the Blue Moon Conspiracy"

This is a wonderfully written account of the Guerrilla expedition that brought Castro to power. It is an objective view of this amazing man. As the reader, you are given the opportunity to draw your own views about Castro and his idealogical formation. This is a must read for anyone interested in Cuba, its revolution, and Castro.

As a critical political science student, I wanted to know what was all the hype about Castro. Yes, he is a communist, but is that all that makes him a "boogeyman" (if communism ever makes a person a boogeyman!). After reading many biographies of the "bearded one", Tad's book is the only one that permeates objectivity. In many parts, he criticizes Fidel for his faults but praises many of his superior societal reforms (such as the healthcare and education successes). The U.S. has got a lot to learn from his social reforms...and Castro needs to learn to democratize a little more.If you want anti-castro/exile community propaganda, go somewhere else. But if you want the truth, read this book. Highly recommended!