Fidel Castro

A Spoken Autobiography

By: Fidel Castro, Ignacio Ramonet

Narrated by: Todd McLaren, Patrick Lawlor

For decades, people have tried to persuade the leader of the Cuban Revolution to tell his own life story. Ignacio Ramonet, the celebrated editor in chief of Le Monde diplomatique, has finally succeeded. For the first time, in a series of extensive and probing interviews, Fidel Castro describes his life from the 1950s to the present day. In frank and compelling detail, he discusses his parents and his childhood, his earliest influences, the beginnings of the revolution, his relationship with Che Guevara, the drama of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Jimmy Carter years, Cuban migration to the United States, his dealings with successive American presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush, and his relationship with such controversial leaders as Saddam Hussein and Hugo Chavez.

Along the way, Ramonet challenges Castro to discuss his views on a number of controversial questions, from human rights and freedom of the press to the repression of homosexuality and the survival of the death penalty in Cuba. This book will stand as the definitive record of an extraordinary life lived in turbulent times.

©2006 Ignacio Ramonet (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Enormously fascinating." ( Booklist)
"A book of great importance to anyone interested in contemporary history and current events." ( Kirkus)

A very entertaining read

In my opinion fiddle Castro is one of the most important statement of the 20th century in 500 years if humans still have a civilization people will study fiddle Castro and they will know about him the same can't be said most United States presidents

great book.

All I can say is that it opened my eyes.. great book. Fidel comes off like a well meaning guy.

Thrilling Story Despite Your Personal Politics

What made the experience of listening to Fidel Castro the most enjoyable?

This book is written as an interview conducted with Castro over several weeks in the mid-2000's. The narrators both have neutral American accents and makes for easy and enjoyable listening. From the failed attack on the Moncada Barracks to the Sierra Maestra to Cuban Missile Crisis to the fall of the Soviets the author (not Castro) gives a meticulous engineers' diagram of the situation in Cuba.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Greatest Story The Government Doesn't Want You To Know

Manipulated Reality

Facts speak for themselves when propaganda manipulates what we hear. When I told my friend I was listening ti a book about Castro, his immediate reaction was “Ah... the dictator?!” Although he knew nothing about Cuba or its people.

So many facts are distorted in our Meissen life to serve a purpose and the elite.

Listen to this book without prejudice

Fascinating historical document

Listening to Fidel’s thoughts on various subjects and talking about his life is absolutely fascinating. A thoughtful, honorable leader

Restraint. Resolve. Vision.

I listened to this book while on holiday in Santiago de Cuba and found Castro fascinating: his restraint, resolve, moral vision are inspiring and I think that history will judge him to be one of the towering figures of his century.

Incredible first accounts by Fidel Castro

Remarkably & astounding. Fidel Castro book is very insightful and pushes the envelope on perspective taking. One thing is for sure Cuba and Castro has done a great deal of humanitarian work.

Really enjoyed reading this book

This is a great book that gives real insight into the mind and process of Fidel Castro.

Narrators problem

It is most distracting that the narrators obviously have made no attempt to learn how to pronounce Spanish, particularly proper names. For the most part their pronunciations are merely grating, but in some cases their pronunciations render names of people and places actually unrecognizable. Although distracting, this detracts from neither the value of the content nor the clarity of the English in the narration.

Awesome

Felt like listening to grandpa! Very informativeand captivating. Plus it is an invite to more research