Question
what is the book about? summary and analysis of the book.
Solution
A Revolutionary Life
Ernest ‘Che’ de la Senna will perpetually remain an enigma of revolution in South America. The man’s change from a lonely dependent child to probably the best symbol of a revolution and socialism is astounding. Although he was a medical doctor, curing people of diseases had never been his genuine intrigue; his inspiration had consistently been that of the scientist searching for a fix. As it had been with medicine, it had become with politics. Che sought solutions off the list of possibilities as he went—reformism, democracy, and elections. He discovered Marx, at a point when Guatemala and Cuba were at war, which led to his acknowledgment that the fix to society’s ills was Marxism-Leninism and that guerrilla fighting was the way to accomplish revolution. Latin America lacked the subjective conditions, the most important of which was the consciousness of the possibility of victory through violent struggle against the imperialist powers and their internal allies. The conditions were created through the armed conflict that clarified the need for change. In that capacity, after spearheading revolutions in Cuba, Che got fixated in spreading insurgency in Latin America and Africa.
Summary
Ernesto Guevara de la senna’s life was enclosed by mystery. He contracted pneumonia at a young age, which, finally, shaped his family’s life as they expected to move to a drier climate to manage his condition that was framed into exceptional asthma. As a result, Che did not go to class until the age of 9 since his mother feared his asthma attacks would increase and supported self-education (Anderson et al. 19). Consequently, his father could not discipline him, which made him rebellious. Likewise, education specialists expected to oblige his mother to take him to class. Ultimately, all these qualities, in the long run, began shaping his destiny.
Che joined the adolescent wing of Accion Argentina at 11 years of age, just to get to the library. In this way, he began going to secondary school when Argentinean political issues were unusual as military authorities expelled President Castillo. In addition, he formed the Federacion esuadianil Socialista, where he mentioned that people not go to class and go out to see a film prohibited by minors. Indeed, Che’s leadership qualities were evident, thus getting into politics was inevitable.
Che had a significant disdain for the United States of America (USA), which transformed his perspectives over Latin America. Notably, the cold war period led to increased tension between the USA and USSR (the Soviet Union). As such, he felt energized to go to Cordoba, where he interacted with the country’s issues by watching the sick, detainees, and how sugar owners exploited the people, demonstrating their country’s duality. Afterward, he went to Chile and saw copper mines that American mining organizations owned; for example, Anaconda and Kennecott reaped numerous profits despite miners earning so little (Anderson et al. 50). In Peru, Indians were mistreated, where below-average class trucks were their reserve. Finally, Bolivia was the most impoverished nation in Latin America, where the few wealthy were the ruling class, while the more majority were poor. Specifically, the USA controlled the export markets in Bolivia, which made the country to dependent on the former. The united fruit company had various branches in Latin America; thus, when states expected to nationalize their associations, they got opposition from the U.S. as it controlled its banana republic. Indeed, the U.S. was seemingly ‘colonizing’ the economy of Latin America; hence, Che believed there was need to for a revolution in the region.
In Mexico, alongside Cuban exiles, Che met with Fidel Castro and decided to prepare for a revolt in Cuba, which required guerilla preparation. Consequently, he got the chance to be one of the pioneers and coordinated the renegade’s shielded spots. Additionally, accountants were utilized, and structures began to be made for Cuba’s new unforeseen development. Indeed, Che wanted to help the Latin American countries and bring the necessary change.
Che’s social life was the price he had to pay for his political career. Thus, he lost his first sweetheart Maria Del Carmen, who would not wait for him. He wedded Hilda Gadea, and they had a little girl, yet he was an absentee father. Che later married Aleida, with whom they had four children. He remained aloof and was unapproachable with his family and could take a long time before speaking with either his better half or guardians. Indeed, his adventurous lifestyle denied him any social life, even with his closest family members.
Che took off from Algeria-Mali-Congo-Brazzaville-Guinea- Ghana and finally to Dahomey before even going back to Ghana and Algeria. He met with Algeria’s Ben Bella, with Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, with the Congolese-Brazzaville, Alphonse Massamba-Débat, and pioneer of the counter Portuguese Angolan independence improvement, Agostinho Neto. Che also ensured Cuban military training for the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) guerrillas working out of the connecting Angolan enclave of Cabinda. Even more, along these lines, he was enthusiastic about Congo, and he instantly offered his assistance through preparations and weapons. Regardless, the change failed, and Mobutu, who was brought about by the West, expelled Joseph Kasavubu, the then leader who collaborated with Che. Che underscored Cuba’s activity in Africa’s opportunity fights; there should be solidarity among the world’s imperialists. Consequently, Che slowed down to pioneer changes against the U.S. in Africa.
In mid-1966, the Latin American dynamic scene was vivacious and in a savage state of change. There were Chinese Communist Party operations in Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia, and guerrilla training was everywhere. Additionally, there were some senior Cuban authorities in the region with the guerrillas in Venezuela and Colombia. Notwithstanding, the conditions in those countries were flawed; close by the guerrilla, upsurge that had originated from the American military. In Guatemala, the Cuban-upheld upheaval collusion that was isolated in two by a Trotskyite breakaway turn of events. The guerrillas had pulled off some magnificent attacks simultaneously, notwithstanding their internal splits, including the counterinsurgency war (Anderson et al.187). In the entirety of his endeavors, socialism fizzled, and that brushed, which led to his collision with the U.S, a circumstance which inevitably prompted his death in October of 1967, at the age of 39.
Analysis
In this insightful work, Jon lee Anderson attempts to discover the presence of one of the best guerilla pioneers in Latin American culture. Che was a medical doctor, what persuaded him to abandon all that and go into politics? What did he truly need to achieve? Through an investigation of Che’s notebook and poems, and a few interviews, Jon lee Anderson, looks at the puzzle. In breaking down the book, the principal criteria include content, organization, and reference sources. The book helps readers to understand the cold war period; hence, it is a valuable asset to learners, instructors, and pragmatic leaders.
The book, A Revolutionary Life, is a story that is centered aroonund political history in Latin America and the impact of one man, Che, who was persuasive in bringing rebellious thoughts in the region and Africa. Numerous Latin American nations were banana republics having a relationship with the U.S., including Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and the Caribbean Islands. Only Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic were autonomous; however, the countries stayed under insecure governments. General Raphael had governed the Dominican Republic since 1930, while Haiti and Cuba had experienced military upsets. The cold war period after 1945 saw the ascent of ideological threats between the U.S. and USSR as both attempted to spread their belief systems. Che had a profound, situated disdain for Capitalism as it exploited individuals. In this manner, he drove unrest in numerous Latin, Central American, and African nations that were enemies of imperialists. Consequently, Che felt obligated to help various countries and offered guerilla training to remove the imperialistic governments.
The construction of the book meshes well with its organization and lends itself successfully to the study of different periods in history. Each chapter is broken down into sections, which typically fit logically into the topic of the episode. All branches are composed of several defining parts that maintain a sense of continuity throughout the readings. The book is well-referenced; thus, it has precision that fits with an academic educational program. The revolutionary life is partitioned into three sections, which demonstrates Anderson’s sharp eye on when collecting data about Che. Chapter one, The Unquiet Youth, discusses Che’s initial life and eagerness, which made him venture out to Latin American nations. His undertakings presented him to issues confronting the country, which were significantly ascribed to USA’s neo-imperialism through are worldwide organizations, for example, Kennecott.
The USA controlled Latin America’s export market of its banana republics by taking its profits. Section two, Becoming Che, centers around the revolutionary joining Fidel Castro, and in the long run, turning into a Great guerilla pioneer. The guerilla war was arranged in Cuba that drove Batista to seek refuge in the wake of being crushed by the agitator armed force. The third part, Making The New Man, centers around Che’s endeavors after the Cuban upset. He made a trip to different nations to start insurgencies; however, they fizzled. His fixation for the experience made him leave Cuba and made a trip to Africa to start an uprising. Wherever he went, he declared Cuba’s assurance in battling hostile to colonialists through the utilization of the guerilla fighting. Cuba was resolute in providing nations with help and advice regarding preparations, weapons, and assets. He focused on Congo, which in the end, fizzled due to the non-duty of the contenders. The reader may ask why the entireties of Che’s endeavors were futile as socialism disintegrated, and why numerous nations ultimately adopted Capitalism.
Inside the content of the section, there are pictures of Che that portray notable events, give recorded proof to help the account or relate bibliographical data about people who were favorable in molding Che’s history. Generally speaking, fundamentals of story of Che’s revolutionary life appears in an intelligible and engaging style. The addendums close with a rundown of notes and maps, and the itemized book reference gives sources that provide more data for the reader. The organization highlights the critical periods of Che’s life and the section is finished by a careful list of sources, evaluating the material secured, and a course of events enlarged by furnishing occasions legitimately connected to Che’s exercises.
Throughout the years, Jon lee Anderson’s examination has offered an alternate point of view on capitalism and socialism in Latin society and history since his work frequently addresses the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. A Revolutionary Life, from the start, has all the earmarks of being a book that endeavors to deal with the chronicles of these two ideologies. The book is an assortment of articles by an insightful columnist and war reporter who has made a vocation to consider Che’s life. Moreover, he makes a skillful demonstration in bringing out Che’s mind-boggling character, in isolating the man from the fantasy and in depicting the primary role he played in, perhaps, the darkest time of the cold war. The author takes the readers to the spots where imperialistic upheavals were knowledgeable about Latin, Central America, and Africa. Even though Jon lee Anderson offers readers a robust investigation of the political history in the Cuban culture, his bits of knowledge are pertinent to an expansive range of Latin American social orders. Nevertheless, his book misses the mark regarding clarifying why Che was willing to die for the revolutions. At last, in any case, the quality of his book is in its abundance of detail.
Conclusion
Considering the diverse issues and factors revolving around Che, his works, and relations with different factions of politics, his endeavors towards revolutions, despite everything, are still remembered even after he was captured and executed. The U.S. had abused numerous individuals in Latin America, especially in their banana republics. The cold war period saw the ideological rivalry between the USA and USSR. When Ernesto began his progressive thoughts, he was fighting a battle with the U.S. and the ideals of capitalism. With time socialism crumbled, and numerous nations embraced private enterprise. To this day, Che is identified as being brave and overambitious; however, all things considered, he is a hero in a world where oppression was integrated in the political and social system.
Works Cited
Anderson, Jon Lee, et al. Che: a Revolutionary Life. Faber & Faber, 2018.