The Real Fidel Castro by Leycester Coltman
Rhetoric during and after the Cold War years has painted starkly contrasting portraits of Cuba's Fidel Castro: an unblemished idealist on the one hand, a ruthless dictator on the other. This insightful book, the most intimate and dispassionate biography of the revolutionary leader to date, shows that neither assessment is true. Leycester Coltman, British ambassador to Cuba in the early 1990s, came as close to personal friendship with Castro as any foreigner was permitted. With frequent contact and regular conversations, Coltman was in a unique position to observe the dictator's personality in both public and private situations. Here he presents a close-up view of the man who for half a century has been loved, admired, feared, and hated, but seldom really understood. Coltman chronicles the events of the Cuban leader's extraordinary life from the political activism of his university days in Havana to periods of exile, imprisonment, and guerilla warfare alongside Che Guevara, to the uncertainties of his old age. Drawing on personal observation and archival sources in Cuba and abroad, Coltman explores the contradiction between the private character and the public reputation, and highlights the complexities of the consummate actor who continues to play a crucial role on the international stage.
"From childhood rebellion to international confrontation, Coltman's analysis of this obstinate and aggressive politician remains clear and impressively impartial"-Observer "[Coltman] has produced a rare commodity-a balanced view of Castro... Very well-written and easily read."-Anthony Daniels, Sunday Telegraph "One of the most striking revelations of ... Coltman's engrossing study of the Cuban leader is just how central violence has always been to [Castro's] life... Meticulously researched and compiled ... [and] fascinating material."-Justin Marozzi, Literary Review
The late Sir Leycester Coltman was head of the Latin American Department of the British Foreign Office in the late 1980s and was British Ambassador to Cuba from 1991-94.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780300107609 |
| ISBN 10 | 0300107609 |
| Title | The Real Fidel Castro |
| Author | Leycester Coltman |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
| Year published | 2005-03-08 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |