Getting to Know the General: The Story of an Involvement

Good lesson on a topic that American media routinely refuses to cover, and that is the United States' own crimes against Latin America.

A very interesting book. As always with Graham Greene, it is very well written, but it is also a very observant portrait of not only Omar Torrijos, but of Panama and Central America during the late 1970's and early 1980's. Well worth buying.

This must be one to the most exciting books i have read. I was looking for a book specifically about Omar Torrijos, about who he was and what he did. The book gave me plenty of the character as seen by Graham Greene, his dear friend, but it really was mostly about the adventures that Graham had in Panama. He talks about how he was travelling the country with "Chuchu" (José de Jesús Martínez), who was probably the most trusted friend of the General. Graham gives us insight into how his friendship with the General developed and how he began to admire his cause and understand his desperate situation in Panama. The glimpses of the General sometimes seem too short, but the character described and the stories told about his savior actions towards many refugees and political exiles in South America leaves nothing but admiration for this man. There is a lot of political thoughts from Graham given on the situation in South America, and he seems to have know a lot of powerful figures in that area. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a short look at Omar Torrijos and the political situation in Central America during the late 70s and early 80s. The adventures of Graham are not to be missed, often quite comical and interesting.